Are we headed towards a 'mass-Extinction' of languages?

我们正在走向语言的“大规模灭绝”吗？

A new study has warned of 'mass-extinction' of languages by the end of 21st century. It says, 1500 languages are already on the brink of extinction. Which countries are these languages from?

一项新研究警告称，到21世纪末，语言可能会“大规模灭绝”。1500种语言已经处于灭绝的边缘。这些语言来自哪些国家?

以下是Youtube上网民的评论：

Luigi Benni

In Italy we have 15 language groups, but Italian has replaced them all almost completely.  I can understand my ancestors' Lombard language and I can also speak it, though with some effort, but today's young generation doesn't.

我们意大利有15种语言，意大利语几乎完全取代了这些语言。我能听懂我祖先的伦巴第语，我也能说，虽然比较费劲，但今天的年轻一代不会。

Krazy killar47

I personally think it because of the English language.  As time goes by more and more people are learning to speak English.

Most 2nd and 3rd generation British Pakistani's cannot speak punjab or urdu fluently .

In many households we're both parents were born in the west , English becomes the main language spoken in the household and only sometimes they speak in their  language.

我个人认为这要怪英语。随着时间的推移，越来越多的人学习说英语。

大多数第二代和第三代英裔巴基斯坦人说不来流利的旁遮普语或乌尔都语。

在许多家庭，父母都出生在西方，英语成为家庭的主要语言，偶尔说自己的母语。

KUMAR SANTANU

I hope Someone would create a Museum or library of languages and declare it a UN Heritage site

我希望有人能创建一个预言博物馆或语言图书馆，并宣布它为联合国遗产

Karel Martel

It happens the most in English country’s. English is the biggest language of internet, Hollywood, music, computers, on school. Small languages can’t compete with it.

这种情况在英国乡村最常见。英语是互联网、好莱坞、音乐、电脑和学校里使用最多的语言，小语种无法与之竞争。

Kevin

Speaking English is a matter of life or death for too many people, speaking some local dialect is luxury many can't afford unfortunately.

对很多人来说，会说英语事关生死，而说方言对很多人来说是一种奢侈，不幸的是他们承受不起。

vivek pakhale

Book dependency for learning language makes it difficult to understand an unfamiliar language for a migrant.

Ability to understand others language does not need any school.

Second barrier is the fear of learning new language. This fear makes it difficult to learn language of natives.

Third hurdle is --- Hegemony of migrant culture!

对书本的依赖使移民很难理解一种陌生的语言。

理解他人语言的能力不需要学校教。

第二个障碍是害怕学习新语言。这种恐惧使得学习当地人的语言变得困难。

第三个障碍是移民文化霸权

Tomo

Being Okinawan we are on the UNESCO list of endangered native speakers less than a million of us on the small island. Some dialects are so old, they can only be spoken.

我是冲绳人，我们被列入联合国教科文组织说濒危语种人员名单，在这个小岛上居住的人不到100万人。有些方言太古老了，只会说，不会写。

Shawn Vigor

This is the reason Québécois fought so hard to preserve the French language they feared that English would make it obsolete

这就是魁北克如此努力地保护法语的原因，他们担心英语会淘汰法语

Tora Black

I didn't know that there was that many languages here on planet earth.

我不知道地球上竟有这么多种语言。

Karma 9

On the same note it’s important to preserve all the religions of the world rather than evangelising and converting the ignorant to one monopolistic faith. Each and every religion teaches us something in life. Embrace rather than destroy them.

同样重要的是要保护世界各地的宗教，而不是向无知的人传教，垄断信仰。每一种宗教都教会我们一些东西。包容它们，不要摧毁它们。

Lightstar105

That's just how the world works. I think at least books should be kept that teaches a person how to speak it. If they are going extinct with no trace its the cultures fault tbh, every culture has to die at some point no matter what, it's up to the people to record it so it lives on

世界就是这样运转的。我认为至少应该保存一些语言书籍，以后才能教后代。如果它们消失得无影无踪，那是文化丢失，无论如何，每一种文化都会在某一时刻消亡，这取决于人们，记录下来，这样它才能继续存在

DevSarman

Apparently, this is an issue for Anglosphere countries where it have the lowest rate of bilingualism, even those who are bilingual or multilingual are mostly immigrants of descendants of immigrants

显然，这是英语圈国家的一个问题，因为这些国家的双语率最低，即使是那些会说双语或多语的人也大多是移民后代的移民

Yama 123numbercauseYTdemandsname

A language also, to some degree, is a way of thinking. With every languge that dies a way of thinking, a way to understand the world is lost to humanity forever.

在某种程度上，语言也是一种思维方式。随着每一种语言的消亡，一种思维方式，一种理解世界的方式将永远消失。

Kunal

Just imagine the sheer amount of knowledge in so many spheres will be completely eradicated if we lose  (sanskrit). The fact is, a whole lot of it is already murdered. It is of utmost urgency that we protect what's left and cultivate it.

想象一下，如果我们的梵文消失了，那么许多领域的知识将被彻底根除。事实是，其中很多已经被扼杀了，现在最紧迫的是保护并培育剩下的资源。

Reeanna S

Hindi, Urdu, and even Punjabi are very protected from extinction! However, English words may find their way into these languages.

印地语，乌尔都语，甚至旁遮普语都很受保护，免于灭绝

无论如何，英语词汇都可能会融入这些语言。

Dee Dee Winfrey

I'm native American my language was murdered along time ago.

我是印第安人，我的语言老早就被扼杀了。

VON28

Meanwhile I had 4 languages in school, 2 since nursery.

Would be learning one more, soon.

我在学校学了4种语言，幼儿园学了2种。很快就会再学一种。

Magnetic Field

Indegenous languages in Aus in past: 250

Left today: 40

Taught to children: 10

World knows as language of Aus: only 1 ( that too colonial English)

What a level of extinction?

澳大利亚过去的土著语言有250种

现存40种

教给孩子们10种

世界认为的澳洲语种只有一种(英语)

这灭绝到什么程度了?

kame hame ha!!!! !

The question is why someone would want to save a native language other than saving there culture

问题是为什么有人想拯救一种本土语言，而不想拯救那里的文化

Siddhant Wadkar

Actually in a way it's good. Now there will be less translation problems

实际上在某种程度上这是好事，沟通起来更顺畅

LGT HM

That’s really sad to know about it .. but if you see even in India parents prefer their kids to learn English rather their own language .. they feel proud about it. And then most of the companies also prefer those candidates who can talk in English .

It’s irony that we don’t respect  our own culture , language etc but only try to fit in outside world. Hope people will understand before it’s too late.

知道这件事真让人难过。即使是在印度，父母也更喜欢他们的孩子学习英语，而不是母语。他们为此感到自豪。大多数公司也更喜欢那些会说英语的人。

讽刺的是，我们不尊重自己的文化，语言等，只是试图适应外部世界。希望人们能早日理解。

Robin Terry

Our founding fathers to determine what language to use for the constitution.  So a vote was taken.  English out did German by 1 vote.  Hence America has been aligned with its former oppressor throughout history since.

我们的开国元勋决定宪法语言，于是进行了投票。英语以一票的优势击败德语。因此，美国在历史上一直与它的前压迫者结盟。

Connor

It's called survival of the fittest

这就叫做适者生存

Godfrey of Bouillon

For all I care one language may remain. Easier to communicate across the world. People less divided. Less wasting time learning different languages just to be able to communicate. Of course a lot would be lost in terms of culture but I think the result is worth the price.

能留存一种语言就行，世界各地沟通更方便，人类更不分裂。不用浪费时间学习不同的语言，只不过是为了能够交流。当然，在文化方面会有很多损失，但我认为这样的结果是值得的。

ARTH CHANDRAKAR

its a good news new generation would have less and less languge barrier and the world would communicate more fluently

这是一个好消息，新一代的语言障碍会越来越少，沟通更顺畅

TanCrator

Its seemes imminent that we will loose these languages no matter how much effort we put into kee them alive. Almost no one in todays world speaks latin yet we have preserved it for religious and intellectual reasons. Instead of mourning the loss of these languages we should aet that this will be the fate for most languages, (even more popular ones) as our world is more globalized day by day, and even if these languages are kept alive, in most cases they are simply records and wirrten doctinr of the language and have no speakers or anyone who can profficently communicate in it.

无论我们付出多大的努力来保留这些语言，这些语言似乎也会消亡。当今世界几乎没有人说拉丁语，但由于宗教和知识的原因，我们保留了拉丁语。

我们不应该为这些语言的消失而悲伤，我们应该接受这是大多数语言的命运(更流行的语言也是)，因为我们的世界日益全球化，即使这些语言继续存在，在大多数情况下，它们只是语言的记录者，没人讲这种语言，也没人能用这种语言进行有效的交流。

Dreaming Big

The best language is English and we are human we need to speak just one language and everything will be better

最好的语言是英语，我们人类只需要说一种语言，一切都会变得更好

Elton Mochochoko

We are returning to the time of the tower of Babel, the world will be of one language again.

我们正重回巴比伦时代，世界将再次说同一种语言。

5

Indians are the best slav*s , they will follow their masters and speak English always .

印度人跟随主人说英语。

Silent Donkey

Fun Fact: In America before WWI German was the second most spoken language. Now it's virtually non-exstent here.

有趣的事实：在一战前的美国，德语是第二大语言，现在几乎没人说了。