雙語: 博科娃總幹事2017年國際母語日致辭

Message from Ms. Irina Bokova, Director-General of UNESCO, on the Occasion of International Mother Language Day

聯合國教科文組織總幹事伊琳娜·博科娃國際母語日致辭

21 February 2017

2017年2月21日

On the occasion of International Mother Language Day, UNESCO restates its wholehearted commitment to linguistic diversity and multilingualism. Languages express who we are, they structure our thoughts and identities. There can be no authentic dialogue or effective international cooperation without respect for linguistic diversity, which opens up true understanding of every culture. Access to the diversity of languages can awaken the curiosity and mutual understanding of peoples. That is why learning languages is at one and the same time a promise of peace, of innovation and of creativity.

在國際母語日之際，聯合國教科文組織重申其對語言多樣性和使用多種語言的全部承諾。語言表達我們自己，構建我們的思想和我們的身份。如果沒有對語言多樣性的尊重，就不可能有真正的對話和有效的國際合作，因為語言多樣性開啟了真正理解每一種文化的門戶。進入語言多樣性的環境，就能激發好奇心，就能增進各民族之間的相互了解。所以說，學習語言對和平、創新和創造力都是一種承諾。

International Mother Language Day, devoted this year to multilingual education, is also an opportunity to mobilize for the Sustainable Development Goals, and in particular, SDG 4, to ensure inclusive and quality education for all and promote lifelong learning. Education and information in the mother language is absolutely essential to improving learning and developing confidence and self-esteem, which are among the most powerful engines of development.

國際母語日今年的主題是多語言教育。這也是一個契機，讓我們動員起來推動實現可持續發展目標，特別是可持續發展目標4：確保包容和公平的優質教育，讓全民終身享有學習機會。母語教育和信息對於改善學習、培養自信和自尊是至關重要的，這是發展的主要推動力。

We are beings of language. Cultures, ideas, feelings and even aspirations for a better world come to us first and foremost in a specific language, with specific words. These languages convey values and visions of the world that enrich humanity. Giving value to these languages opens up the range of possible futures, and strengthens the energy needed to achieve them. On the occasion of this Day, I launch an appeal for the potential of multilingual education to be acknowledged everywhere, in education and administrative systems, in cultural expressions and the media, cyberspace and trade. The better we understand how to value languages, the more tools we will have to build a future of dignity for all.

人類是有語言能力的存在。文化、思想、情感，甚至對一個更美好世界的願望，首先並且總是以明確的語言、具體的詞句呈現在我們面前。這些語言承載著豐富人類的價值觀和世界觀。重視這些語言的價值，可以使未來具有更大的可能範圍，也可以讓實現這樣的未來所需要的能動力得到加強。值此國際母語日，我呼籲，無論是在教育和行政系統，還是在文化表現形式方面以及傳媒、網路空間和商業來往中，都要普遍重視多語言教育的潛力。我們越是懂得重視語言的價值，就越有辦法為所有人建設有尊嚴的未來。