Almost 1,500 languages could disappear this century across the world By Target Language Translation Services | Updated: 2021-12-24 11:00 By the end of this century, one-fifth of the world's recognized languages will have disappeared forever across the world, according to a new study. Unveiling the findings in the journal Nature Ecology and Evolution on Dec 16, researchers warned that of the world's 7,000 recognized languages, around half are endangered. Titled "Global predictors of language endangerment and the future of linguistic diversity" the study was led by the Australian National University in Canberra. Felicity Meakins, a professor from the University of Queensland's School of Languages and Cultures and one of the co-authors of the study, described the diversity of world languages as "truly breathtaking" but said that many of them are now under great threat of being lost forever. "Of the 7,000 languages still spoken, nearly half are at risk of disappearing completely," Meakins told China Daily. Most of them are spoken and the language is passed on from generation to generation, she said. "Nothing is written down." Meakins, whose research is focused on Australian aboriginal languages, said Australia "has the dubious distinction of having one of the highest rates of language loss worldwide". Prior to colonization in 1788, more than 250 First Nations, or aboriginal, languages were spoken on the continent, and multilingualism was the norm, she said. "Now, only 40 languages are still spoken and just 12 are being learnt by children." Meakins said it is vital to keep the languages alive as it helps in the well-being of people. "Take away their language you are taking away a people's identity and their sense of who they are and where they belong." The United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation estimates that of the nearly 7,000 languages spoken worldwide, at least 40 percent are in danger of disappearing. In Australia, as in other countries that were colonized by the English — such as Canada and New Zealand — indigenous people were not allowed to speak their language. Children were taken from their families and raised by Christian groups speaking only English. First Nations languages in Australia need funding and support, according to Meakins. "Australia only spends A$20.89 ($15.08) annually per capita of the indigenous population on languages, which is abysmal compared with Canada's A$69.30 and New Zealand's A$296.44," she said. Lindell Bromham, a professor at the ANU's Research School of Biology, said: "Without immediate intervention, language loss could triple in the next 40 years. And by the end of this century, 1,500 languages could cease to be spoken." The study charts the wide range of factors putting endangered languages under pressure. One finding is that more years of schooling increased the level of language endangerment. The researchers say it shows the need to build curricula that support bilingual education, fo...

Omicron Variant increases strains on London hospitals By Target Language Translation Services | Updated: 2021-12-23 11:00 Hospitals in the United Kingdom's capital are struggling because of the fast-spreading Omicron variant. With a population of around 10 million, London has significantly more infections and a much higher percentage of infections than anywhere else in the UK. It has been described as the nation's Omicron "epicenter". The virus is creating problems by not only hospitalizing more people, but also making more National Health Service employees take sick leave. With more work to do and fewer people to do it, hospitals are dealing with massive problems. There are currently 129 people in hospital with the Omicron variant of the coronavirus and so far 14 people have died with it, Gillian Keegan, junior health minister told Sky News on Wednesday. She also said the UK government would not hesitate to bring in further COVID-19 restrictions if the data showed it was necessary. British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said on Tuesday that he would not introduce new restrictions in England before Christmas, but the situation remained extremely difficult and the government might need to act afterward. Danny Mortimer, chief executive of NHS Employers, told the Financial Times that the situation was "extremely concerning". Mortimer said NHS workers on sick leave typically account for around 5 to 6 percent of the workforce at this time of the year, but it is already up to 8 or 9 percent in some places. "Lots and lots of our colleagues are changing their plans over the next week, so that they can work extra shifts," he said, while acknowledging that some nonemergency procedures will surely have to be canceled. On Wednesday, the UK government said it was reducing the self-isolation period from 10 to seven days from Wednesday for people in England who get negative results for lateral flow tests two days in a row. Those who receive a negative lateral flow result on the sixth and seventh day of their self-isolation period, with tests taken 24 hours apart, will no longer have to isolate for 10 days. However, the UK Health Security Agency said it "strongly advised" those who leave their self-isolation after seven days to limit contact with others in crowded or poorly ventilated spaces, work from home, and minimize contact with those most vulnerable to the virus. Also on Wednesday, official data showed Britain's economy grew more slowly than previously thought in the July-September period, before the Omicron variant posed a further threat to the recovery later in the year. GDP in the world's fifth-biggest economy increased by 1.1 percent in the third quarter, weaker than a preliminary estimate of growth of 1.3 percent as global supply chain problems weighed on manufacturers and building firms. That was slower than the economy's 5.4 percent bounce-back in the second quarter when many coronavirus restrictions were lifted, the Office for National Statistics sai...

Malay edition of Xi's book on governance released and promoted in Malaysia By Target Language Translation Services | Updated: 2021-12-22 11:00 The Malay-language edition of the first volume of Xi Jinping: The Governance of China has been released and promoted in Malaysia. At an event on Tuesday to release the book in Kuala Lumpur, the Malaysian capital, Xu Lin, director of the State Council Information Office, said in a video speech that the historic achievements and reforms made by the Communist Party of China and the country since the 18th National Congress of the CPC were realized under the guidance of Xi Jinping Thought on Socialism with Chinese Characteristics for a New Era. The "code" of China's development in the new era and the "key" to comprehend China and the CPC all lie in the first, second and third volumes of Xi Jinping: The Governance of China, said Xu, who is also deputy head of the Publicity Department of the CPC Central Committee. Azhar Azizan Harun, the speaker of Malaysia's House of Representatives, said in his speech at the event that China has made admirable achievements by lifting nearly 100 million people in rural areas out of poverty in less than a decade. The book will help more Malay readers learn about Xi's policies and views regarding the governance of China and the achievement of prosperity and development, he said. The Malay edition was jointly translated and published by China's Foreign Languages Press and the Malaysian Institute of Language and Literature. So far, the first volume of Xi Jinping: The Governance of China has been translated and issued in 36 languages. It comprises 79 of Xi's speeches, talks, interviews, instructions and correspondence in 18 chapters from 2012 to 2014. This article is reprinted from China Daily. If there is a copyright, please inform us in time, we will delete it right the first time.

9 things about Winter Solstice By Target Language Translation Services | Updated: 2021-12-21 11:00 The traditional Chinese lunar calendar divides the year into 24 solar terms. Winter Solstice (Chinese: 冬至), the 22nd solar term of the year, begins this year on Dec 21. On the first day of Winter Solstice, the Northern Hemisphere experiences the shortest day and the longest night in the year, as the sun shines directly at the Tropic of Capricorn. From then on, the days become longer and the nights become shorter. The Winter Solstice also marks the arrival of the coldest season in the year. Here are nine things you should know about Winter Solstice. The Winter Solstice Festival There was a saying in ancient China, "The Winter Solstice is as significant as the Spring Festival." As early as the Zhou Dynasty (c.11th century-256BC), people worshipped the gods on the first day of the Winter Solstice, which also was the first day of the new year. The Winter Solstice became a winter festival during the Han Dynasty (206 BC-220AD). The celebratory activities were officially organized. On this day, both officials and common people would have a rest. During subsequent dynasties, such as the Tang (618-907), Song (960-1279) and Qing dynasties (1644-1911), the Winter Solstice was a day to offer sacrifices to Heaven and to ancestors. Eating nuts When midwinter arrives, vital movement begins to decline and calm down. In this period, eating an appropriate amount of nuts, such as peanuts, walnuts, chestnuts, hazelnuts and almonds, is good for one's body. Traditional Chinese medical science teaches that the quality of a nut is tepidity and most nuts have the function of nourishing the kidneys and strengthening the brain and heart. Eating dumplings During Winter Solstice in North China, eating dumplings is essential to the festival. There is a saying that goes "Have dumplings on the first day of Winter Solstice and noodles on the first day of Summer Solstice." Eating wontons People in Suzhou, Jiangsu province, are accustomed to eating wontons in midwinter. According to legend, during the midwinter feast 2,500 years ago, the King of Wu (one of the states during the Western Zhou Dynasty and the Spring and Autumn Period) was disgusted with all kinds of costly foods and wanted to eat something different. Then, the beauty Xishi came into the kitchen to make "wontons" to honor the king's wish. He ate a lot and liked the food very much. To commemorate Xishi, the people of Suzhou made wontons the official food to celebrate the festival. Eating tangyuan In places such as Shanghai, people eat tangyuan, a kind of stuffed small dumpling ball made of glutinous rice flour, to celebrate Winter Solstice. Eating mutton and vermicelli soup In Yinchuan, Ningxia Hui autonomous region, people call midwinter the "Ghost Festival". On that day, it is customary for people there to drink mutton and vermicelli soup and eat the dumplings in the soup. They give the midwinter soup a strang...

RCEP to boost growth of China's cross-border e-commerce By Target Language Translation Services | Updated: 2021-12-20 11:00 The expected implementation of the Regional Comprehensive Economic Partnership agreement will drive growth of cross-border e-commerce in China, experts and business leaders said. Signed in November last year among 15 Asia-Pacific economies including China and all the 10 member states of the Association of Southeast Asian Nations, the agreement will take effect on Jan 1 in 10 signatory members－namely Brunei, Cambodia, Laos, Singapore, Thailand, Vietnam, China, Japan, New Zealand and Australia. Wang Xin, executive president of the Shenzhen Cross-Border E-Commerce Association, said implementation of the RCEP agreement, which will be carried out first in the 10 countries and is expected to extend to all the 15 members in the future, will bring multiple opportunities to China's fast-growing cross-border e-commerce businesses. "The RCEP covers both China and ASEAN, two of the most promising markets in the world whose populations are about 1.4 billion and 600 million, respectively. It is expected that more than 90 percent of trade in goods will enjoy zero tariffs in the RCEP region, providing a very favorable environment for trade and investment growth," Wang said. Costs of regionally sourced raw materials for Chinese enterprises will be significantly reduced under the trade rules of the agreement, especially the common rules of origin that only require 40 percent of regional content for goods to be considered of RCEP origin, much lower than the threshold of other free trade agreements. That also means the competitiveness of Chinese suppliers, which are already known for offering quality products at relatively cheap prices, will be further bolstered, creating opportunities for Chinese businesses to sell goods to overseas markets in the RCEP region, she said. More importantly, as the agreement asked members to simplify Customs procedures and expand coverage of preferential tariff policies, efficiency of cross-border logistics will be effectively improved with costs largely reduced. This will benefit the growth of not only logistics enterprises but also overseas warehousing businesses and cross-border e-commerce firms, Wang said. Experts said the RCEP agreement will facilitate Chinese cross-border e-commerce enterprises in expanding their presence in markets that currently impose relatively high tariffs on Chinese products. Wei Jianguo, vice-chairman of the Beijing-based China Center for International Economic Exchanges, said the agreement has high-standard policies for e-commerce and other sectors. It will become easier for small and medium-sized enterprises, especially private enterprises, in China to go global, Wei said. Wang said cross-border e-commerce has great growth potential in fields like electronic products, apparel and toys in the Pearl River Delta region, sports equipment, electrical products and home fabrics in the...

Children's book narrates Greek teddy bear's journey to China By Target Language Translation Services | Updated: 2021-12-17 11:00 A yellow teddy bear, found in a dumpster half a century ago, has become a star exhibit of the Benaki Toy Museum in Athens since it opened in 2017. The adventurous bear, a vital collection item, has also reached China through a children's book written by Greek educator and author Eleni Geroulanou. In a recent interview at the museum, Geroulanou said that literature has a wonderful role to play in building bridges. Books remind us of how much we all have in common, as the emotions and meanings that underlie great stories are universal, crossing cultures and language barriers. In her fairy tale, Once Upon a Time, a Bear, which has been translated into Chinese and published by China's Hebei Children's Publishing House, the teddy bear wanders around the city in search of his home. The bear finally finds a new home and family in the embrace of Maria Argyriadis, a Greek researcher of toys who picked up the bear from the dumpster. Since then, some 20,000 such items have been collected from all over the world and donated to the Benaki Toy Museum, a 19th-century mansion resembling a castle, by the seaside. Once Upon a Time, a Bear is based on the true story of Argyriadis and the teddy bear. Argyriadis passed away in 2018, but was lucky to see the museum open its doors in 2017, and the book printed in Greek. "For Maria, this bear was unique. For the bear, Maria was his family. I was touched by this story and I wanted to make it public," the author says. Geroulanou says her passion for toys, and her family's friendship with Argyriadis, inspired her to write the book. Geroulanou says that she had wanted to work with children since she was a teenager. She studied early childhood education in Athens, continued her studies in Boston, the United States, specializing in children's museum education and returned home to combine museum education with teaching. As the headmistress of a kindergarten in a renowned Athens private school, she is constantly close to children. In 2019 at the Bologna Children's Book Fair in Italy, her Greek publisher showed the book to a Chinese counterpart, who loved the story and decided to publish it in China. Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Geroulanou has not been able to visit China yet, but she says she is looking forward to meeting with Chinese readers of her book, when things get better. Cultural exchanges are essential for deeper understanding between people from different countries, Geroulanou says. "Through the exchange of ideas and stories, we create stronger bonds with each other, and become more inspired and creative as we broaden our horizons," she adds. She says that both Greece and China have rich cultures and traditions dating back to ancient times, and that there is so much to learn from each other. "I hope the young Chinese readers enjoy my book, my story and travel with our bear on his journey to...

Experts: More foreign languages needed to tell China's stories to the world By Target Language Translation Services | Updated: 2021-12-16 11:00 As China is becoming increasingly influential on the world stage, foreign-language education and talent cultivation will play a pivotal role in the country's development and social progress, experts said at a conference in Shanghai, organized by the China University Alliance for the Development of Foreign Language and Literature Discipline over the weekend. During the conference, foreign-language experts pointed out that what the world is currently provided with to learn about China is insufficient, and that there are contrasting views of the country across the world. As such, foreign-language educational institutions need to join hands to help the country build its discourse power systematically, said Li Yansong, president of Shanghai International Studies University (SISU). "The common responsibility of academia is to be strategic in constructing the country's discourse and narrative system in a global context," said Li at the conference, which attracted more than 200 experts from nearly 100 domestic universities. "Foreign language universities must give full play to their advantages in language disciplines and contribute to building a community with a shared future for mankind to improve the ability of telling the world stories of China and of the Communist Party of China," he said. Empowering students with a mastery in foreign languages is key to SISU's talent cultivation approach, he added. "We hope that the graduates will perform well in foreign languages and their respective professional fields so that more of them will be able to participate in global governance and global affairs," he said. Jiang Feng, Party secretary of SISU, said that the country's foreign language education is closely related to CPC's global vision. "As we enter a new era, we shall expand the paradigm of foreign language education in serving the country's strategy," he said. At the Guangdong University of Foreign Studies in Guangzhou, new classes featuring international communication of Chinese cultures will be provided soon, said Shi Youqi, president of the school. Combining foreign languages, Chinese language and literature, journalism, and Marxism theory, the classes will revolve around people-to-people exchanges between China and the world, and the interpretation of China's development experience to the international community. "This is our way of strengthening the ability of youngsters to tell China's stories to the world. Combining our students' advantages in foreign languages and cross-cultural communication, we expect that we can turn more beauty from China into the beauty of the world," Shi said. Yang Dan, president of Beijing Foreign Studies University (BFSU), said that there is still room for BFSU to improve although the school already teaches 101 foreign languages that are used in all the foreign countries and regi...

10 most popular Chinese media buzzwords for 2021 released By Target Language Translation Services | Updated: 2021-12-15 11:00 The 10 most popular Chinese media buzzwords this year were released on Monday, with jian dang bai nian, meaning the 100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China, topping the list. Other words and phrases related to COVID-19 and environmental protection also made the list. More than 1 billion characters from the publications, transcripts and texts of 15 newspapers, 12 TV stations, seven radio stations and two websites were assessed by dozens of researchers from the National Language Resources Monitoring and Research for Print Media Language Center at Beijing Language and Culture University. The researchers used computers to process the information and then draw up the list. Yang Erhong, director of the center, who has led the annual project since it began in 2003, said that the 10 phrases indicated the focus of the mainstream media this year. The other top buzzwords relate to Chinese aerospace careers, the 2020 Tokyo Olympics, carbon targets, the Beijing Stock Exchange, China's vaccine donations to developing countries, vaccinations in China, the Convention on Biological Diversity, the crackdown on bad online behavior and policies to ease the burden of excessive homework and off-campus tutoring on students. The results were not only based on the number of occurrences of the buzzwords, but also the frequency of their appearance within a short period of time. Yang said while there was no method to precisely rank the buzzwords from 1 to 10, the "100th anniversary of the founding of the Communist Party of China "undoubtedly topped the list in all aspects. "A series of events revolving around the anniversary remained in the media focus throughout this year, including campaigns on CPC history education, the grand gathering to mark the centenary, and the presentation of the July 1 Medal to honor outstanding Party members," Yang said. The CPC Central Committee resolution released in November that reviewed the Party's major achievements and historical experience over the past century sparked lengthy online discussion, Yang said. The list also revealed the close attention Chinese media paid to the COVID-19 pandemic as it continued to affect the world's economy. China's commitment to peak carbon dioxide emissions before 2030 and achieve carbon neutrality by 2060 also featured prominently on the list. In October, an action plan issued by the central government said that China will boost its economy through a green and low carbon path to peak carbon dioxide emissions. This article is reprinted from China Daily. If there is a copyright, please inform us in time, we will delete it right the first time.