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We can appreciate each other’s languages. And the question of being uncomfortable about our languages would go away.

Ngugi wa Thiong'o

The same questions are there in Native American languages, they’re there in native Canadian languages, they’re there is some marginalized European languages, like say, Irish.
NGUGI WA THIONG'O

Country Culture Language Phenomenon Power Problem Relationship
Any writer likes to be near the area which is the location of his work.
NGUGI WA THIONG'O

Area Like Location Work Writer
A person who acquires English has access to all the things that that language makes possible.
NGUGI WA THIONG'O

Access Acquire English Language Make Person Possible Thing
Another phenomenon developing in Kenya is ethnic cleansing – and that’s the thing that has made me very sad. Because some people will use the cover of the problems of rigged elections to do things that are unacceptable like ethnic cleansing and displacement of people. It’s completely unacceptable.
NGUGI WA THIONG'O

Another Phenomena Cleansing Country Cover People Sad Some Use Very
The Bible has affected their lives, but in translation, since they do not read the Bible in the original Greek or Hebrew.
NGUGI WA THIONG'O

Bible Country Effect Original Raed Translation
If a novel is written in a certain language with certain characters from a particular community and the story is very good or illuminating, then that work is translated into the language of another community.
NGUGI WA THIONG'O

Certain Character Community Good Illuminating Language Novel Particularly Story Written
What’s good about writing is that when you write novels or fiction, people can see that the problems in one region are similar to problems in another region.
NGUGI WA THIONG'O

Another Fiction Good Novel People Problem Problem Region Similar Writing
Life, struggle, even amidst pain and blood and poverty, seemed beautiful.
NGUGI WA THIONG'O

Amidst Beautiful Blood Life Pain Poverty Struggle
Then they begin to see through their language that the problems described there are the same as the problems they are having. They can identify with characters from another language group.
NGUGI WA THIONG'O

Began Character Describe Group Language Problem
So what I thought was just an African problem or issue is actually a global phenomenon about relationships of power between languages and cultures.
NGUGI WA THIONG'O

Country Culture Global Language Power Problem
What is translated from English and into English – and in what quantities – is a question of power.
NGUGI WA THIONG'O

English Into Power Quantity Question Translate
Our lives are a battlefield on which is fought a continuous war between the forces that are pledged to confirm our humanity and those determined to dismantle it.
NGUGI WA THIONG'O

Butterfield Confirm Continuous Determine Force Fought Live Pledge
Christianity and Western civilization-what countless crimes have been committed in thy name!
NGUGI WA THIONG'O

Christianity Civilisation Committed Country Crime Name Western
We think of politics in terms of power and who has the power. Politics is the end to which that power is put.
NGUGI WA THIONG'O

End Politic Power Put Term Think
People went to war as a result of it and even today, every Sunday.
NGUGI WA THIONG'O

Ever People War Result Sunday Today
In terms of language, English is very dominant vis-Ã-vis African language. That in itself is a power relationship – between languages and communities – because the English language is a determinant of the ladder to achievement.
NGUGI WA THIONG'O

Country Dominant English Gradually Language Term

We can appreciate each other’s languages. And the question of being uncomfortable about our languages would go away.

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We can appreciate each other’s languages. And the question of being uncomfortable about our languages would go away.

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Popular Authors

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