Translation - art & business » Linguistics »
Times review of Steven Pinker's new book "The Stuff of Thought"
Thread poster: sofiablu (X)
sofiablu (X)
sofiablu (X)
Netherlands
Local time: 12:02
Oct 25, 2007

Hi fellow Prozians, I thought you might be interested in this:

http://entertainment.timesonline.co.uk/tol/arts_and_entertainment/books/science/article2637228.ece?EMC-Bltn
 
Tim Drayton
Tim Drayton  Identity Verified
Cyprus
Local time: 13:02
Turkish to English
+ ...
Thanks Oct 26, 2007

Thanks. I want to get the book.
 
Gianni Pastore
Gianni Pastore  Identity Verified
Italy
Local time: 12:02
Member (2007)
English to Italian
Thank you Oct 26, 2007

I really enjoyed it, very interesting! It is strange indeed to know how our brain makes up sentences in a way rather than the other. Cheers Po'!
G
 
Ivette Camargo López
Ivette Camargo López  Identity Verified
Spain
Local time: 12:02
English to Spanish
+ ...
Swearing.... Oct 26, 2007

Hi,

There is one part of the review of this book that caught my attention:



But why perfectly common words should be taboo — unutterable in certain social contexts — is another mystery, and the forbidden words differ widely across languages. In Djirbal, an Australian aborigine language, every word is taboo when spoken in the presence of mothers-in-law and certain cousins. A special vocabulary is needed for these relatives.



I think you don't have to go as far as Australian aborigines to find examples of this in our daily communication. For instance, when I lived in the USA, I remember that the "polite" thing when children were present was to swear (if you "had" to) using equivalents. For example, say "the F word", instead of F**** (oops, I just censored myself ).

Anyways, the book sounds really interesting.

Thanks for sharing,

Ivette
 


To report site rules violations or get help, contact a site moderator:

Moderator(s) of this forum
Fernanda Rocha[Call to this topic]
Rita Pang[Call to this topic]
Simone Catania[Call to this topic]

You can also contact site staff by submitting a support request »

Times review of Steven Pinker's new book "The Stuff of Thought"






Anycount & Translation Office 3000
Translation Office 3000

Translation Office 3000 is an advanced accounting tool for freelance translators and small agencies. TO3000 easily and seamlessly integrates with the business life of professional freelance translators.

More info »
Wordfast Pro
Translation Memory Software for Any Platform

Exclusive discount for ProZ.com users! Save over 13% when purchasing Wordfast Pro through ProZ.com. Wordfast is the world's #1 provider of platform-independent Translation Memory software. Consistently ranked the most user-friendly and highest value

Buy now! »