English invasion 'threatens Fwench language more than Nazisdid'
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From: Earl Evleth on 10 Jan 2010 13:27 On 10/01/10 19:22, in article hl6kk513dofsh6c8frthmf29b0akrgmh5v(a)4ax.com, "Magda" <no-spam(a)gmail.com> wrote: > ... From Georgia, which explains his speech impediment. > > No excuses, Earl...! Purely an explanation.
From: Earl Evleth on 10 Jan 2010 13:42 On 10/01/10 19:25, in article 4B4A1B8F.9EF6E100(a)yahoo.co.uk, "Bill Bonde {Colourless green ideas don't sleep furiously)" <tribuyltinafpant(a)yahoo.co.uk> wrote: > But this isn't due to the lack of purity of the French language. The reason French was used diplomatically was that it is clear in its meaning. I used to have the responsibility of translating the real meaning of letters in English for my French colleages. A lot if written between the lines in English, only understood by native speakers. Writing an evasive letter in English was one of my responsibilities as chairman in a American University Department. When one writes in English, "I read your letter with a great deal of interest", it means "I did not find it interesting at all." When looking for candidates for an opening in the Department, one advertises and one gets literally thousands of responses. 99% of these responses are of no interest at all, the person's CV does not meet the profile of the candidate one is looking for. So 99% of the letters sent out might start with something like "We read over the information you sent with your inquiry with a great deal of interest. However, your profile is not quite what we are looking for. Even so we will keep your letter on file for the future" A lie. This is firm "no". English beats around the bush. It lacks specificity. For instance, in the case of the supposed ties between Al Qaeda and Saddam the French were quite specific in declaring that there was not "organic" connection between the two groups. The Americans would have grabbed and ran if a single meeting of interested parties had occurred. English is made for converting mole hills into mountains. The French want to know reality.
From: Bill Bonde {Colourless green ideas don't sleep furiously) on 10 Jan 2010 14:03 Earl Evleth wrote: > > On 10/01/10 19:25, in article 4B4A1B8F.9EF6E100(a)yahoo.co.uk, "Bill Bonde > {Colourless green ideas don't sleep furiously)" > <tribuyltinafpant(a)yahoo.co.uk> wrote: > > > But this isn't due to the lack of purity of the French language. > > The reason French was used diplomatically was that it is clear > in its meaning. > Kook Alert. > I used to have the responsibility of translating the real meaning > of letters in English for my French colleages. A lot if written between the > lines in English, only understood by native speakers. > This is true of all languages, Earl. > Writing an evasive > letter in English was one of my responsibilities as chairman in a American > University Department. > > When one writes in English, "I read your letter with a great deal of > interest", it means "I did not find it interesting at all." > Or does it? You are so smart, Earl. > When > looking for candidates for an opening in the Department, one advertises > and one gets literally thousands of responses. 99% of these responses > are of no interest at all, the person's CV does not meet the profile > of the candidate one is looking for. So 99% of the letters sent > out might start with something like "We read over the information you > sent with your inquiry with a great deal of interest. However, your > profile is not quite what we are looking for. Even so we will keep > your letter on file for the future" A lie. > That's terrible, Earl. If you aren't going to keep their file, don't claim you are going to keep it. > This is firm "no". English beats around the bush. It lacks specificity. > English is perfectly capable of saying something directly. I notice that you seem to have trouble with things that aren't stated directly. Is this because you are thinking in Fwench? > For instance, in the case of the supposed ties between Al Qaeda and Saddam > the French were quite specific in declaring that there was not "organic" > connection between the two groups. > This means that they didn't have a fresh produce stand on the side of a country road together? > The Americans would have grabbed and > ran if a single meeting of interested parties had occurred. English > is made for converting mole hills into mountains. The French want to > know reality. > Kook Alert. -- "Gonna take a sedimental journey", what Old Man River actually said.
From: Bert Hyman on 10 Jan 2010 14:12 In news:4B4A2479.EF1F8ABC(a)yahoo.co.uk "Bill Bonde {Colourless green ideas don't sleep furiously)" <tribuyltinafpant(a)yahoo.co.uk> wrote: > Kook Alert. Well, he did say quite clearly (although perhaps the clarity was unintentional): "Writing an evasive letter in English was one of my responsibilities as chairman in a American University Department." Maybe he was chosen for that task because it comes naturally to him. -- Bert Hyman St. Paul, MN bert(a)iphouse.com
From: Red Gate on 11 Jan 2010 01:24
"Bill Bonde {Colourless green ideas don't sleep furiously)" <tribuyltinafpant(a)yahoo.co.uk> wrote in message news:4B4A1A36.24A92C30(a)yahoo.co.uk... > > > Donna Evleth wrote: >> >> > From: Magda <no-spam(a)gmail.com> >> > Organization: A noiseless patient Spider >> > Reply-To: <> >> > Newsgroups: >> > alt.activism.death-penalty,uk.politics.misc,rec.travel.europe >> > Date: Sun, 10 Jan 2010 17:10:56 +0100 >> > Subject: Re: English invasion 'threatens Fwench language more than >> > Nazis did' >> > >> > On Sun, 10 Jan 2010 08:08:40 -0800 (PST), in rec.travel.europe, "PJ >> > O'Donovan" >> > <pjdnvn505(a)gmail.com> arranged some electrons, so they looked like >> > this: >> > >> > ... English invasion 'threatens Fwench language more than Nazis did' >> > ... >> > ... Sun Jan 10, 2010 03:27 AM >> > ... >> > ... "The invasion of English words poses more of a "grave threat" to >> > ... French national identity than the imposition of German under the >> > Nazi >> > ... occupation, according to a group of self-styled guardians of the >> > ... French language...." >> > >> > You are right, Donna, this guy has a speech problem; he insists on >> > saying >> > "Fwench"... >> >> I have already suggested that he get help for his speech impediment. I'm >> sorry to see that he still has done nothing. Maybe his health insurance >> doesn't cover it. After all, he's an Amewican:-) >> > But the Fwench talks like at, don' cha know? I'd be curious to hear you talk in French, just to have a good laugh. |