Comments on: Polite Lies, or: The Language of Shakespeare and the Bible. With footnotes. http://tanaudel.wordpress.com/2008/01/24/polite-lies-or-the-language-of-shakespeare-and-the-bible-with-footnotes/ Journaling Afield Mon, 07 Dec 2009 22:16:54 +0000 http://wordpress.com/ hourly 1 By: tanaudel http://tanaudel.wordpress.com/2008/01/24/polite-lies-or-the-language-of-shakespeare-and-the-bible-with-footnotes/#comment-248 tanaudel Tue, 29 Jan 2008 04:23:50 +0000 http://tanaudel.wordpress.com/2008/01/24/polite-lies-or-the-language-of-shakespeare-and-the-bible-with-footnotes/#comment-248 There might be copies around the US. My copy (bought secondhand here) is actually from the second US printing in 1961. There might be copies around the US. My copy (bought secondhand here) is actually from the second US printing in 1961.

]]> By: tanaudel http://tanaudel.wordpress.com/2008/01/24/polite-lies-or-the-language-of-shakespeare-and-the-bible-with-footnotes/#comment-247 tanaudel Tue, 29 Jan 2008 02:48:07 +0000 http://tanaudel.wordpress.com/2008/01/24/polite-lies-or-the-language-of-shakespeare-and-the-bible-with-footnotes/#comment-247 The movie is true to the book and yet... has all the hallmarks of a 60s Australian production. Which you can only really understand if you see it. I find it less culturally-cringe-worthy than oddly depressing, but that might just be the colours. The reviews seem mostly positive :) The book I find, except for a few points of view in relation to the degree to which migrants are obliged to adopt their adoptive country's culture, very cheerful, lighthearted and endearing. It is meant to be the story of How Australians Speak (or What Australians Speak), but it is really the story of how a newcomer makes friends and a home and falls in love with a woman who tries to eat spaghetti with a spoon. The movie is true to the book and yet… has all the hallmarks of a 60s Australian production. Which you can only really understand if you see it. I find it less culturally-cringe-worthy than oddly depressing, but that might just be the colours. The reviews seem mostly positive :)

The book I find, except for a few points of view in relation to the degree to which migrants are obliged to adopt their adoptive country’s culture, very cheerful, lighthearted and endearing. It is meant to be the story of How Australians Speak (or What Australians Speak), but it is really the story of how a newcomer makes friends and a home and falls in love with a woman who tries to eat spaghetti with a spoon.

]]> By: Will http://tanaudel.wordpress.com/2008/01/24/polite-lies-or-the-language-of-shakespeare-and-the-bible-with-footnotes/#comment-246 Will Tue, 29 Jan 2008 02:26:40 +0000 http://tanaudel.wordpress.com/2008/01/24/polite-lies-or-the-language-of-shakespeare-and-the-bible-with-footnotes/#comment-246 I Googled "They're a Weird Mob" and found there is a MOVIE by that title: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0061087/ Have you ever seen it? I may look for the book--it sounds interesting--but have not queried Abebooks yet. Amazon does indicate it is available from third parties. I Googled “They’re a Weird Mob” and found there is a MOVIE by that title:

http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0061087/

Have you ever seen it? I may look for the book–it sounds interesting–but have not queried Abebooks yet. Amazon does indicate it is available from third parties.

]]> By: tanaudel http://tanaudel.wordpress.com/2008/01/24/polite-lies-or-the-language-of-shakespeare-and-the-bible-with-footnotes/#comment-245 tanaudel Mon, 28 Jan 2008 13:07:10 +0000 http://tanaudel.wordpress.com/2008/01/24/polite-lies-or-the-language-of-shakespeare-and-the-bible-with-footnotes/#comment-245 Like I said, slang, nicknames, idiom... :) The Macquarie has an occasional newsletter - Ozwords - which is interesting (if you like language and Australian English) and free. I don't know if they send it overseas. I just finished reading They're A Weird Mob to my dad - it's a novel/memoir (published in 1961 or thereabouts) from the point of view of an Italian migrant who arrives in Australia speaking perfect English (he was a journalist) and can't understand anyone. Like I said, slang, nicknames, idiom… :) The Macquarie has an occasional newsletter – Ozwords – which is interesting (if you like language and Australian English) and free. I don’t know if they send it overseas.

I just finished reading They’re A Weird Mob to my dad – it’s a novel/memoir (published in 1961 or thereabouts) from the point of view of an Italian migrant who arrives in Australia speaking perfect English (he was a journalist) and can’t understand anyone.

]]> By: Will http://tanaudel.wordpress.com/2008/01/24/polite-lies-or-the-language-of-shakespeare-and-the-bible-with-footnotes/#comment-240 Will Fri, 25 Jan 2008 15:17:20 +0000 http://tanaudel.wordpress.com/2008/01/24/polite-lies-or-the-language-of-shakespeare-and-the-bible-with-footnotes/#comment-240 On a tangent of my own: you referred to your "first edition Macquarie" and I finally realized that was a reference to your DICTIONARY. I guess I am going to have get an assortment of dictionaries from Australia, Canada and the UK to see how they all compare to USA dictionaries. I did find Macquarie online at http://www.macquariedictionary.com.au/anonymous@AA34758394/-/p/dict/index.html so I am definitely going to check that out. On a tangent of my own: you referred to your “first edition Macquarie” and I finally realized that was a reference to your DICTIONARY. I guess I am going to have get an assortment of dictionaries from Australia, Canada and the UK to see how they all compare to USA dictionaries.

I did find Macquarie online at

http://www.macquariedictionary.com.au/anonymous@AA34758394/-/p/dict/index.html

so I am definitely going to check that out.

]]> By: tanaudel http://tanaudel.wordpress.com/2008/01/24/polite-lies-or-the-language-of-shakespeare-and-the-bible-with-footnotes/#comment-234 tanaudel Thu, 24 Jan 2008 22:43:32 +0000 http://tanaudel.wordpress.com/2008/01/24/polite-lies-or-the-language-of-shakespeare-and-the-bible-with-footnotes/#comment-234 Thanks! I think I understood what you meant, just went off on a tangent :) I'm glad the article points out that "Broadly, the two represent a spectrum of translation approaches". There are so many things that are taken into account in translation: form vs content vs literal meaning vs the 'intended' meaning vs the multitude of meanings one word may have vs humour (notoriously difficult to translate) vs poetry (as bad) vs style vs register... Since we necessarily read in translation, we should have at least a nodding acquaintance with the process through which the translation was arrived at. Thanks! I think I understood what you meant, just went off on a tangent :)

I’m glad the article points out that “Broadly, the two represent a spectrum of translation approaches”. There are so many things that are taken into account in translation: form vs content vs literal meaning vs the ‘intended’ meaning vs the multitude of meanings one word may have vs humour (notoriously difficult to translate) vs poetry (as bad) vs style vs register… Since we necessarily read in translation, we should have at least a nodding acquaintance with the process through which the translation was arrived at.

]]> By: Will http://tanaudel.wordpress.com/2008/01/24/polite-lies-or-the-language-of-shakespeare-and-the-bible-with-footnotes/#comment-230 Will Thu, 24 Jan 2008 14:01:11 +0000 http://tanaudel.wordpress.com/2008/01/24/polite-lies-or-the-language-of-shakespeare-and-the-bible-with-footnotes/#comment-230 Great post--you definitely had some good things to say. I suppose I should clarify what I meant by "translation philosophy." As you probably already know, in translation (I speak specifically of translating the Scriptures, but this may be true of all translations) there are two differing approaches: <i>formal</i> equivalence and <i>dynamic</i> equivalence. Wikipedia has a post on this: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Formal_equivalence This is such a thought-provoking post that I think I am going to wind up writing a post on *your* post! Great post–you definitely had some good things to say.

I suppose I should clarify what I meant by “translation philosophy.” As you probably already know, in translation (I speak specifically of translating the Scriptures, but this may be true of all translations) there are two differing approaches: formal equivalence and dynamic equivalence. Wikipedia has a post on this:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Formal_equivalence

This is such a thought-provoking post that I think I am going to wind up writing a post on *your* post!

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