Re: CHAT: Hello

In a message dated 5/1/01 2:06:59 PM, ira@REMPT.XS4ALL.NL writes:

<< Translating *anything* lengthy from the Bible (or modern-day

political texts, or Kipling, for that matter) into Valdyan calls for

many words for concepts that don't exist in Valdyan (the *concepts*

don't exist, it's not just that I don't know the words yet) which

will forever after be part of the Valdyan vocabulary, that is, of the

culture. By translating something alien to the culture I've

contaminated the culture by concepts alien to it, and I don't want

that to happen so I take care only to translate things either neutral

or fully compatible (like the Vlami story or the Draseléq play). >>

    Is it just me, or does this seem completely ridiculous?  First of all, 
it's just a translation exercize--just to see how the grammar works, et 
cetera.  Second, if you don't want those words to be in there, then simply 
delete them after you're done.  It's just an e-mail, anyway.  Or if you have 
to use scratch paper to figure things out, you can burn the paper and throw 
the ashes into the sea.  I mean, contaminate the culture?  You're creating 
it!  If it's others' opinions of or feelings towards this language and it's 
made up culture, then maybe you have something there, though I personally 
could not care whether or not the words really exist in your language or 
whether the very translation of these concepts would destroy the foundations 
of this faux culture.  Heck, a couple of times when I've translated things 
for this list and I didn't have a word for whatever was being translated yet, 
I just made one up and had it function the same as any other word of that 
type would in whatever language I was doing at the time.  So I really don't 
see how translating harms these non-real cultures over which one has complete 
control, or why one would get so defensive about it.  If it's the Bible, 
political documents and Kipling you've got issues with, take it up with them.

-David

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