|
Singapore is well known as a multi-racial, multi-cultural and multi-religious nation and this uniqueness is gradually becoming internalised as a special feature of Singaporean culture. Besides, Singapore is at the crossroads where East meets West and enjoys the benefit of the co-existence of multiple cultures. Two seemingly unrelated incidents that took place recently appeared equally ironical upon closer scrutiny. In the first case, the president of NTU found the use of Mandarin getting too popular on the campus and so urged students to speak more English. In the second case, in response to customer complaints, an expatriate executive of Borders told staff to stick to English at work. For historical reasons, the call by NTU which is located on the site of the former Mandarin-speaking Nantah appears to be an even bigger irony. At a time when the government is encouraging the use of Mandarin to keep up with changes in the world, such actions that go against the trend provide much food for thought. Yes, their concern about learning English (or the status of English) can be understood. What is baffling is who then are our multi-lingual society supposed to serve? Is multi-lingualism a burden, a way to show off, just a symbol, or is it a tool and an advantage to benefit the public? In the interest of the nation, we have made English the official and common language to help foster racial harmony and connect us with the world. Yet language in a way is inextricable from considerations such as political correctness, prestige and status. For a long time to come, the dominance of English as an official language is unlikely to be shakened. The question is: When service departments deal with the public, do they just stick to the rules and not exercise any flexibility or do they make full use of our multi-lingual advantage to provide the man-in-the-street with good service? True, most customers at an English bookshop may be English-educated and speak fluent English, but if speaking Mandarin makes some people feel more at home or comfortable, do we have to insist on speaking English? Even someone who is extremely proficient in English which is not his mother tongue may well enjoy being spoken to in his mother tongue. Can this potentially be a “win-win” sales strategy? And if a younger generation of Singaporeans can only express themselves in pathetic Mandarin and have no time after school or after work to improve their command of the language, how can Singapore continue to use its advantage as a multi-lingual society to benefit both from the West and the East? To take the question further, how can we gradually forge a Singaporean cultural identity out of the co-existence of many different cultures? If actions indeed speak louder than words, what should we do in response to the call to learn the Chinese language to truly prepare Singapore for the future? If multi-lingualism gets only lip service in a system that is dominated by the English language and goes by the book, Singapore would lose its uniqueness. And multi-lingualism may well turn into a burden and an obstacle to our economic and cultural developments. Multi-lingualism should rightfully be an unique advantage to us. (The writer is a PhD candidate at NUS. Translated by Yap Gee Poh.)
|
新加坡是一个远近闻名的多元种族和文化的多语国家，而且这一标志甚至逐渐内化为新加坡的文化精神特征。当然，作为一个东西方交汇与撞击的中点，新加坡也因此尝到了多元共存的甜头。 前些时日发生的两件事貌似风马牛不相及，其实仔细想来却呈现出同样的吊诡。一件就是南洋理工大学校长发现校园里华语太盛行了，因此呼吁学生多讲英语；另一件就是外资博德斯书局（Borders）的一名外籍主管在接到顾客投诉后，明文规定职员在书局里只能说英语，禁止使用自己的母语。 屹立于南洋大学旧址之上的南大校方的呼吁似乎因了历史的纠缠而更富吊诡，在政府口口声声提倡大家多讲华语以适应和跟上国际形势的今天，这种逆风而上的举措似乎更加耐人寻味。 自然，他们对英语学习（或地位）强调的苦心可以理解，但是我们首先疑惑的是，多语到底是为谁？到底多语是一种背负，一种炫耀，一种标志，还是真正为大众服务的优势与工具？ 英语在新加坡成为一种官方通用语言的地位似乎、也应该是雷打不动的，从客观上出于多元种族和谐共处（对内）与平等共存（对外）的需要，使得新加坡为了整体利益的考量而做出的主观选择使然。毋庸讳言，语言从某种程度上往往也不可避免的纠缠了政治正确性、地位和身份的划分。 问题是，当我们的服务部门在执行相关原则的时候，是古板的生搬硬套、邯郸学步，还是真正为民服务，充分发挥多语的优势？在英文书店中买书的尽管可能多数是受英文教育的读者，也可能多数都可以讲流利的英语， 但如果讲华语对某些人来讲更能让他有宾至如归感或心旷神怡的话，我们有什么理由死板的执行这些原则？可以想见的是，即使是对于一个英语非常流利但并非母语的人来讲，他如果能享受来自母语的服务，这会不会是一个“双赢”的营销策略？ 同样，反过来讲，如果新加坡的年轻一代只可以讲贫血又可怜的华语，在他们课余或工余的时间又没有充分的自由练习、提升华文的话，新加坡怎样真正延续她所谓的多语优势既为民服务，又怎样保持新加坡在国际上左右逢源（应该是东西逢源）的有利位置？更深一层看，我们怎样来通过实现多元共存的文化融合从而逐步建立与塑造新加坡的文化认同？ 西谚说，“行动比言语更响亮”，如果真的如此，我们怎样以实际行动来实践和相应学习华文的号召，真正为新加坡的未来负责？如果新加坡的多语优势在死板执行体制原则的过程中成为一种摆设，成为英文至上理念下的无谓牺牲，那新加坡实际上已经失去了自己的特色，而多语实际上更是一种沉重的包袱，势必阻挡了新加坡经济、文化等阔步前进的步伐。 多语，实在应该是一种独特的优势。 ·作者为新加坡国立大学博士研究生
|
