Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83 based; site homxb.UUCP Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!mhuxr!mhuxj!houxm!homxb!hrs From: hrs@homxb.UUCP (H.SILBIGER) Newsgroups: net.nlang Subject: Re: Other languages on the net Message-ID: <481@homxb.UUCP> Date: Thu, 24-Jan-85 09:13:24 EST Article-I.D.: homxb.481 Posted: Thu Jan 24 09:13:24 1985 Date-Received: Fri, 25-Jan-85 07:36:35 EST References: <37@osu-eddie.UUCP> <319@scc.UUCP> <266@calmasd.UUCP>, <276@terak.UUCP> Organization: AT&T Bell Labs, Holmdel NJ Lines: 21 English has become the de facto international language. For example, the CCITT, which is the internatioal standards body for telecommunications, has three official languages, English, French and Spanish. Plenary sessions must have simultaneous translation in these languages. There are sometimes other translations, such as Russian or Chinese, but these are not officially provided and are paid for by the requestors. (In the case of the Russians, they bring their own!) The discussion in the sessions is almost exclusively in English. Only the French speak in French, and Spanish and Latin-American delegates, when present, speak in Spanish. In the working sessions, where official translation is not required, everyone! speaks English. In the ISO, the International Standards Org., English and French are official. When simultaneous translation is not available, which is often, the French usually graciously waive translation, except for the introduction. All further discussion is in English.