Esperanto

Robinsono Kruso

The telegraph and telephone have made of the world a whispering gallery. Steam and electric traction have annihilated space. The scattered human race yet remains a strangely misunderstood family. Within one hour the report of a momentous event may be shot through 500 languages...

Summary

The telegraph and telephone have made of the world a whispering gallery. Steam and electric traction have annihilated space. The scattered human race yet remains a strangely misunderstood family. Within one hour the report of a momentous event may be shot through 500 languages and as many more dialects; but convene a thousand representative dissimilar one-speech people and all becomes Babel if not Pandemonium. Impossible, indeed, for each to learn the language of the thousand; but how small a matter for all to learn a common second language if such a language can be produced.

Chapters