Why the United Nations Celebrates Languages
Imagine walking into a large hall filled with diplomats from nearly two hundred different nations. Delegates have gathered to discuss peace, climate protection, and clean water. Because these leaders come from places that use thousands of different tongues, how do they understand one another? To keep conversations clear and fair, the United Nations has six official languages: Arabic, Chinese, English, French, Russian, and Spanish.
Running an international organization in six languages is an enormous task. Whenever an ambassador gives a speech, trained interpreters sit in soundproof booths listening through headphones. Within seconds, they translate the speaker's ideas into the other five languages so everyone in the room can follow along. Official treaties and resolutions are also printed in all six versions. Each translation must convey the exact same legal meaning. If one word is translated carelessly, countries might disagree over what they promised to do.
- diplomats:
- Officials who represent their country's government when meeting with other nations.
- interpreters:
- People who translate spoken words from one language into another in real time.
- resolutions:
- Formal statements of opinion or decisions agreed upon by an official group.
- treaties:
- Formal written agreements made between countries.
- script:
- A specific system of written characters or letters used to write a language.
- equality:
- The state of having the same rights, value, and opportunities as others.
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Preview questions from this passageShowHide
- 1What are the six official languages used by the United Nations?
- 2Why is precise translation so crucial when the United Nations writes treaties and resolutions?
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About this explanatory article passage for 5th Grade
“Why the United Nations Celebrates Languages” is a explanatory article reading passage about United Nations Language Days, written for 5th Grade. It takes about 3 minutes to read (449 words) and comes with an interactive quiz and a printable worksheet with comprehension questions and an answer key.