China.org.cn: So there is a special system for them to express their concern with the issue?
Yohannes Mengesha: Yes certainly. Within the department of course they'll discuss it with our own department manager meetings and so on, but if the main issue is not something that we can resolve -- as I said member states do have the last word in the wording of their texts -- the best way would be to reach them and to try to get a clarification and hopefully to come to an agreed way. It's not always possible, as I said this morning.
China.org.cn: The age of globalization has come. What role does translation play in preserving the cultural diversity?
Yohannes Mengesha: Well I think the UN attaches great importance to Multilingualism. There are repeated resolutions of the UN that emphasize the importance of multilingualism. So yes, there are some cases where, for example, English has become a kind of de-facto lingua franca. But as I said in the UN, we advocate multilingualism. And of course there are many other languages; we only use six official languages. I think in the EU every member state can use its own language in the process and proceedings of the EU. And in the African Union they also have selected their own official languages, which are not the same as those ones in the UN. So I think in different parts of the world, you find that countries and regions are actually promoting different languages. So I don't think globalization in that sense is threatening the importance of languages.
China.org.cn: How does translation promote the cultures of developing countries such as Ethiopia and China?
Yohannes Mengesha: Well I think all of us have to be open to each other. This is indeed an interdependent world, so the only way to communicate of course is to be able to advance the learning of languages. I know for example -- I don't know about a developing country -- but I know in the US, many students are learning Chinese and there is a great future in that. I'm sure the same thing will happen in Africa as China expands its relations with Africa. I was told that there are some Ethiopian students in China doing very well in speaking Chinese and they'll go back and hopefully promote better relations. So I think it's key in promoting dialogue in developing countries. I think the future is precisely expanding relations between developing countries and we need to do that through better communications. And better communications can only come through interpreters and translation.
China.org.cn: Actually learning languages is kind of a way to promote the cooperation and exchanges between two countries.
Yohannes Mengesha: Absolutely.
China.org.cn: Shanghai is holding the 18th World Congress of the International Federation of Translators (FIT). It is the first time for an Asian country and also for China to hold such a great event. What do you think this event can bring to China's translation industry and the entire Asian translation industry?
Yohannes Mengesha: Well I think we're all very honored that this is the first time that FIT is having its congress in China and also in Asia. People from over seventy countries, I think, are represented. This congress I think will increase the visibility about what is happening in China amongst the translation industry. I was having meetings with the translation association of China, and other parties from China were taking part in these meetings, and we were able to exchange ideas and experiences with language personnel and professionals from other countries. I think this will also promote knowledge amongst the professional community about what's going on in China in the language and translation industry, and also for our Chinese colleagues to learn more about what is going on in the rest of the world.
