Of all man’s instruments, the most wondrous, no doubt, is the book. The other instruments are extensions of his body. […] But the book is something else altogether: the book is an extension of memory and imagination.[1]
Jorge Luis Borges
At this time of year, when nature is blossoming all around us, there are also some important occasions which celebrate human creativity and, of course, languages. It’s striking how World Book and Copyright Day, English Language Day and Spanish Language Day are so strongly bound together, and not just because they take place on the same day. Indeed, the lives and works of William Shakespeare and Miguel de Cervantes are deeply intertwined with the history of their respective languages, and with the history of books itself.
Since any attempt to describe the magnitude of the linguistic and cultural legacy of these two incredible authors would inevitably fail, we invite you to wander around this selection from our Speech Repository: you will find many stories about books, literature, writers… and everything you need to keep your interpreting skills in full bloom!
CS – Very advanced simultaneous Příběhy | Speech Repository (europa.eu)
DE – Advanced consecutive Bücher und Bibliotheken | Speech Repository (europa.eu)
EL - Advanced consecutive Μια συγγραφέας αλλιώτικη απ' τις άλλες | Speech Repository (europa.eu)
EL – Advanced simultaneous "TIME OUT - Η ελληνική αίσθησι του χρόνου", ένα βιβλίο του φιλοσόφου Στέλιου Ράμφου | Speech Repository (europa.eu)
ES – Intermediate simultaneous Política y literatura | Speech Repository (europa.eu)
ES – Beginner consecutive Los audiolibros | Speech Repository (europa.eu)
ES - Intermediate simultaneous ¿Cómo garantizar los derechos de propiedad intelectual en la era de internet? | Speech Repository (europa.eu)
FR - Intermediate simultaneous La bibliothèque sonore | Speech Repository (europa.eu)
GA - Intermediate simultaneous Saol agus saothar George Orwell (The life and works of George Orwell) | Speech Repository (europa.eu)
IT - Beginner consecutive La distanza che ci separa (libro) | Speech Repository (europa.eu)
IT - Beginner consecutive Crisi dell'editoria | Speech Repository (europa.eu)
PL - Advanced simultaneous Różne zwyczaje wzięte z biografii słynnych postaci | Speech Repository (europa.eu)
SL – Intermediate consecutive Zaslužki pisateljev | Speech Repository (europa.eu)
Feel like wanting to honour the English and Spanish languages even more? Don’t forget to browse their respective sections!
[1] Borges, 1979. “El libro”, Borges, oral. Emecé Editores.