世界节假日博览 第155期:欧洲语言日

September the 26th is the European Day of Languages. The Council of Europe and the European Union (EU) created the day on the 6th of December 2001. Its main aim is to encourage language learning across Europe. Other objectives are to alert the public to the wide range of languages to increase multilingualism and intercultural understanding, and to promote the rich linguistic and cultural persity of Europe. All Europeans are encouraged to take up a new language. The founders of this day also hope those responsible for providing access to language learning are encouraged to make it easier for people to learn languages. There is an emphasis on learning a language other than English.

9月26日是欧洲语言日。这一节日是欧洲委员会和欧盟在2001年12月6日设立的，其主要目标是激励欧洲人学习语言，目标还包括提醒欧洲民众接触广泛的语言以提高多语言能力和增进跨文化理解，同时提高欧洲语言和文化多样性的丰富程度。它鼓励欧洲人学习一门新语言。欧洲语言日的发起人还希望提供语言学习服务的人和机构能让语言学习更简单容易。这一节日重在强调学一门英语以外的语言。


There are about 225 languages native to Europe. This is about three per cent of the world's total. With an increase in immigration to Europe, the continent has become more multilingual. The EU says over 300 languages are spoken in London. According to an EU survey 56% of EU citizens speak a second language. However, 44% only know their mother tongue. English is the most widely spoken second language, with 38% of Europeans speaking it. This is much higher than that for French or German. Around 14% of Europeans say they have mastered one of these languages. The EU spends more than thirty million euros a year promoting language learning and linguistic persity.

欧洲本土的语言大约有225种，占世界语言种类的3%。随着欧洲移民的增多，欧洲大陆变得更加多语言化。欧盟称，在伦敦，人们使用的语言有300多种。欧盟的一份调查结果表明：56%的欧盟民众会说第二种语言。然而，44%的人只会说他们的母语。英语是使用得最广泛的第二语言。38%的欧洲人会说英语，这要比会说法语或德语的人高得多。大约有14%的欧洲人表示他们已经精通英法德三种语言中的一种。欧盟每年花费3000多万欧元来加强欧洲人的语言学习能力和增加语言多样性。