Is it worthwhile to learn French?
法语值得我花时间学吗？
获得21.1k好评的回答@Louis Amiot：
Of course, it is worthwhile.
当然值得。
Here are some reasons:
以下是几点原因：
?Because you are eager to learn a new language
?因为你渴望学一门新的语言
?Because French is the most practical foreign language which is spoken in more countries than you thought (Canada, Belgium, Switzerland, more than half of African countries,....) , and which is one of the two official languages (with English) at the UN, UNESCO and at the Olympic Games.
?因为法语是最实用的外语，说法语的国家比你想象得要多（加拿大、比利时、瑞士、超过半数的非洲国家…），而且法语是联合国、联合国教科文组织和奥运会的两种官方语言之一（还有英语）。
?Because it could be a real asset in your professional career
?因为它是你职业生涯中真正的资本
?Because you'll be able to deeply discover a rich culture.
?因为你能深入了解一个丰富的文化。
?Because French is a creative language. French literature is recognized worldwide, we have some fantastic author such as Victor Hugo, Alexandre Dumas, Albert Camus and so many more. It'd be a chance to be able to read their texts in their original language.
?因为法语是一种有创造力的语言。法国文学在全世界都被认可，我们有一些出色的作家如维克多·雨果、大仲马、阿尔贝·加缪等，不胜枚举。如果能读到他们作品的原文将是难能可贵的机会。
?Because French is also a door to learn other languages. Learning French helps to learn other languages, including Latin languages (Spanish, Italian, Portuguese and Romanian).
?因为法语也是学习其他语言的敲门砖。学法语有助于学习其他语言，包括拉丁系语言（西班牙语、意大利语、葡萄牙语和罗马尼亚语）。
?Because French is not such a tough language to learn for an English speaker. Actually, 50% of English words come from French.
?因为对说英语的人来说法语并不难学，其实50%的英语词来自法语。
获得44.3k好评的回答@Mark Harrison：
I'm answering this question from the perspective of someone whose first language is English.
我对这个问题的回答是针对母语是英语的人的。
French is reasonably similar to English:
法语和英语有很多相似之处：
1.The language of the ruling class of England was French for a long while, because the ruling class of England was French.
1.英格兰统治阶级在很长一段时期内都说法语，因为当时英格兰的统治阶级是法国人。
2.Both are, in part, descended from Latin
2.这两种语言在某种程度上都起源于拉丁语。
3.France and England are culturally reasonably similar.
3.法国和英格兰的文化有很多相似之处。
French is different from English:
法语和英语的不同：
1.The syntax is different, you can't just learn "words" and string them together to speak French
1.语法不同。不是只学会单词，然后串在一起就是说法语了。
2.The way in which verbs conjugate and nouns decline isn't really a concept you come across in English.
2.动词结合和名词变形都和你在英语中学的概念不一样。
Put the two together, and you have a language that is reasonable easy to learn, but different enough to force you to learn different "patterns", and you end up with a way to think about linguistics through a practical example, rather than abstractly... ... and more broadly, you learn how to think in different ways, which is a very, very useful skill.
把这两种语言放在一起你就学会了一种很好学的语言，但它们差异又很大，迫使你学习不同“模式”，最终通过实践了解了语言学，而并非通过抽象的学习。从更广义的角度来说，你学会了如何用不同方式思考，这是一项非常非常有用的技能。
So, yes, I'm glad I studied French as a child, and certainly glad that I took advantage of some lessons in my 30s when I worked for an Anglo-French group.
所以，是的，我很开心我小时候学过法语，当然也很开心在30多岁为一个英法团体工作时上了一些课程。
... but for me, the utilitarian benefits are outweighed by the "mental workout" I get thinking in a different language.
但对我而言，比较实用的好处就是通过用不同语言思考我的大脑得到了锻炼。
