Well, then you probably shouldn't be using ol' Blackbeard's given name, Teach.
Is English only a language of business?
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Edward Teach Fri Sep 11, 2009 3:18 am GMT
Your post rather suggests that you are a jumped up little prick.
The point of the discriminationn post was "irony".
I am not really a pirate for fucks sake.
My dear shot, stabbed and decapitated friend! You forgot a hyphen - jumped-up and apostrophe - fuck's sake!!
I usually call myself ignorant prick and others call me smug. LOL
By the way, I obscenity in the milk your irony too.
Another Guest Fri Sep 11, 2009 1:22 am GMT
Actually, English is more suited to the role of the language of business than other languages, largely because it has been the language of business so long. Of all the new concepts that have developed in the last hundred years (computer, internet, etc.), probably the majority of the words for them have come from English, and the majority of the rest have been incorporated into English.
Eventually, a reasonable thought came up. I agree with that absofuckinglutely.
One more thing to be added that educational level of English-speakers, of Americans in particular, is not always profound and one cannot judge a language having spoken only with a couple of native-speakers.
I once happened to talk with british linguist who didn't know who Moby Dick is. As to me English teacher who doesn't know English literature is somewhat odd hmmm maybe I am just overdoing.
So what I meant was that English do have means to express all spectrum of your emotional condition buuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuut they are usually neglected ecxcept for such smarty forums as this one or some community of intellectuals......
Your post rather suggests that you are a jumped up little prick.
The point of the discriminationn post was "irony".
I am not really a pirate for fucks sake.
My dear shot, stabbed and decapitated friend! You forgot a hyphen - jumped-up and apostrophe - fuck's sake!!
I usually call myself ignorant prick and others call me smug. LOL
By the way, I obscenity in the milk your irony too.
Another Guest Fri Sep 11, 2009 1:22 am GMT
Actually, English is more suited to the role of the language of business than other languages, largely because it has been the language of business so long. Of all the new concepts that have developed in the last hundred years (computer, internet, etc.), probably the majority of the words for them have come from English, and the majority of the rest have been incorporated into English.
Eventually, a reasonable thought came up. I agree with that absofuckinglutely.
One more thing to be added that educational level of English-speakers, of Americans in particular, is not always profound and one cannot judge a language having spoken only with a couple of native-speakers.
I once happened to talk with british linguist who didn't know who Moby Dick is. As to me English teacher who doesn't know English literature is somewhat odd hmmm maybe I am just overdoing.
So what I meant was that English do have means to express all spectrum of your emotional condition buuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuut they are usually neglected ecxcept for such smarty forums as this one or some community of intellectuals......
This is kind of a silly question. No, it is not just the language of business. For many non-native speakers, yes, perhaps they only use it for that and other practical purposes. But for the 400 million or so native speakers of English, it is the language of emotions. For me, as an anglophone, "I love you" has a much greater impact than "Je t'aime", "Ich liebe dich" or "Te amo". I know intellectually that those phrases mean the same thing to speakers of those languages, but they don't move me the same way the English phrase does.
It seems like a lot of people learn English in a very detached way, as a tool, like math or something. This is a shame, and rather ignorant. It is a living language shared by a large number of modern cultures. It is well worthwhile to explore it beyond the daily market reports. And if those cultures don't interest you, or you have some irrational antipathy towards Americans for example, then perhaps you should reconsider learning it, as seditious as that may be nowadays.
It seems like a lot of people learn English in a very detached way, as a tool, like math or something. This is a shame, and rather ignorant. It is a living language shared by a large number of modern cultures. It is well worthwhile to explore it beyond the daily market reports. And if those cultures don't interest you, or you have some irrational antipathy towards Americans for example, then perhaps you should reconsider learning it, as seditious as that may be nowadays.
Also, on the subject of translating jokes, this is difficult between any two languages, especially when word play is involved. I live in Canada, and all products have English and French translation on them. It is very common for the French version to lack the word play used in the original English, because it just doesn't work out the same way, and vice versa. Either the translation doesn't rhyme, there's no alliteration, the double meaning of the words is lost, etc. I was in a video store earlier this week, and I saw a movie called "Made of Honour". I think it was about a man who becomes a maid of honour or something, I forget, it looked dumb. But the French title was completely different, "Un Amour de Témoin", and didn't have the same impact because the made-maid play on words was lost.
I'm wee bit of a romantic, really - I admire the Romance langages for that very reason....French included, naturally.....they just exude passion and soulfulness expressing to the fullest extent the whole "joie de vivre" of life itself. They seem to reflect the sunny, warm, scented climate of their Mediterranean homelands.
On the other hand English was borne of the clouded coolness of a more Northern clime......and while it does indeed possess elements of romance and passion capable of being expressed with great feeling (even in the world of pop music lyrics which has a great international appeal) I think English really comes into its own in the harsh world of commerce and finance and the world of business generally.
The Romance Languages are truly made for the bedroom...and English for the boardroom.......speaking generally, of course. Personally I always use English in the bedroom.
On the other hand English was borne of the clouded coolness of a more Northern clime......and while it does indeed possess elements of romance and passion capable of being expressed with great feeling (even in the world of pop music lyrics which has a great international appeal) I think English really comes into its own in the harsh world of commerce and finance and the world of business generally.
The Romance Languages are truly made for the bedroom...and English for the boardroom.......speaking generally, of course. Personally I always use English in the bedroom.
Either you're prone to talking to yourself or you have a companion with you when you visit the toilet. These things do happen as I've seen evidence of both but don't partake in either activity myself...well, perhaps in the former I suppose now and again - in moments of either stress or sheer bloody irritation or anger. The latter - strictly solo as what I do in there is my own business.
Anyone who asserts that the English language lacks emotion has not seen a Shakespeare play or heard a Texan tell a story.
As I've said many times before in this Forum every facet of human emotion, every deed and form of expression of which the human being is capable, is graphically portrayed in the works of William Shakespeare, the Bard of Avon...the most prolific and undoubtedly the World's greatest ever playwright and wordsmith in the English Language. It is most unlikely that Will will ever be equalled, either here in his homeland of England or anywhere else on this planet.
There is hardly a Language on earth which has not contained translations and/or performances of the works of Shakespeare at some time or another.
Putting old Will aside now (he has been much discussed in this Forum) if you watch very carefully you will see a fleeting glimpse of me (at:026) at this year's Big Chill Festival, held close to Eastnor Castle, just outside the wee town of Ledbury, Herefordshire, England, last month (where my grandparents live)...I'm sitting on the ground along with some mates, wearing dark glasses (which I have to do in strong sunlight) first looking down and then looking up, and I was trying to make notes while enjoying the really great BC atmosphere. It'll be a "must" for me now every year.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jHFoVL9Ako
There is hardly a Language on earth which has not contained translations and/or performances of the works of Shakespeare at some time or another.
Putting old Will aside now (he has been much discussed in this Forum) if you watch very carefully you will see a fleeting glimpse of me (at:026) at this year's Big Chill Festival, held close to Eastnor Castle, just outside the wee town of Ledbury, Herefordshire, England, last month (where my grandparents live)...I'm sitting on the ground along with some mates, wearing dark glasses (which I have to do in strong sunlight) first looking down and then looking up, and I was trying to make notes while enjoying the really great BC atmosphere. It'll be a "must" for me now every year.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5jHFoVL9Ako
YouTuber Anee5ha who posted the link says in his caption:
***Big Chill Festival 2009 in the beautiful Malvin Hills. Three days of non stop sunshine, music, bouncing around, eating , drinking and friends. p.s - Tea at Mr.Scruff's***
Obviously he is not too familar with the location of the Big Chill Festival....they are not the Malvin Hills...they are the Malvern Hills (Malvern being pronounced as "MOLL-vun") - the Ledbury/Malvern Hills area being the home of Sir Edward Elgar, who wrote the music accompanying the patriotic British song "Land of Hope and Glory" - the one the Americans so cheekly nicked to play at all their college graduation ceremonies!! Even worse they think the tune originated in America! Honestly, the sheer blatancy and gall of it!
That's the music bit - the poetic/literary bit is in the form of John Masefield, William Langland and Elizabeth Barrett-Browning, who also came from Ledbury. The poet W H Auden taught at a local boy's school and was (ill fatedly as it turned out) married at the registry office in Ledbury in 1935 (he was the guy who wrote "Stop All the Clocks" - featured in the film "Four Weddings and a Funeral" - and the American Robert Frost lived part of his life close to Ledbury.
The whole place just seems to exude music and poetry, Ledbury being home to a very prominent annual Poetry Festival each July attracting many famous personalities from the poetic/literary arts world both here in the UK and abroad. Maybe the breathtakingly beautiful countryside of the whole area may have something to do with it all...it's absolutely gorgeous.
***Big Chill Festival 2009 in the beautiful Malvin Hills. Three days of non stop sunshine, music, bouncing around, eating , drinking and friends. p.s - Tea at Mr.Scruff's***
Obviously he is not too familar with the location of the Big Chill Festival....they are not the Malvin Hills...they are the Malvern Hills (Malvern being pronounced as "MOLL-vun") - the Ledbury/Malvern Hills area being the home of Sir Edward Elgar, who wrote the music accompanying the patriotic British song "Land of Hope and Glory" - the one the Americans so cheekly nicked to play at all their college graduation ceremonies!! Even worse they think the tune originated in America! Honestly, the sheer blatancy and gall of it!
That's the music bit - the poetic/literary bit is in the form of John Masefield, William Langland and Elizabeth Barrett-Browning, who also came from Ledbury. The poet W H Auden taught at a local boy's school and was (ill fatedly as it turned out) married at the registry office in Ledbury in 1935 (he was the guy who wrote "Stop All the Clocks" - featured in the film "Four Weddings and a Funeral" - and the American Robert Frost lived part of his life close to Ledbury.
The whole place just seems to exude music and poetry, Ledbury being home to a very prominent annual Poetry Festival each July attracting many famous personalities from the poetic/literary arts world both here in the UK and abroad. Maybe the breathtakingly beautiful countryside of the whole area may have something to do with it all...it's absolutely gorgeous.
If English is only a language of business then how do you explain all the great works of literature?
To all of us native speakers of English our language is perfectly suited for conveying all the emotion and feeling that needs to be expressed.
To all of us native speakers of English our language is perfectly suited for conveying all the emotion and feeling that needs to be expressed.
<<if you watch very carefully you will see a fleeting glimpse of me (at:026) at this year's Big Chill Festival>>
Damn, that's like a bare split second, Damian -- not sure I would even have recognized myself in all that!
<<On the other hand English was borne of the clouded coolness of a more Northern clime......and while it does indeed possess elements of romance and passion capable of being expressed with great feeling (even in the world of pop music lyrics which has a great international appeal) I think English really comes into its own in the harsh world of commerce and finance and the world of business generally. >>
Those of us who grew up speaking English in more southern climes might scratch our heads at that -- what do you think, Trimac?
I've never thought of English as a language of business because for me it has always been a language of every aspect of life, and little of my life has been business-oriented. And when I do go to meetings at work, they speak not in the English of everyday life but in a careful jargon of doublespeak that you really have to learn to translate from from Boardroom BS into Plain English. If B. BS what non-natives are hearing in their professional realms and mistaking for the reality of how native-speakers live their lives, then I can see how they might have that false impression. But English has a whole 'nother side once you punch out! As does every language -- Damian may wax lyrical about the bodice-ripping qualities of French, but it only reminds me that people also bitch about their neighbors and complain about stinky garbage and yell at their kids to clean up their rooms in French as well! (Sorry, D. -- French just sounds odd to me --not sexy at all. But talk dirty to me in Spanish, and that's a whole different story...)
Damn, that's like a bare split second, Damian -- not sure I would even have recognized myself in all that!
<<On the other hand English was borne of the clouded coolness of a more Northern clime......and while it does indeed possess elements of romance and passion capable of being expressed with great feeling (even in the world of pop music lyrics which has a great international appeal) I think English really comes into its own in the harsh world of commerce and finance and the world of business generally. >>
Those of us who grew up speaking English in more southern climes might scratch our heads at that -- what do you think, Trimac?
I've never thought of English as a language of business because for me it has always been a language of every aspect of life, and little of my life has been business-oriented. And when I do go to meetings at work, they speak not in the English of everyday life but in a careful jargon of doublespeak that you really have to learn to translate from from Boardroom BS into Plain English. If B. BS what non-natives are hearing in their professional realms and mistaking for the reality of how native-speakers live their lives, then I can see how they might have that false impression. But English has a whole 'nother side once you punch out! As does every language -- Damian may wax lyrical about the bodice-ripping qualities of French, but it only reminds me that people also bitch about their neighbors and complain about stinky garbage and yell at their kids to clean up their rooms in French as well! (Sorry, D. -- French just sounds odd to me --not sexy at all. But talk dirty to me in Spanish, and that's a whole different story...)
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