Japanese is a language of striking simplicity and profound depth, often unfolding an unsaid poetry.
In the recent movie “Perfect Days,” directed by Wim Wenders, Hirayma, the exquisitely portrayed protagonist, delivers a poignant response to the query “When is next time?” (今度はいつ | KONDO WA ITSU?) with, “Next time is next time. Now is now.” (今度は今度. 今は今 | KONDO WA KONDO. IMA WA IMA). However, translations — whether in English, Portuguese, French, Spanish, or any other languages — although they grasp the essence, may still fail to convey the lyrical nuance of the original. And this is not a shortcoming of any translator; it is simply the nature of language, which calls us to be more mindful of communication as a tool of appreciation.
In the dialogue featuring Koji Yakusho, the repetition of “今度” (kondo, meaning “next time” or “this time”) and “今” (ima, meaning “now”) explores concepts of time and presence in a manner deeply rooted in Japanese perception. This linguistic playfulness and philosophical depth are challenging to convey with the same brevity and impact in other languages, often losing some of their beauty.
Translations and simultaneous interpretations often require a balance between literal accuracy and the need to convey the same emotional or conceptual impact, which can involve adding explanations or modifying phrases to better fit the target language’s cultural context. Achieving this balance, though, is not always possible due to the specific circumstances or timing at which a certain language conversion is being applied. This is one of the joys and challenges of working with language: finding ways to bridge these gaps and bring across not just words, but meanings and feelings. Ewandro Magalhães, chief interpreter at the United Nations, surely knows what I mean.
This view on language made me reflect upon the dismissive attitudes evident in some readers’ comments on a recent article, “How to protect an endangered language,” covered by The Economist:
And, in my opinion, among these, the most troubling one is:
“If they’re disappearing, it means they aren’t important at all.”
If we are to think about some of the comments mentioned above, it doesn’t take much to realize how ill-informed and poorly equipped in critical thinking our folks are, which, for their lack of analytical skills, underscore the known challenges and global attitudes that contribute to the issue addressed by the British publisher.
Let’s consider Spanish and English: While English has 375 million native speakers, Spanish boasts about 460 million native speakers, making it the second most spoken native language globally. Including non-native speakers, the total number approaches 560 million, with major populations in Latin America, Spain, and growing communities in the United States.
As of the most recent estimates in 2022, the population of the United States is approximately 334 million people. According to the U.S. Census Bureau’s data, there are over 42 million native Spanish speakers in the United States. Additionally, there are about 15 million bilingual Spanish-English speakers, bringing the total number of Spanish speakers to over 57 million — and this number continues to grow. This data reveals the profound connection between language and cultural identity, and illustrates a potential language shift scenario that could occur based on demographic changes and cultural influences.
The decline or disappearance of a language often involves factors related to social, cultural, and political contexts in which its speakers live. Most often, languages disappear when their culture or speakers no longer exist. Such movements aren’t unprecedented globally, and they can lead to substantial reconfiguration of national language policies and cultural identity. Historically, shifts like these have occurred in various regions around the world. For instance, Latin gave way to Romance languages in Europe as the Roman Empire declined, and Coptic, in Egypt, was replaced largely by Arabic after the Muslim conquest in the 7th century.
The United States is experiencing significant demographic evolution, with the Hispanic population being one of the fastest-growing segments. If this trend continues and Spanish gains more domains of use (such as in government, education, commerce, media, and everyday communication), it could indeed challenge English for linguistic dominance and lead the country to a bilingual society where Spanish holds equal or greater status.
That being said, while it’s possible that Spanish could become more prominent, leading to a truly bilingual society, it’s hard to say definitively that English would be replaced entirely. Yet, by the same token, the possibility of Spanish becoming a primary language in the U.S. is not far-fetched — just think of Caesar Augustus’ land. Such a consequential linguistic transformation serves as a reminder of how dynamic and responsive languages are to human circumstances, and it highlights our role in these changes.
Speculating, however, about how languages evolve over time can be quite intriguing. Given the rapid pace of language adaptations in just centuries or even decades, it is challenging to predict exactly how they may develop over such a long timeframe. Nonetheless, it is certainly possible that the linguistic landscape in the United States can look very different in a millennium from now. Imagine, then, the potential metamorphosis in the linguistic landscape of the entire world.
Although this essay is written in English, I would not want the beautiful language of the Lusophone countries, Portuguese — my mother tongue — to disappear. On the contrary: what defines us is the language we speak — whether one speaks one, two, three, or more languages — and that in itself provides a compelling reason to appreciate the grandeur of all languages.
Preserving our linguistic diversity is not merely about maintaining communication; it’s about safeguarding our very essence. With these cultural and language differences acknowledged, we can co-exist in harmony and protect, as well as respect, our plurality, for this is humanity’s true strength. As I often say…
… language is our most powerful technology.
— it shapes not only the way we communicate but how we understand the world.
Perhaps, then, we should hold onto it if we want humanity — us and ours — to persevere and remain audible in the Babel-chorus of global voices.
“This world… There are so many worlds, really.
Even though they seem to be connected, some worlds are not.”
~ Hirayama, in “Perfect Days”.