数字时代的语言技术与语言保护:以欧洲为例

Language Technology and Language Protection in the Digital Age: The Case of Europe

语言技术影响语言的未来,关系到数字时代的语言多样性和语言保护。虽然欧洲奉行多语主义,尊重语言文化多元,但是不同语种的语言技术开发参差不齐。良好的语言技术使英语获得数字语言生活(尤其是网络语言生活)的优势地位,渗透进其他语言使用者的网络空间,而薄弱的语言技术或技术缺位则使一些语言在网上被边缘化,甚至陷入数字化消亡困境。从长远看,语言技术不但能解决跨语言交流问题,还有助于语言保护,但语言技术面临一系列问题,需要克服许多困难。在这方面,多语欧洲技术联盟十多年来的努力值得借鉴,其代表性成绩是出版了数字时代的32种欧洲语言白皮书。不过,从目前取得的成绩来看,通过语言技术破除交际障碍、保护所有欧洲语言,依然任重道远。

Language technology(LT), which exerts an impact on the fate of languages, contributes to linguistic diversity and language protection in the digital age. Despite its respect for linguistic and cultural plurality, Europe is varied in LT development across languages. Good LT support for English enables it to gain an advantage in digital language practices, particularly on the Internet, penetrating the cyberspace of speakers of other languages, while weak or no LT support results in minoritizing languages on the Internet or even digital extinction. LT contributes to the solution of communication problems as well as the protection of languages in question in the long term. LT, however, is faced with numerous challenges and di ffi culties that need to be overcome. In this regard, META’s decade-long ef forts are valuable lessons to learn. To conclude, protecting languages in the digital age thus poses a big challenge for Europe whose burden to break barriers in communication while protecting all European languages through LT is still heavy.