Re: Paying for stuff (kind of OT)

From: necoandjeff (spam_at_schrepfer.com)
Date: 07/10/04 

Date: Sat, 10 Jul 2004 22:10:54 GMT

"necoandjeff" <spam@schrepfer.com> wrote in message
news:aLZHc.14343$HG.628@newssvr27.news.prodigy.com...
> "Ross Klatte" <klatteross@aol.commmm> wrote in message
> news:20040710143530.19227.00001739@mb-m06.aol.com...
>
> > >I think it is fairly obvious that you are vastly underestimating the
> breadth
> > >and history of the world's literature. French, Spanish, Chinese,
> English,
> > >and Japanese do not a world make.
> >
> > I think he is also underestimating the depth of any given language.
> > Although I have read a lot of stuff in English, there are still many
> > occasions when I am pleasantly surprised by the language and how
> > people use it. Recently, a former ariline stewardess wrote, "Because
> > of an extreme allergy to passengers, we don't serve peanuts." This is
> > subtle stuff which I would not expect a non-native speaker to pick
> > up on. I am always suspicious when a person says he prefers to
> > read "X" in its original language. The basic overall impact of a work
> > of literature can be felt best when it is translated into your own
native
> > language. Reading the orginal can add to your enjoyment, of course.
> > In addition, there is an enjoyment present in simply being able to
> > read the original text which is not present when reading a translation;
> > you need to distinguish the pleasure provided by the work from the
> pleasure
> > provided by the knowledge of your ability.
>
> I have to believe that someone making these kinds of statements has no
> actual experience reading literature in a foreign language, which is made
> all the more mysterious because I don't that is the case...
>
> > I simply cannot believe that any student of a foreign language can ever
> acquire
> > such a feel for nuance that the original text is "better." For one
thing,
> > that position fairly ridicules the translator's work. Unless you get
> > down to the molecular level--such as the correct English word for
> "sa"--then
> > a good translator can render almost everything correctly.
>
> I have to believe that someone making these kinds of statements has no
> experience becoming proficient in a foreign language, which is made all
the
> more mysterious because I don't that is the case...

Lest anyone should jump to the conclusion that I am not, there should be two
"thinks" in the above, I think...

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