[Foundation-l] Re: [Wikipedia-l] Status of Serbia and Montenegro chapter

Tue Nov 8 06:30:08 UTC 2005

>As a non-native English speaker, and yet someone who strives to master
>the language, I am probably best placed to say how the most difficult
>thing to catch in a language is humour. And how when humour is lost on
>someone and you see it drift in seriousness, you should just hold you
>hand up and say "stop! I was joking". Hurting feelings and making fun
>of people because they don't speak your language is about the worst
>thing I can see happening in this supposedly "multicultural"
>community. Most of us are making efforts to address you in a language
>you master, you have not made that effort. Not even one little bit.
>  
>
As a non native Thai speaker, but performing comedy in one of Thailands 
top comedy groups everyday on stage and on TV, I totally agree with 
Delphine. Everyday I walk into this barrier and try to climb it. The 
succesrate differs from day to day. Waht is humour in one 
country/culture is totally not understandable not translatable in 
another language. Same goes for double and ironic phrases. By now I can 
understand quite a few of it in Thai ..... but I cannot translate them 
into English or even my native tongue ... Dutch. Same goes the other way 
around. Double meanings/humour in Dutch is very difficult te translate 
into, or explain to Thais. These kind of things are very culturally 
bounded. Even between languages that are close.

Node you are damaging a lot of things with what you are doing now and 
with what you have done in the past. Milos please let not one culturally 
ignorant person stop you from doing what you intended to do.

Walter/Waerth

>I feel this is not only inconsiderate, but also plain nasty.
>
>On another note, I am sorry to tell you that you have, on top of
>playing with people's feelings, failed to make your point. At least,
>*I* have failed to see where you were leading. Blame it on my
>non-English-speaker-ness, or whatever else suits your funny self. But
>hey, target missed. Game over.
>
>I will add just one thing. You and all of the other native English
>speakers who played along and never tried to clear things up should
>really once try and put themselves in our shoes. Once. Just once. I
>believe it would help. Really.
>
>Cheers,
>
>Delphine
>--
>~notafish
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>  
>