LINGUIST List 3.837

Tue 27 Oct 1992

Qs: SLART, Japanese, Objectionable Language

Editor for this issue: <>

Directory

1. Victoria Codina Espurz, SLART
2. Gregory Ward, translation diplomacy
3. Jon Aske, Two Jews and two Basques

I have heard of an interest group on Second Language Acquisition called
SLART-L. Does anyone know how to contact this group or any other group on SLA?

Thanks in advance. Victoria Codina.

A question for those fluent in Japanese: What is the most natural
translation of "fukaku kanashimi to suru"? The Chicago Tribune ran a
story this weekend about the Japanese emperor's visit to China in
which the emperor was quoted as using the above phrase. The article
said this phrase "was translated as `deeply deplore' but [...]
normally would be rendered in the more literal `feel sorrow deeply'."
The article also reported that the Chinese government's official
translation "used words for the phrase that translate into English as
`deeply grieved'."

I am very interested in the ongoing discoussion about the objectionability
of using de-adjectival nominals to refer to members of social groups (as
opposed to using Adj + person/people). Would people who might have
something intelligent to say about this please ellaborate on this? I also
would like to know what the facts are as i don't always have good
intuitions about this phenomenon or know how different groups feel about it.

 --

 --------------------
Jon Aske; Political Science/Anthropology, Bates College, Lewiston, ME 04240
 Phone: (207) 786-0589
 e-mail: jaskeabacus.bates.edu jonaskegarnet.berkeley.edu