13 February 2006
A Rose by any other name
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******Rant Ahead********
So I am watching the Olyimpics and the commentators (ever the most clever people around) are calling these the Turin games. But everywhere I look on the screen it is the Torino 2006 games. So what the F*$k is going on here? Why the ____ can't we agree on what the name of this place is? Is it too much to ask the Americans to learn the name of the place? Can we not be bothered to call their city by the name that they have given it? What if they decided that New York should be called, hell I don't know, Stupid City that Got Attacked.
The same crap happens all over the place. München is Munich? Deutschland is Germany? Guangzhou (廣州) is Canton? Zhōngguó (中国) is China? España is Spain?
Of course, France is France. strange.
I once learned that a person's name is the most beautiful sound in the world to that person. Should not we all learn to say the names of the places of the world by the names that were given by the people who live there? ¶ 16:14
******Rant Ahead********
So I am watching the Olyimpics and the commentators (ever the most clever people around) are calling these the Turin games. But everywhere I look on the screen it is the Torino 2006 games. So what the F*$k is going on here? Why the ____ can't we agree on what the name of this place is? Is it too much to ask the Americans to learn the name of the place? Can we not be bothered to call their city by the name that they have given it? What if they decided that New York should be called, hell I don't know, Stupid City that Got Attacked.
The same crap happens all over the place. München is Munich? Deutschland is Germany? Guangzhou (廣州) is Canton? Zhōngguó (中国) is China? España is Spain?
Of course, France is France. strange.
I once learned that a person's name is the most beautiful sound in the world to that person. Should not we all learn to say the names of the places of the world by the names that were given by the people who live there? ¶ 16:14
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I've often wondered the same thing. I personally think Koeln (sorry don't have easy access to an umlaut) is much nicer sounding than Cologne. It makes me sad when American's act so...well American. So, well put, Henry.
I agree - to an extent. I think we respect what native people call their city or country and call it that. And that goes for pronounciation as well. (Is is I-rack or I-rock or Ear-rack or what?) And sure we have to transliterate from some languages (I mean we need to make the cyrillic or chinese characters into something we can pronounce and spell in our language right?)
But I disagree that this is an American problem. I think it's a problem inherent in language. One we can fix, perhaps, but not one that's limited to 'mericans. The French call Germany "L'Allemagne" and Italy "L'Italie." And the Germans call Switzerland "Die Schweiz" and Italy "Italien." So I guess my point is don't hate the playa - hate the game. Or something like that.
But I disagree that this is an American problem. I think it's a problem inherent in language. One we can fix, perhaps, but not one that's limited to 'mericans. The French call Germany "L'Allemagne" and Italy "L'Italie." And the Germans call Switzerland "Die Schweiz" and Italy "Italien." So I guess my point is don't hate the playa - hate the game. Or something like that.
I know that everyone renames other countries and I presented my argument as if it were Americans responsible for it. So I do have the game and not the playa.
I just don't understand why we would not make a change when the letters on the TV don't match the words being spoken. How confusing is that? Especially when the letters make sense to our eyes.
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I just don't understand why we would not make a change when the letters on the TV don't match the words being spoken. How confusing is that? Especially when the letters make sense to our eyes.
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