Notes on Deutscher and Schleiermacher

 Deutscher

To me it was obvious that language is not a constraint to one's mental, I'm surprised the falsified study got any traction at all. For example, artists can surely feel more than they are limited to in words which is why they express it through art. But as he said, although not a set limit, languages and their systems of grammar, etc., do create a mindset that you tend to stay within. The effect of gendered nouns is especially interesting to me as my primary languages are completely without gender. It's so strange to me that inanimate objects would have feminine or masculine energy, and would probably completely reshape the way those native speakers view the world. It's another aspect of language that becomes innate just like the geocentric knowledge that is mentioned in the article. At first it did seem absurd that they use cardinal directions in daily life but now I wish I had their ability to feel and recognize those directions at any moment. I think beyond the examples he mentioned, there are many more small scale differences between languages that influence the mindset of people. Thinking about Japanese, the ingrained systems of politeness in grammar may make it difficult for people to conduct themselves without a constant sense of where they stand in society. I've also always felt more articulate in English because it has so many more synonyms than Korean for example. I feel like the nuanced differences between the similar words help to truly express the exact way I feel. 

Schleiermacher

I like the idea of bringing the work into the world of the reader or sticking to the work of the author. I think it is true that you kind of have to choose one side to appeal to, and as a translator it is usually going to be the side of the reader for understanding. It's interesting that he stressed the importance of putting aside one's artistic self or personal preferences in writing to uphold the essence of the text for the reader. I think a good translator needs a strong artistic side to them, or else their work would be very flat. Another point that he emphasized that I don't see much inherent importance in is expressing a foreignness in a translated work that is in the readers native language. If any cultural context is not lost, why is there a need to express some foreign flavor? 

-Joanne