George Steiner Quotes

A different language is a different vision of life.

Translations are very important these days, since an average person can only know 2-3 three languages. We have so many languages in India and poems are being written in as many of them.

Honestly if I had the time, I would love to learn every language in the world. I love connecting to people. If I can't do it through language, I will try to do it through my music.

The greatest obstacle to international understanding is the barrier of language.

A common language is a first step towards communication across cultural boundaries.

I would love to be bilingual. I think having a second or third language at my bidding would open up the world in amazing ways.

I learned to say 'hello' in German, French, Spanish, Dutch, Chinese, Indonesian, and Italian - languages of the countries I've visited.

The sum of human wisdom is not contained in any one language.

When I took part in European leaders summits, it was sometimes unpleasant for me to hear Romanian, Polish, Portuguese, and Italian friends speak English, although I admit that on an informal basis, first contacts can be made in this language. Nevertheless, I will defend everywhere the use of the French language.

I love animals, but I don't want to talk to them. I'd rather be able to talk to other people on other continents and understand them.

It always trips me out that America, the most powerful and magnificent nation in the history of the world, whose might was built by immigrants from all over the world, only speaks one language.

It has since been agreed that speeches given in English will be translated into French and vice versa, and even into German and Italian when necessary. No doubt translations into Esperanto will also soon be in demand.

When people speak their own language you get a much better sense of who they are.

For the benefit of those who are not bilingual, I will now continue in English.

Each day we understand better what the Indians say, and they us, so that very often we are intelligible to each other.

None of us had really any interest in doing a sort of 'Babel 2.'

It's rare to find an Indian who speaks Chinese. It's rare to find a Chinese who can speak any of the Indian languages. Neither of them at the trading level - I want to repeat this, at the trading level - can speak English, either.

It's always lovely to know new languages.

I think it's good for anybody to learn languages. Americans are particularly limited in that way. Europeans less so... We're beginning to have Spanish move in on English in the states because of all the people coming from Hispanic countries... and we're beginning to learn some Spanish. And I think that's a good thing... Only having one language is very limiting... You get to think that's the way the human race is made; there's only one language worth speaking... Well, this isn't good for English.

I woke up find a rather noisy multi-lingual meeting going on. This was great as everyone could participate and even though everything had to be translated into about four different languages it never became boring. After a while the meeting broke up and everyone went for food.

People have to start talking to know more about other cultures and to understand each other.

I parle Francais like a Spanish cow.

My children speak very good Chinese, and they translate for our American friends.

To have another language is to possess a second soul.

I grew up, as many Indians do, in an archipelago of tongues. My maternal grandfather, who was a surgeon in the city of Madras, was fluent in at least four languages and used each of them daily.