When the movie version of a very popular Harry Potter book came to our local theater, I remember having a discussion with a mother and daughter whom had both read the whole series in print form as well as on their Nook. I shared with them that I had seen a program on television about the making of the movie and that I was surprised it had two scripts, one in English (US) and one in English (UK).
They, in turn, shared with me that two English versions of the book were written, too. I knew the books had been translated into other languages, but it didn’t dawn on me that there were two English versions. They said the UK version had different words, illustrations, and even the size of the book was different, to appeal to a different aesthetic. Once I thought about the discussion, it made perfect sense that words or phrases, even though in English, had different subtext, shades of meaning. I was also amused that initially I had thought of the UK version as different from our US version, wherein it was just the reverse. The US version was an interpretation of the original UK version. Perspective is key, isn't it?
They, in turn, shared with me that two English versions of the book were written, too. I knew the books had been translated into other languages, but it didn’t dawn on me that there were two English versions. They said the UK version had different words, illustrations, and even the size of the book was different, to appeal to a different aesthetic. Once I thought about the discussion, it made perfect sense that words or phrases, even though in English, had different subtext, shades of meaning. I was also amused that initially I had thought of the UK version as different from our US version, wherein it was just the reverse. The US version was an interpretation of the original UK version. Perspective is key, isn't it?
It got me to thinking of words and their meanings and how interpretation is a slippery slope.
Even talking with my own adult offspring, words are sometimes imbued with a different context.
As a Realtor selling and listing homes less than ten miles from the US/Canada border, I have business dealings with Canadians, including Asians, East Indians, and Ukrainians/Russians. One cannot take words lightly. I am conversant in English only. There has to be thought as to how the words I use might be interpreted by those for whom English is a second or a third language. In these face-to-face situations, I can re-phrase wording if it seems the client doesn’t understand. Expression and body language definitely become important to communication, although cultural differences result in different postures or gestures.
A great writer can paint a visual scene with their words, but most of us aren’t at all close to being great or even fair-to-middling writers; case in point, blogs, Facebook and Twitter. I am often on Facebook, and the comments are frequently confusing as to whether meant literally or in jest or sarcasm. Context of words in written news media are often limited, too.
Then we take a leap to words spoken and images shown on national and international media. How often have we heard, "A picture is worth a thousand words?" The viewer is shown crowds loudly shouting, gesturing with angry hate-filled faces. We witness appalling scenes and we make judgments based on our own cultural and ethical norms, not based on how our cultures might differ. It’s often a knee-jerk interpretation, not an educated interpretation.
As busy as our lives have become, there is little time or inclination to study another culture or even to think twice about how words are being interpreted. The global scene has increasingly been thrust into our daily lives without preparation, without knowledge. And because there isn’t time to think globally when we’re up to our armpits in mundane everyday matters, we gladly leave interpretation to others.
Easy enough to hand off responsibility for interpretation to authorities we assume are more educated, more knowledgeable, whose business it is to know what’s what, and to accept whatever information is provided to us.
I urge you now more than ever, to accept responsibility to scratch the surface of the neat, sanitized packages of words put together for us in print or broadcast on television or online media. Question findings and interpretations. Seek a second opinion. Inquire into the background of situations being reported. Think about what others are saying before you judge. Think about what you say before you say it.
Even talking with my own adult offspring, words are sometimes imbued with a different context.
As a Realtor selling and listing homes less than ten miles from the US/Canada border, I have business dealings with Canadians, including Asians, East Indians, and Ukrainians/Russians. One cannot take words lightly. I am conversant in English only. There has to be thought as to how the words I use might be interpreted by those for whom English is a second or a third language. In these face-to-face situations, I can re-phrase wording if it seems the client doesn’t understand. Expression and body language definitely become important to communication, although cultural differences result in different postures or gestures.
A great writer can paint a visual scene with their words, but most of us aren’t at all close to being great or even fair-to-middling writers; case in point, blogs, Facebook and Twitter. I am often on Facebook, and the comments are frequently confusing as to whether meant literally or in jest or sarcasm. Context of words in written news media are often limited, too.
Then we take a leap to words spoken and images shown on national and international media. How often have we heard, "A picture is worth a thousand words?" The viewer is shown crowds loudly shouting, gesturing with angry hate-filled faces. We witness appalling scenes and we make judgments based on our own cultural and ethical norms, not based on how our cultures might differ. It’s often a knee-jerk interpretation, not an educated interpretation.
As busy as our lives have become, there is little time or inclination to study another culture or even to think twice about how words are being interpreted. The global scene has increasingly been thrust into our daily lives without preparation, without knowledge. And because there isn’t time to think globally when we’re up to our armpits in mundane everyday matters, we gladly leave interpretation to others.
Easy enough to hand off responsibility for interpretation to authorities we assume are more educated, more knowledgeable, whose business it is to know what’s what, and to accept whatever information is provided to us.
I urge you now more than ever, to accept responsibility to scratch the surface of the neat, sanitized packages of words put together for us in print or broadcast on television or online media. Question findings and interpretations. Seek a second opinion. Inquire into the background of situations being reported. Think about what others are saying before you judge. Think about what you say before you say it.
It isn’t overstatement to say our quality of life depends upon words and how they might be interpreted, whether here in little Birch Bay or across our great nation or in the world beyond our borders.
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