The European Union, as a democratic federation of equal nations, has agreed on a policy of multilingualism which dictates the use by the European institutions of the official languages of all the member states. The author attempts to answer questions such as: Is the EU a garden of Eden or a Tower of Babel? Why is multilingualism in the EU important? In its present form, is it true multilingualism? What is the status of lesser-used languages such as Greek and Finnish? What about local varieties – proud hallmarks of national identity like Catalan and Gaelic? At the heart of multilingualism we find translation, a complex activity which becomes even more complex in the context of the EU. More questions thus arise: How does this multilingual and multicultural environment affect translation? What are the implications for the languages involved? Are all languages equally affected or do the vehicular languages affect the lesser-used languages more? Concluding his paper the author stresses the fact that, in any case, EU texts remain the products of multicultural and multilingual negotiations and reflect a new reality marked by internationalisation and language interrelationship.
Titolo: | Sosonis, Vilelmini. (2005). "Multilingualism in Europe – Blessing or curse?". In Branchadell, Albert and Lovell Margaret West (eds.) Less Translated Languages, Amsterdam & Philadelphia: John Benjamins, 39-47. |
Autore/i: | NADIANI, GIOVANNI |
Autore/i Unibo: | |
Anno: | 2005 |
Rivista: | |
Abstract: | The European Union, as a democratic federation of equal nations, has agreed on a policy of multilingualism which dictates the use by the European institutions of the official languages of all the member states. The author attempts to answer questions such as: Is the EU a garden of Eden or a Tower of Babel? Why is multilingualism in the EU important? In its present form, is it true multilingualism? What is the status of lesser-used languages such as Greek and Finnish? What about local varieties – proud hallmarks of national identity like Catalan and Gaelic? At the heart of multilingualism we find translation, a complex activity which becomes even more complex in the context of the EU. More questions thus arise: How does this multilingual and multicultural environment affect translation? What are the implications for the languages involved? Are all languages equally affected or do the vehicular languages affect the lesser-used languages more? Concluding his paper the author stresses the fact that, in any case, EU texts remain the products of multicultural and multilingual negotiations and reflect a new reality marked by internationalisation and language interrelationship. |
Data prodotto definitivo in UGOV: | 20-ott-2005 |
Appare nelle tipologie: | 1.03 Recensione in rivista |