TED演讲：不要固执于英语！

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TED Talk
Don't insist on English!
by Patricia Ryan

http://www.ted.com/talks/patricia_ryan_ideas_in_all_languages_not_just_english
http://open.163.com/movie/2011/7/I/D/M77TTPVIK_M77TTVCID.html

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Notes:

• great-grandparents
• to communicate across generations
• the Gulf　旧金山湾区, 美国硅谷
• Kuwait　科威特 (阿拉伯产油国)
• a hardship post　一个艰苦地区
• to modernize the country
• to empower the citizens through educations
• oil wealth
• to stop them in their tracks
• They can't pursue their dream any longer, till they get English.
• Now let me put it this way, ...　现在我这么说吧
• the Islamic Golden Age
• Light shone upon the Dark Ages of Europe.
  Shone is the past tense of shine.
• Don't get me wrong.　别误会。
• I am not against teaching English. I love it that we have a global language. We need one today more than ever. But I am gainst using it as a barrier. This system equates intelligence with a knowledge of English which is quite arbitrary.　把智慧和英语能力划等号，这是非常武断的。
• Einstein was considered remedial at school because he was dyslexic.　爱因斯坦在学校是个需要补课的学生，因为他诵读困难。
• Education: The Great Divide
  Now I get it. I understand why people would want to focus on English. They want to give their children the best chance in life. And to do that, they need a western education. Because, of course, best jobs go to people out of western universities, that I put on earlier. It's a circular thing.
• So bingo, problem solved.　所以，瞧！问题解决了。
  If you think a thought, you are stuck.　如果你想不通，就卡(qiǎ)住了。
  But if another language can think that thought, then, by cooperating, we can achieve and learn so much more.
• When a language dies, we don't know what we lose with that language.
• The children can lead Africa from what it is today, a dark continent, to a light continent.
• Mind your language.　重视你的语言。
  Use it to spread great ideas.