Redundant Translation on Parliament Hill
Did you hear an echo? I know I did. Let me explain.
I'm a Proud Canadian. I'm also French-Canadian. I am also Bilingual; fluent in both English and French.
I watched the Canada Day celebrations on CBC, because I couldn't be there personally. I felt a great job was done, with a good selection of musicians, but overall, I felt one thing stood out like a sore thumb.
As Prime Minister Harper spoke, first in French, then in English, what I'm interpreting as eager translators started translating Harper's words of French into English. Seconds later, the same English words followed from his own lips. I found this silly. No, actually, I felt it more as an affront.
We're a Bi-lingual country, are we not? Then we perhaps should start acting like one. Canada Day isn't just about celebrating our beautiful country. It's about celebrating our diversity and our multiculturism. It's about celebrating what we're proud in, including the fact that we're officially a bilingual country.
Canada Day of all things should show all this. Speaking frankly as a French-Canadian, having the translations spoken over the French words was almost to the effect of shushing one of our official languages. Why? Both languages should have a chance to be spoken on their own merit, without interruption. I shouldn't have to switch to RDI, CBC's French counterpart, just to hear the French version of the words. I should be able to hear every word as it was meant to be heard, no matter which channel I'm listening to. It just sounds backwards otherwise. Even people who understand only one of the official languages often like to hear the other.
So, Canada, let's be bilingual, for real now.
I agree with you Wormy. Unfortunately, all too many people couldn't care less.
ReplyDeleteNow, I'm not Canadian, and I have to admit, my French skills are very poor. However, I am fluent in both Welsh and English. Welsh is 'meant to be' the main language here in Wales, and yet, people are actually stopping us from speaking it. First, the English moved in and punished our children for speaking their native tongue in schools, and now they want to make it illigal for the Welsh to speak their own language in the work place because it "may offend English speaking employees." And yet, they have the cheeck to say that Welsh is a duying language and that not enough people use it.
Anyway, to get to the point, people should use the language (or languages) of their country, and they should be made to learn all the languages native to said country. Fair enough if there are no Welsh speaking French people, or, no French speaking German people. What matters is, if you live in a bilingual country, you should be able to speak both languages, and understand them without an interperator. I understand that maybe some people don't know the meaning of every word in the languages, but even someone like me who hardly speaks any French, would be able to get at least the gist of what's being said. And, being given the opertunity to hear both languages will make it a lot easier for those who have yet to grasp one or the other to learn the one they are having difficulty with.
I agree with everything you said bookworm however my only beef albeit small why is it French is always first? I'm not bilingual. I was born into a french family and had I stayed I would be but like anything else as a small child I managed to forget what little I did learn once I was moved away. When I return to my roots and they speak french primarily my grandmother I can pick out sentences and understand her, but for the most part I do not understand french but I just think we should be an english first country it is the majority.
ReplyDeleteYou make a good point, Kerry. I'm not sure why it is that way. It could be based on long standing traditions. Maybe it's based on how much of French was in the country before the English started attacking, because there was one point where there were more French than there were English, before other territories joined the dominion.
ReplyDeleteIf they were to just do English first, it would dispense with the silliness of having it repeated.
For what it's worth though, RDI usually does the same thing since they're one and the same with CBC, only it would be French repeated, which is why I'm reluctant to even switch to that channel to hear the French words without interruption. See what I mean? It's all very divisive in the way that it's done now.
I mean, It's one thing to have people on stage stage each speaking their own language, but it's another entirely different thing when it's voiceovers.
Tori, I'm not sure if I agree with having to learn all the native languages of said country, as for some countries, that would be more than a mouthful. What I'm looking for is more along the lines of respect for each separate language where each cannot overshadow the other, which would make more sense in a bilingual country.
Here we are, a bilingual country, and I understand that in business use, English has precedence over French, except for some areas like Quebec, but hey, this is Canada Day we're talking about. Some effort should be shown to respect our status as a bilingual country where one language is not better than the other, where each is equal. As it is, it's all talk and no action. We say we're bilingual, but we don't act like it, and frankly, what kind of message does that send when the Capital city's broadcast on Canada's most important day won't even respect it?
Fair enough Wormy. That would be fine too. I did get that neutral respect was what you were after, I was just thinking that it would be nice if people could speak both languages of the country. But, yes, equality and neutral respect would be good enough.
ReplyDeleteI agree 100% bookworm!! very well said. Guess that's why we don't get respect from other countries we haven't yet learned to repect ourselves yet ;(
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