People in Shanghai have become more proficient in English than those in the rival financial centre of Hong Kong for the first time, according to a study ranking fluency in the language in 63 countries worldwide.
根据一项对世界范围63个国家居民英语水平的调查结果，上海人的英语水平第一次超过与之竞争的另一个金融中心——香港的居民 。
Until recently Hong Kong had the edge when it came to speaking English, the language of global business and still one of the territory’s two official languages. But since the handover of Hong Kong to China in 1997, Hong Kong schools no longer teach mainly in English and proficiency has slipped.
直到近来，香港一直在英语方面拥有优势。英语是全球商业语言，是香港的两种官方语言之一。但自1997年香港回归中国以来，英语不再是香港学校的主要教学语言，香港居民的英语能力有所下滑。
“The growing middle class in China recognises the...importance of English as China’s economy internationalises,” according to a study published on Wednesday by English First, a subsidiary of the global group Education First. “Therefore it has invested heavily in private English training. Also, China sends more students abroad” – and most of them go to English-speaking countries.
“中国日益壮大的中产阶层认识到了……英语在中国经济国际化过程中的重要性，”英孚教育(English First)周三发布的调查报告写道。“因此，他们在私人英语教育上的投入很大。另外，前往海外的中国留学生比以往更多。”大部分的中国留学生去的都是讲英语的国家。
Between 2007 and 2013, proficiency in English declined among Hong Kong adults, while it improved in the mainland, according to Education First. And while Hong Kong continues to outscore the mainland as a whole, adults in Shanghai have higher English proficiency than those in the former British colony, and those in Beijing and Tianjin score as well as their Hong Kong counterparts.
英孚教育数据显示，2007年至2013年，香港成年人的英语水平有所下降，而内地成年人却在不断进步。尽管香港人的英语能力仍好于内地整体水平，但上海成年人的英语好于香港成年人，而北京与天津成年人的英语水平已于香港成年人相当。
Shanghai is seeking to rival Hong Kong as a global financial centre – and the English fluency of its labour pool will be key to that. But Simon Lance of Hays, the global recruitment company, in Shanghai said “Hong Kong candidates are still perceived to have some strong advantages in mainland China”.
上海正在挑战香港作为全球金融中心的地位，其就业大军的英语水平将发挥关键作用。但全球猎头公司Hays驻上海的西蒙•兰斯(Simon Lance)表示，“在中国内地，香港人求职时仍被认为拥有很强的优势”。
根据一项对世界范围63个国家居民英语水平的调查结果，上海人的英语水平第一次超过与之竞争的另一个金融中心——香港的居民 。
Until recently Hong Kong had the edge when it came to speaking English, the language of global business and still one of the territory’s two official languages. But since the handover of Hong Kong to China in 1997, Hong Kong schools no longer teach mainly in English and proficiency has slipped.
直到近来，香港一直在英语方面拥有优势。英语是全球商业语言，是香港的两种官方语言之一。但自1997年香港回归中国以来，英语不再是香港学校的主要教学语言，香港居民的英语能力有所下滑。
“The growing middle class in China recognises the...importance of English as China’s economy internationalises,” according to a study published on Wednesday by English First, a subsidiary of the global group Education First. “Therefore it has invested heavily in private English training. Also, China sends more students abroad” – and most of them go to English-speaking countries.
“中国日益壮大的中产阶层认识到了……英语在中国经济国际化过程中的重要性，”英孚教育(English First)周三发布的调查报告写道。“因此，他们在私人英语教育上的投入很大。另外，前往海外的中国留学生比以往更多。”大部分的中国留学生去的都是讲英语的国家。
Between 2007 and 2013, proficiency in English declined among Hong Kong adults, while it improved in the mainland, according to Education First. And while Hong Kong continues to outscore the mainland as a whole, adults in Shanghai have higher English proficiency than those in the former British colony, and those in Beijing and Tianjin score as well as their Hong Kong counterparts.
英孚教育数据显示，2007年至2013年，香港成年人的英语水平有所下降，而内地成年人却在不断进步。尽管香港人的英语能力仍好于内地整体水平，但上海成年人的英语好于香港成年人，而北京与天津成年人的英语水平已于香港成年人相当。
Shanghai is seeking to rival Hong Kong as a global financial centre – and the English fluency of its labour pool will be key to that. But Simon Lance of Hays, the global recruitment company, in Shanghai said “Hong Kong candidates are still perceived to have some strong advantages in mainland China”.
上海正在挑战香港作为全球金融中心的地位，其就业大军的英语水平将发挥关键作用。但全球猎头公司Hays驻上海的西蒙•兰斯(Simon Lance)表示，“在中国内地，香港人求职时仍被认为拥有很强的优势”。
