zhōng wén
中文
de
的
biāo zhǔn huà
标准化
hé
和
mǔ yǔ
母语
de
的
biàn huà
变化
Standardization of Chinese and Changes in Native Languages
měi nián每年sì yuè四月èr shí二十rì日shì是lián hé guó联合国zhōng wén中文rì日 。
Every year on April 20th is United Nations Chinese Language Day.
zhè这yī一tiān天shì是wèi le为了jì niàn纪念chuán shuō传说zhōng中fā míng发明hàn zì汉字de的cāng jié仓颉 。
This day commemorates Cangjie, the legendary inventor of Chinese characters.
hěn很jiǔ久yǐ qián以前 ，zhōng guó中国yǒu有hěn很duō多bù tóng不同de的wén zì文字hé和yǔ yán语言 。
A long time ago, China had many different scripts and languages.
qín shǐ huáng秦始皇tǒng yī统一zhōng guó中国hòu后 ，tā他ràng让dà jiā大家yòng用yī yàng一样de的hàn zì汉字 ，zhè yàng这样guó jiā国家gèng更róng yì容易guǎn lǐ管理 。
After Emperor Qin Shi Huang unified China, he made everyone use the same Chinese characters, making the country easier to govern.
hòu lái后来 ，qīng cháo清朝yě也biān编le了 《kāng xī zì diǎn康熙字典 》 ，bāng zhù帮助dà jiā大家xué xí学习hàn zì汉字 。
Later, during the Qing Dynasty, the Kangxi Dictionary was compiled to help people learn Chinese characters.
zhōng guó中国yǒu有hěn很duō mín zú多民族hé和yǔ yán语言 ，bǐ rú比如hàn yǔ汉语 、yuè yǔ粤语hé和mǐn nán yǔ闽南语 。
China has many ethnic groups and languages, such as Mandarin, Cantonese, and Minnan.
yǐ qián以前 ，xué xiào学校lǐ里kě yǐ可以yòng用zì jǐ自己de的mǔ yǔ母语shàng kè上课 。
In the past, schools could teach classes in their own native languages.
1949nián年yǐ hòu以后 ，zhōng guó中国kāi shǐ开始tuī guǎng推广pǔ tōng huà普通话 ，xué xiào学校hé和zhèng fǔ政府dōu都yāo qiú要求yòng用pǔ tōng huà普通话 。
After 1949, China began promoting Mandarin, and schools and the government required its use.
xiàn zài现在 ，hěn很duō多dì fāng地方de的hái zi孩子zài在xué xiào学校zhǐ néng只能shuō说pǔ tōng huà普通话 ，màn màn慢慢dì地huì会wàng jì忘记zì jǐ自己de的mǔ yǔ母语 。
Now, in many places, children can only speak Mandarin at school and gradually forget their native languages.
suī rán虽然pǔ tōng huà普通话ràng让dà jiā大家jiāo liú交流gèng更fāng biàn方便 ，dàn但yě也ràng让yī xiē一些dì fāng地方yǔ yán语言biàn变shǎo少le了 。
Although Mandarin makes communication easier, it has also reduced the use of some local languages.
wǒ men我们kě yǐ可以yòng用pǔ tōng huà普通话jiāo liú交流 ，yě也yào要zūn zhòng尊重hé和bǎo hù保护bù tóng不同de的yǔ yán语言hé和wén huà文化 。
We can communicate in Mandarin but should also respect and protect different languages and cultures.