Re: [wolfrunners] Languages & SF/F (fwd)

On Sun, 20 Aug 2000, DOUGLAS KOLLER wrote:

> >1) "Languages", as such, do not exist. When we say we are speaking English,
> what we >are really saying is that the kinds of speech we are using are
> similar enough to allow >mutual intelligibility.   In fact, we all speak
> slightly differently, with our own forms of >language that themselves are
> different from one point in time to another.
>
> There seems to be a philosophical/practical schism about translation here
> which is utterly fascinating. Yoon Ha's comments state the philosophical
> dilemma that "direct translations are nearly impossible." You refute with
Pardon--that wasn't *my* comment, that was the comment of the person
whose post I forwarded, who was responding to something I had said.  Just
for the record--though I do agree with it in spirit.

YHL