Show la language ngua ge barriers drop for tourists overseas over seas americans have little difficulty in europe washington D C not so many years ago americans making the grand tour of europe were completely dependent on interpreters today in most of the large cities of western europe the american traveler can get along even if he speaks no language but his own it comes as a pleasant surprise to americans making their first trip to europe that many more europeans speak Eli english glish than they had supposed says the national geographic society in paris and amsterdam this is especially true let an american ask a bus or tram conductor in stumbling french or dutch to notify him which is his stop and a helpful the kings english sometimes sounds a bit stiff to american airs ears as on the sign touch not armour in in the tower of london it nevertheless seems to express the english love of law and order use several languages even if an american should chance to visit an out of the way place tin in europe where natives shrug tin uncomprehendingly a at t his ingi english iiii he may strike out but in in any one of several foreign languages with a fair chance of being I 1 understood most europeans learn at least one other language besides their own signs are frequently prin printed in more than one language in the railroad station at basel switzerland on the border of france and germany passengers are forbidden to cross the tracks in german english french and italian although no sign indis in his railroad compartment says no smoking an american will lack an alibi for lighting his pipe if he reads italian french or german for the same sign will read fumare 1 defense de 1 1 french is one of the most useful languages anju ages to the traveler in europe especially in italy where m many a n y italians speak french the occasional time saving con cis eness of english as compared to the apparent verboseness of other languages is obvious s in this notice on the entrance to Interi Inter akens lakens kur saal while it says in german hun de in den and in french 11 II 11 est inter dit dameier da mener des chiens chiefs au Kur saal it covers the matter in english with the brief dogs not allowed passenger may inquire in good colloquial english just where do you want to get off let an american girl stroll through the noisy colorful market of les halles in paris and she is likely to be kidded in english with cries of hello darling hello sweetie english spoken in many of the european shop windows bear gladdening signs of english spoken and in the chief show places one finds native guides lecturing in english as well as in the count rys language parties of tourists shuffling through th the e old red ruins of heidelberg cas tle tie hear its features pointed out first in german and then in english visitors to the peace palace at the hague in the netherlands will hear the guide describe the meeting chamber of the world court in succession in dutch english french and german when then an italian guide conducts sightseers through the terraced gardens on lake maggioros Mag giores isola bella his english version in com comparison parison with his flowery italian lecture sounds very terse A tree about which a fervent oration has been made in italian may be explained by the scant comment camphor tree I 1 strangely enough some of those whose accents tourists have most difficulty in understanding are englishmen conducting parties through westminster abbey ithe the difference between the kings english as it is spoken in the united states State sF and on its native heath is appa apparent i rent the minute an arriving american enters the station an fn on at southampton porters instead of asking for bags or baggage say any luggage luggage sir at hotels one takes a lift instead of an elevator one takes the underground in london instead of the subway and in traffic instead of being told to 10 lo look k out for the truck one is cautioned to mind the lorry if |