Re: translation needed

I'm rather behind on reading, and there's more on this topic waiting in
my mailbox, but why let that stop me replying right now?

Melissa Phong wrote:
>
> Charles Eichner replied to Ed:
>
> >Hey, even linguists need hobbies. Just don't expect me to take such
> >frivolous hobbies seriously.
>
> Is there such a thing as a "serious hobby"? Isn't the whole point of a hobby
> its frivolousness? What is he talking about?
I tend to think of "serious hobby" as a qualification of how much a
person is devoted to it. I don't think that was what Mr. Eichner had in
mind. I *suppose* one could deem hobbies like woodworking or knitting as
"non-frivolous" as they produce a useful object. But I'm not about to
give up my painting or conlanging because they don't produce useful
objects.

<snip>


> >I used it merely as an example. Life is too short to waste time
> >researching non-existent things. Even as an exercise in abstraction,
> >it needs SOME sort of basis in reality. Excuse me if I don't believe
> >in elves or talking dinosaurs.
>
> Life is too short--who is he to decide what is a waste of time for other
> people? Golf seems pretty boring to me, but I'm not going to tell somebody
> who chooses to spend their Saturday perfecting their swing that they are
> wasting their time and they should be writing papers on aerodynamics instead.
> I don't believe in elves or talking dinosaurs either, but examining how a
> language spoken by elves or dinosaurs would be different helps pinpoint how
> humans think about language and how it affects their thoughts and their
> culture.
Indeed, this guy seems to set himself up in judgement of any art that is
not completely tied to something in the real world. That would cut out a
large proportion of known writing, painting, and dance. And how about
music? I'm not a musician, but it has struck me that music in many ways
is more abstract than writing or painting. Would Mr. Eichner dismiss all
music as "frivolous". I'd think he'd have to, to attain any type of
self-consistency.

Luckily, no one has to listen to this idiot. But I do appreciate the
appeal of honing one's debate skills on such people. So do carry on Ed,
and others, I'm finding it entertaining.

Laurie
milo@winternet.com
http://www.winternet.com/~milo
--
"Being bright does not grant an immunity to doing idiotic
things; more like, it just enlarges the possible scope."
     -- Lois McMaster Bujold