<big><big><big>TED Talk
Don't insist on English!</big></big></big>
by Patricia Ryan

<small>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</small>

Notes:

• great-grandparents
• to communicate across generations
• the Gulf<small>　旧金山湾区, 美国硅谷</small>
• Kuwait<small>　科威特 (<small>阿拉伯产油国</small>)</small>
• a hardship post<small>　一个艰苦地区</small>
• 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, ...<small>　现在我这么说吧</small>
• the Islamic Golden Age
• Light shone upon the Dark Ages of Europe.
  <small><small>Shone is the past tense of shine.</small></small>
• Don't get me wrong.<small>　别误会。</small>
• 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.<small>　把智慧和英语能力划等号，这是非常武断的。</small>
• Einstein was considered remedial at school because he was dyslexic.<small>　爱因斯坦在学校是个需要补课的学生，因为他诵读困难。</small>
• <big><big>Education: The Great Divide</big></big>
  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.<small>　所以，瞧！问题解决了。</small>
  If you think a thought, you are stuck.<small>　如果你想不通，就卡(qiǎ)住了。</small>
  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.<small>　重视你的语言。</small>
  Use it to spread great ideas.

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