Jay Walker on the world's English mania

翻译人员: Lu Meng 校对人员: Haiming Lin

Let's talk about manias.

让我们来谈谈狂热。

先从甲壳虫热说起

Let's start with Beatlemania.

(Recording of crowd roaring)

歇斯底里的少年们，

Hysterical teenagers,

crying, screaming, pandemonium.

高呼，尖叫，喧嚣的场面。

(Recording of crowd roaring)

体育热

Sports mania:

deafening crowds,

震耳欲聋的人群。

all for one idea -- get the ball in the net.

都是为了一个目标，要球进网。

(Recording) Goal!

Okay, religious mania:

还有，宗教热。

there's rapture, there's weeping,

有欢笑，也有泪水。

there's visions.

还有梦想。

Manias can be good.

狂热可以是件好事。

Manias can be alarming.

狂热也可以使人担心。

有时狂热也可以是致命的。

Or manias can be deadly.

(Recording of crowd cheering)

The world has a new mania.

现在世界上有一种新的狂热。

A mania for learning English.

学习英语的狂热

Listen as Chinese students practice their English,

听，中国学生在练习讲英语

by screaming it:

用高声叫喊的方式练习英语。

Teacher: ... change my life!

老师：... 改变我的生活！

Students: I want to change my life!

学生：我要改变我的命运。

T: I don't want to let my parents down!

老师：我不想让父母失望。

S: I don't want to let my parents down!

学生：我不想让父母失望。

T: I don't ever want to let my country down!

老师：我从不想让国家失望。

S: I don't ever want to let my country down!

学生：我从不想让国家失望。

T: Most importantly... S: Most importantly...

老师：最重要的...学生：最重要的...

T: I don't want to let myself down!

老师：我不想让我自己失望。

S: I don't want to let myself down!

学生：我不想让我自己失望。

How many people are trying to learn English worldwide?

Jay Walker: 全世界现在有多少人学习英语？

Two billion of them.

20亿

学生：一件衬衫。 一条裙子。

Students: A t-shirt. A dress.

JW：在拉丁美洲

Jay Walker: In Latin America,

in India,

在印度，在东南亚。

in Southeast Asia,

和几乎整个中国。

and most of all, in China.

If you're a Chinese student,

如果你是个中国学生

you start learning English in the third grade, by law.

根据法律，在小学三年级你得开始学习英语。

That's why this year,

这就是 为什么今年

China will become the world's largest English-speaking country.

中国会成为全世界最大的讲英语的国家。

(Laughter)

（笑声）

Why English?

为什么是英语?用一个词来回答：机会。

In a single word: opportunity.

一个获得更好生活，工作的机会。

Opportunity for a better life, a job,

to be able to pay for school, or put better food on the table.

可以上得起学，可以吃更好的食物。

Imagine a student taking a giant test for three full days.

想象一个学生用整整三天时间参加一次大考。

Her score on this one test literally determines her future.

她的这个考试的成绩

真正地决定了她的前途。

She studies 12 hours a day

她每天学习12个小时

for three years to prepare.

三年间都是如此，就是为了准备这个考试

Twenty-five percent of her grade is based on English.

其中25%的成绩

是由英语决定的

It's called the gaokao, and 80 million high school Chinese students

这个考试叫做高考。有8000万的中国高中生

都已经参加过这个“独木桥”考试

have already taken this grueling test.

The intensity to learn English

学习英语的强度

is almost unimaginable, unless you witness it.

几乎不可想象。除非你亲自见证过

Teacher: Perfect! Students: Perfect!

老师：完美！学生：完美！

T: Perfect! S: Perfect!

老师：完美！学生：完美！

T: I want to speak perfect English!

老师：我想讲完美的英语

S: I want to speak perfect English!

学生：我想讲完美的英语

T: I want to speak ... S: I want to speak ...

老师：我想说--学生：我想说--

T: ... perfect English! S: ... perfect English!

学生：完美的英语。学生：完美的英语

老师：我要改变我的命运！

T (yelling more loudly): I want to change my life!

S (yelling more loudly): I want to change my life!

学生：我要改变我的命运！

JW：那么这股英语热是好还是坏呢？

JW: So is English mania good or bad?

Is English a tsunami, washing away other languages?

英语是海啸吗，

席卷其他所有的语言？不见得。

Not likely.

English is the world's second language.

英语是世界第二大语言。

Your native language is your life.

你的母语是你的生活

But with English you can become part of a wider conversation --

但是英语可以让你参与更大范围的讨论。

a global conversation about global problems,

一个全世界范围的关于全球问题的讨论。

like climate change or poverty,

比如气候改变或者贫穷

or hunger or disease.

或者饥饿，或是疾病

The world has other universal languages.

这个世界上还有其他的全球性语言

Mathematics is the language of science.

数学是科学的语言

Music is the language of emotions.

音乐是感情的语言

And now English is becoming the language of problem-solving.

现在，英语正在成为解决问题的语言

Not because America is pushing it,

并不是因为美国促使其如此。

but because the world is pulling it.

而是因为全世界的需要。

所以英语热是一个转折点

So English mania is a turning point.

Like the harnessing of electricity in our cities,

就像我们城市里的供电系统

或者柏林墙的倒塌，

or the fall of the Berlin Wall,

English represents hope

英语代表着希望

for a better future --

拥有一个更好的未来的希望

a future where the world has a common language

未来全世界将用共同语言

to solve its common problems.

去解决共同的问题

非常感谢

Thank you very much.

(Applause)

（掌声）