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

On Sun, 20 Aug 2000, DOUGLAS KOLLER wrote:

> From: "Yoon Ha Lee"
>
> > >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.
>
> This wasn't my intention. *You* said (citing your Russian teacher):
No--the passage below was written by someone else in response to a
message I wrote.  Forwarded message, but I deleted the original (and the
conlang copy).  The message appeared as "from me," but the person who
*wrote* it was someone else.  I just wanted to be clear on that.  I think
it may have been Sara who wrote the below.

> > > My Russian teacher really tried to impress on us that you can't always
> > > directly translate words. For an example, she would write Russian words
> > > up on the board and give the English "equivalent". *Then* she would tell
> > > us what the word *really* means--all the connotations and nuances that
> > > come from being a Russian. Direct translations are nearly impossible.
>
> So when I say "Yoon Ha's comment", I refer to the comment about what your
> Russian teacher was trying to demonstrate. Whether you agree with her or not
> is your business, but that's what I was addressing (and quoting). The number
> of >'s seemed to indicate that it was something you were citing directly and
> not something you were responding to. If I misunderstood, I apologize.
But I haven't even taken Russian.  That was Sara's comment, in a message
I forwarded.  I did write some material in the forward, but I was
responding to her post, so there was her material and mine (if I'm
remembering the correct post).

YHL