Privateer
Joined: 31 Aug 2005
Location: Easy Street.
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 Posted: Sun Jun 08, 2008 6:48 am Post subject: English Incompetence and Diplomacy |
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So according to the Marmot's Hole:
http://www.rjkoehler.com/2008/06/04/politicians-pissed-at-ambassador-vershbow-for-science-comment/
The American Ambassador said:
| Quote: |
| So we hope that Koreans will begin to learn more about the science and about the facts of American beef and that this issue can be addressed constructively. We believe there is a lot of work ahead in getting people to pay more attention to the science and the facts of the matter. |
And Sohn Hak-kyu translated it into Korean as:
| Quote: |
| 통합민주당 손학규 대표는 4일 최고위원회의에서 �버시바우 대사가 �한국 국민이 과학을 좀 더 배웠으면 좋겠다�고 한 것은 국민 전체에 대한 모욕�이라며 �이명박 정부가 미국에 굴욕적인 자세를 보였기 때문에 오만방자한 발언이 나왔다�고 비판했다. |
Those of us with a little bit of experience teaching English here probably don't even need to translate the Korean back to see the problem here: it's that phrase "we hope that Koreans will begin to learn more about the science..." ("...of American beef", of course) which, in lobotomized English, comes out as "Koreans need to learn more about science", that's the problem.
Now just try - just try! - explaining that to adult students and watch their little foreheads crease up. It's amazing what a difference the definite article makes.
That and all the emotivism surrounding this issue. Now they are actually advising the ambassador to be careful with his language to avoid the appearance of insulting the Korean people. Be careful with your damn translation! Idiots!! |
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