英語得寵引發(fā)阿拉伯世界母語危機

??? 沒錯，英語確實是通行全球的商業(yè)語言。現在學習英語的中國人比全美總人口還多，可中國求得了兩種語言間的平衡，其研究型大學使用中文培養(yǎng)一些全球少有的聰明人。瓦德教授發(fā)現，多數阿拉伯國家都仰慕這種模式。她告訴我：“腦子正常的人都會學習中國人的做法。”

????阿拉伯語聽起來很美妙，無線巨頭Du的首席執(zhí)行官奧斯曼?蘇爾坦對我說，他看到一些精英人士在阿拉伯之春后學習新的阿拉伯語詞匯，以便領會正在萌芽的區(qū)域認同感。湯姆?斯皮奇利是總部設在阿聯酋的Abraaj Capital的高級合伙人，他指出，得益于移動設備在大眾中普及率的迅速提高，阿拉伯語內容在互聯網上取得了最快的增速。他希望這種增長有助于說服政府首腦和發(fā)展迅猛的移動行業(yè)，使其認識到阿拉伯語事關經濟未來，而非已經過時的文化遺跡。

????Erin Burnett是CNN電視節(jié)目 Erin Burnett OutFront的主播。

????Sure, English is the world's business language. More Chinese are learning English right now than there are Americans in the U.S. But China has struck a bilingual balance. Its research universities teach some of the world's brightest minds in Chinese. Professor Wardeh finds much for Arab nations to admire in this model: "If you've got your head screwed on right," she tells me, "you'll do it like the Chinese."

????Arabic is a beautiful language to hear, and Osman Sultan, the CEO of wireless giant Du, told me he's seen elites learning new Arabic words, post-Arab Spring, because they want to connect with an emerging regional identity. Tom Speechley of UAE-based Abraaj Capital says Arabic language content is the fastest growing segment of the Internet, thanks to surging mobile use among the masses. Here's hoping that surge helps convince government leaders and the upwardly mobile that Arabic is part of their economic future, not a cultural relic of the past.

????Erin Burnett is the anchor of CNN's Erin Burnett OutFront.