英语翻译
“Taxidrivers”,saidBOBICOstaff,“arelearningEnglishtosupportthe2008bidfortheOlympicGames.”
AlbertSelmer,aGermanbusinessmanwhospeaksgoodEnglish,waspleasantlysurprisedduringhislasttriptoBeijing.WhenhegotintoataxionChang’anAvenue,thedrivergreetedhimandaskedwherehewouldliketogoinEnglish.“Thiscouldn’tbeimaginedeightyearsagowhenIfirstvisitedBeijing,”saidSelmer.Selmerwouldn’thavebeensosurprised,hadheknownsomanypeoplearelearningEnglishinthisOlympiccity.
EightyearsagoBeijingfailedinitsbidforthe2000Games.OneofthereasonswasthatforeignersfoundithardtocommunicatewithBeijingresidents(居民),mostofwhomspeakonlyChinese.Thistime,thecityisworkingtoimprovecommunication.OnegreatchangehashappenedduringBeijing’spreparations,BOBICOofficialsarespeakingdirectlyinEnglishinsteadofusinginterpreter(口译人员)astheydideightyearsago.
InadditiontoBOBICOofficials,Beijingresidentsarelookingforwardtothe2008Gamesbyactivelylearningtheforeignlanguages.Residentsarefreetaughtusefulexpressions,greetings,howtogivedirectionsandhowtointroducethemselves.
Shopassistants,busandtaxidriversandevenpolicemenarelearningEnglish.TheyoungtaxidriverwhosurprisedtheGermanvisitorisprobablyoneoftheselearners.
Thefirst-stageaimofthe“Beijingresidents’EnglishSpeakingPlan”startedbythecitygovernmentinAugustistopopularizeEnglishamonggovernmentstaff,taxidrivers,hotelstaffandshopassistants.InfiveyearsthepercentageofBeijingresidentswhocanspeakEnglishwillberaisedtoaround30percentfromthepresent15percent.