Aces High Bulletin Board
General Forums => The O' Club => Topic started by: Hangtime on March 30, 2006, 01:12:48 PM
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BRUSSELS (MarketWatch) -- Ernest-Antoine Seilliere, president of Unice, Europe's largest business lobby, would rather risk upsetting heads of state than abandon his choice of English as the Europe Union's language of business.
The morning after an enraged French President Jacques Chirac stormed out of a room where fellow-Frenchman Seilliere was delivering a speech in English, Seilliere's group said he would keep giving key speeches in English. "He wants to speak in the language of business, and that is English. That's the official language of Unice, so that's what we use," Unice spokesman Carsten Dannoehl told Dow Jones Newswires Friday.
Dannoehl would not comment on Chirac's decision to walk out during Seilliere's speech Thursday evening.
Seilliere had been invited to this week's summit of European leaders on
energy policy and reinvigorating the European economy. Other speakers, such as European Central Bank President Jean-Claude Trichet, chose to speak in his native French.
The rift between Chirac and Seilliere symbolizes a growing division between France and the rest of Europe. France has been criticized recently by free-market advocates because of riots paralyzing its ability to reform it labor markets and because of the last-minute merger between Suez (12052.FR) and Gaz de France (1020848.FR) orchestrated to fend off a bid for Suez by Italy's Enel SpA (EN).
But none of that was on the mind of Chirac when he refused to listen to Seilliere, French officials said. "It's a question of respect for the diversity the E.U. stands for," the diplomat said. "There are as many languages for business as there are economies, and there are 20 official languages in the E.U."
The E.U. provides simultaneous translation at summits, but leaders and diplomats often choose to speak in English so they can be immediately understood. The official everyday working languages of the European Commission are English and French.
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Gawd, France's Monkey, Our Monkey.. we oughta put 'em both in Zoo's!
5 bucks, three falls outta 5 on the French monkey. ;)
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in
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yer Monkeys no prize, either; beet.
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English is the business language of the world. French and German are science languages. We had basic French in the 4th Grade, back in the 60s. It wasn't much more than counting, and some vocab. But it was a regular 4th grade course everyone had to take.
Do the schools still teach French in 4th?
Les
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I don't recall.. which is a sad point; really. Three hardest years I spent in school was the 4th grade.
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Only thick people can't do French - my brother, c1970
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I can do the 'wallah' mouth pop.
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i can talk like inspector clouseau, does that count
clouseau:: does your doug bite?
clerk:: no my doug does not bite.
clouseau:: you said your doug does not bite!
clerk:: thats not my doug.
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In our school district, they taught French to my boys from K-3rd grade.
They have since switched to Spanish.
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Originally posted by john9001
i can talk like inspector clouseau, does that count
clouseau:: does your doug bite?
clerk:: no my doug does not bite.
clouseau:: you said your doug does not bite!
clerk:: thats not my doug.
:lol
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Originally posted by Stringer
They have since switched to Spanish.
Thats good..We should all learn the language of the occupying forces.
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Originally posted by ASTAC
Thats good..We should all learn the language of the occupying forces.
If only Davy Crockett had had time to learn Spanish. ;)
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Originally posted by Leslie
English is the business language of the world. French and German are science languages. We had basic French in the 4th Grade, back in the 60s. It wasn't much more than counting, and some vocab. But it was a regular 4th grade course everyone had to take.
Do the schools still teach French in 4th?
Les
Nooo English is the language of buisness. Fench is the language of Resturants perfumes and pastries and mediocre wine.
And German is the language of Science and Beer
:p
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Originally posted by ASTAC
Thats good..We should all learn the language of the occupying forces.
No!
I refuse to learn how to speak Hindu!!!!!