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We have legends, too. :)
And bears.
Showing posts with label perceptions. Show all posts
Showing posts with label perceptions. Show all posts
Thursday, 27 October 2011
Monday, 2 May 2011
Tuesday, 1 February 2011
Multi-faceted words
I don't now if I can make you see numbers in a new way, but I do pay more attention to words and the way we use them.
It strikes me that words have more than the dictionary meanings, more subtle nuances that one has to have an intimate connection with the language to really understand. Still, sometimes we can get a glimpse of that if we pay attention.
Here are 4 examples that have the same meaning and in 3 of the cases even the same form, but different nuances.
First (I have already mentioned that another time) "illusion". In Romanian as well as in English, it means something unrealistic, that can never become reality, a mirage. In Spanish, I think, it does not have this nuance, right?
Second: "didactic". We wrote a conference article in our Comenius project last week and it was the English partner who "polished" it, of course. He told us he took out the word "didactic" and replaced it wit "pedagogical" because in English it has a strong pejorative connotation. It can have that in Romanian too, but very seldom and a bit forced.
Third: "compromise". This word has a strong negative meaning in Romanian and maybe in English too, as well as I can tell, but in Spanish it has a totally different meaning- commitment, right? Please correct me if I am wrong!
Last, a word you use often: "stubborn". In fact, it triggered all this silly post. For us here, being stubborn is certainly not a quality, and it's a feature we always nag our children to drop. Tell me about how it's seen in your place, if you want- I'm curious.
One can find out a lot from just a word, and this is amazing for me.
Sorry if this is childish, I'm lazy today and just letting my mind wonder.
Tuesday, 9 November 2010
What's important
A colleague sent me this, sorry for the bad translation- I'm tired.
An Indian American walked with his friend in downtown New York. It was noon and the streets were crowded. Speeding cars and taxis, sirens near or far, all these deafening city sounds. Suddenly the Indian said:
- I heard a cricket.
- You cannot hear a cricket in all this uproar! his friend answered.
- I'm sure I heard a cricket! the Indian insisted.
- That's crazy! the friend said.
The Indian listened carefully for a moment then went upstreet to an area with some trees. He looked around, under the branches and found the little cricket. His friend was amazed.
- It's incredible! You must have a superhuman hearing!
- No, said the Indian. My ears are different from yours. It depends on what you listen to.
- But you just can't hear a cricket in this noise! continued his friend.
- Depends on what is important to you, was the answer. Let me show you.
He put his hand in his pocket and pulled out some coins that he discretely dropped on the pavement. Then, with all the deafening noise of the city, everyone within a radius of five meters turned their heads and look around to check if the money was theirs.
- See what I mean? the Indian continued. It all depends on what is important to you.
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