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Message from Ms. Audrey Azoulay, Director-General of UNESCO, on the Occasion of World Kiswahili Language Day
教科文組織總干事奧德蕾·阿祖萊世界斯瓦希里語日致辭
7 July 2022
2022年7月7日
Kiswahili is a language that speaks to both past and present. With over 200 million speakers, it is one of the most widely used African languages, encompassing more than a dozen main dialects. Over the centuries, this Bantu language has emerged as a common form of communication in many parts of sub-Saharan Africa, in addition to the Middle East.
斯瓦希里語是一門同時與過去和當下對話的語言。其使用人數超過2億，是使用最為廣泛的非洲語言之一，且包含十幾種主要方言。幾個世紀以來，這種班圖語已經成為撒哈拉以南非洲眾多區域以及中東地區的一種常見交流方式。
As a lingua franca, Kiswahili has incorporated words from other tongues, notably Arabic, while enriching these languages in return. For example, the English word "safari" comes from the Kiswahili word for "journey", which originated as the Arabic verb for "travel", safara. This linguistic exchange highlights the important role Kiswahili plays at the crossroads of world languages.
作為一種通用語，斯瓦希里語吸收了來自其他語言的詞匯，特別是阿拉伯語，同時也回饋且豐富了這些語言。例如，英文單詞"safari"即借自斯瓦希里語，意為“旅程”，該詞又派生自阿拉伯語中表示“旅行”的動詞 safara。這種語言交流凸顯出斯瓦希里語在世界語言交匯融合中發揮的重要作用。
Kiswahili not only tells a story of dialogue between languages, but also it facilitates dialogue among peoples and countries. Indeed, because Kiswahili shares words and concepts with other African languages, it has an impressive unifying power. This is why the African Union, East African Community and Southern African Development Community have all chosen Kiswahili as one of their official languages. In this way, Kiswahili will play a role in ensuring the African continent realizes its full potential – a goal that UNESCO also works towards, through its Global Priority Africa.
斯瓦希里語不僅述說著不同語言間對話的故事，同時也在促進著不同民族和國家之間的對話。事實上，由于斯瓦希里語與其他非洲語言有著共同的詞匯和概念，其凝聚力作用非同尋常。這正是非洲聯盟、東非共同體和南部非洲發展共同體都選擇將斯瓦希里語作為其正式語言之一的原因所在。如此，斯瓦希里語將發揮促進作用，確保非洲大陸充分發揮其潛能，而這也正是教科文組織通過其總體優先事項“非洲”力圖實現的目標。
In addition to being a language of diplomacy and unity, Kiswahili serves as a conduit of culture. From the author and poet Shaaban Robert, a great contributor to Kiswahili literature, to the famous Kiswahili love song Malaika, or "angel", the language is a rich source of cultural expression. Kiswahili includes concepts such as "amani", or peace, a common utterance in daily interactions. "Amani" is not only understood as the absence of conflict, but also as a state of serenity or tranquility. As such, it is something to continuously work towards – a vision that resonates with UNESCO's own conception of peace as an ideal for which to strive.
斯瓦希里語不僅是一種外交和團結的語言，也發揮著文化橋梁的作用。從對斯瓦希里語文學作出巨大貢獻的作家兼詩人夏班·羅伯特，到著名的斯瓦希里語情歌 Malaika（即“天使”），這一語言可謂是文化表達的豐富源泉。斯瓦希里語中包含"amani"（即“和平”）等概念。"Amani"是日常互動中的常用語，它不單單被理解為沒有沖突，還被理解為一種祥和或安寧的狀態。因此，它是一個需要為之不懈努力的目標，而這一愿景與教科文組織自身作為奮斗理想的和平觀念不謀而合。
On this inaugural World Day, we celebrate linguistic heritage. We celebrate the cultural richness languages represent. We celebrate the ways we use language to express our values and vision of the world on a personal level, and to facilitate cooperation and development on the societal one.
值此首屆世界斯瓦希里語日之際，我們禮贊語言遺產。我們禮贊語言所代表的文化豐富性。我們禮贊我們使用語言在個人層面表達我們的價值觀和世界觀并在社會層面促進合作與發展的種種方式。
Happy World Kiswahili Language Day! Siku njema ya kimataifa ya kiswahili! Siku njema ya kimataifa ya kiswahili!
世界斯瓦希里語日快樂！
