Hapa Marekani, huwa sipati fursa nyingi kuongea Kiswahili. Mara kwa mara hutokea mtu anayekifahamu. Twaanza kuongea, lakini kila baada ya maongezi mafupi, twajikuta tukijitumbukiza katika kidimbwi cha Kimombo. Vilevile, nikijaribu kuandika Kiswahili, vikwazo vingi hutokea mbele yangu. Ni rahisi zaidi kwangu kutumia Kimombo.

Suala la lugha ni suala la kisiasa. Lakini zaidi ya hayo, ni suala la mawasiliano. Kila mtu hutamani kueleweka, na tena hutamani kumwelewa mwenziwe. Kila mwandishi anapoandika, huwa na makusudi ya kueneza ujumbe wake kokote kunakostahili. Hutekeleza lengo hili hususan kwa kuandika katika lugha itakayoelewa na watu wengi. Mara mengi, lugha hiyo siyo lugha ya mama, bali ni lugha ya kigeni, kama Kimombo au Kifaransa. Tatizo hufuata: kila anapoamua kutumia lugha hizi za kigeni, mwandishi hukosa nafasi ya kuendeleza lugha yake mwenyewe.

Ili kulitatua tatizo hili, hatuna budi kuyatafakari maswali kama haya yafuatayo kwa makini:
a) Mwandishi anawezaje kutekeleza wajibu wake wa kuhifadhi na kuendeleza lugha yake na mila yake?
b) Mwandishi anawezaje kutimiza lengo lake la kuandika maneno yatakayoelewa na kuthaminiwa na wanadamu wenye asili tofauti?

Maoni yenu?
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(Rough Translation)

Language and Strategies

Here in the USA, I don't get many chances to speak Swahili. Once in a while, someone who understands the language comes along. We start to speak, but then after a short while, we fall into the trap of speaking English. Similarly, when I try to write in Swahili, I encounter many obstacles. I find it easier to write in English.

The language issue is a political issue, but more than that it is a communication issue. Everybody would like to be understood, and what’s more, would like to understand others. Every writer aims to spread his/ her message wherever is appropriate. He/ she achieves this most especially by writing in the language that the bulk of the target audience will understand. Often, that language is not his/ her mother tongue, but rather, a foreign language such as English or French. This gives rise to a problem: every time that the writer uses one of these foreign languages, he/ she loses a chance to develop his/ her own language.

To solve this problem, we have to reflect on the following questions:
a) How can the writer uphold his responsibility (that of preserving and developing his/ her language and traditions)?
b) How can the writer achieve his/ her goal and write words that will be understood and valued by people of different origins?

Your thoughts?

http://www.ippmedia.com/ipp/alasiri/2008/02/18/108663.html

Rais Bush Apagawisha

2008-02-18 19:49:24
Na Mwandishi Wetu, Jijini


Licha ya kutoka katika taifa lenye nguvu kubwa zaidi za kiuchumi duniani, Rais George W. Bush wa Marekani ameweza kujichanganya na Wabongo Jijini na kuwapagawisha maelfu ya waliofika kumpokea.

Bush, aliyewasili Jijini tangia Jumamosi jioni kwa ajili ya ziara ya kitaifa ya siku nne nchini, amefanya jambo hilo lisilokuwa la kawaida kwa marais wa taifa hilo walio madarakani na kuwashangaza hata maafisa wake wa Kikosi cha FBI.

Kwa ujumla, mambo yenyewe aliyoyafanya Rais Bush mara tu baada ya kutua kwenye Uwanja wa Ndege wa Kimataifa wa Julius Nyerere na kuwapagawisha watu ni kama haya:

Ajitosa uswazi:
Awali ya yote, alipotua pale kwenye `terminal one`, Bush alitoa mpya wakati alipositisha ghafla zoezi lake la kupungia mkono watu waliokuja kumpokea na kisha kujichanganya nao kwa muda.

Ilianza kama masihara vile, Bush alichomoka ghafla toka kwenye kapeti kali jekundu alilokuwa akipitishwa na mwenyeji wake, Rais wa Jamhuri ya Muungano wa Tanzania Bw. Jakaya Kikwete.

Kisha kwa mastaajabu ya wengi, akamuendea mama mmoja aliyekuwa miongoni mwa watu tele waliokuwa wakimpungia na kukumbatiana naye. Jambo hilo liliamsha hisia kali za furaha na nderemo.

Jana, Bush akaendelea kujichanganya `uswazi`, kunako mitaa ya Buguruni na Ilala ambako, ingawa alikuwa akilindwa vikali, aliweza kutimiza ratiba yake ya kuzindua majengo mapya katika Hospitali ya Amana, yaliyofadhiliwa na Serikali yake.
Atema Kiswahili.

Wakati alipopewa fursa ya kuzungumza pale katika viwanja vya Ikulu, ambako yeye na mwenyeji wake walikutana na waandishi wa vyombo mbalimbali vya habari, Rais Bush alibonga Kiswahili kwa namna isiyotarajiwa.

Alikamata mic, kisha akasalimia kwa kusema `Mambo viipiii!``
``Alinishangaza. Kamwe sikujua kama Rais Bush anaweza kutusalimia kwa Kiswahili,`` amesema Bw. John Jacob, mkazi wa Manzese Jijini.

Amwaga Mapesa
Pamoja na kuwapagawisha Wabongo kwa staili ya ujio wake na mivifaa ya kisasa ya kumlinda ikiwa ni pamoja na midege na migari myeusi ya bei mbaya, Rais Bush amewaletea neema Wabongo.

Yeye na mwenyeji wake, Rais Kikwete, wamesaini mkataba utakaoiwezesha Tanzania kupata msaada wa dola za Kimarekani Milioni 698 sawa na pesa za Kitanzania bilioni 800. Haijapata kutokea!

Pesa hizo zitatumika kwa ajili ya miradi mbalimbali ya maendeleo, ikiwa ni pamoja na kujengea miundombinu ya barabara.

Aidha, mke wa Rais Bush, Bi. Laura Bush, amemwaga msaada wa dola za Kimarekani Milioni 43 kwa mradi unaokwenda kwa jina la `Pamoja Inawezekana`, ulio chini ya Mama Salma Kikwete, kwa ajili ya kuwasaidia watoto yatima nchini.

SOURCE: Alasiri