Does language restrict thought? Are what we are capable of thinking determined by the language we speak? These are the questions the author aimed to explore in the article “You Are What You Speak.” For example, Benjamin Lee Whorf claimed that Native American language prevents them from understanding the difference between objects and actions, which was later proven to be wrong. However, it still raised the question of whether our language affects our understanding of the world. From my own experience speaking Chinese, English, and some Japanese, I find that the challenge is not in understanding concepts but the context. Japanese is often considered a language requiring high context awareness. For English speakers learning Japanese at first, one may not understand who the subject in a sentence is. However, Japanese speakers know it from reading the context. For another example, in English we have gender pronouns, whereas in Japanese “you” is just “Anata.” It doesn’t mean that Japanese speakers cannot understand the gender of the target, but they can assume it, or think it is not relevant information.
From the article “On The Different Methods of Translating” by Friedrich Schleiermacher, the author talks about two strategies for translation. First, translate authentically and give the reader the same impression the translator had. This method’s strength is that it preserves the cultural and unique aspects of the original. On the other hand, the translator may translate the text as if the author had written it in the translated language. This is easier on the reader but may lose some cultural significance. While both have their pros and cons, personally I prefer the first method because of its authenticity to the original text.
-Allen
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