posted
I've never understood why you do this so often. I mean, a lot of people here speak another language but you don't see them constantly posting in it. If it's a private message for someone, why not E-mail it? Why is it better as a public thing that most can't reply to?
Posts: 3243 | Registered: Apr 2002
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posted
It is rather annoying. This is an english forum, so keep it english!
Unless of course you're going to give us all lessons (or translate everything you say in the language so we can figure it out), in which case keep it up.
But if you're just gonna post something in a language that 95+% of the forum cannot understand, and probably about 25% can't even display in their browsers, what the heck is the point?
Posts: 3295 | Registered: Jun 2004
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quote:It is rather annoying. This is an english forum, so keep it english!
Unless of course you're going to give us all lessons (or translate everything you say in the language so we can figure it out), in which case keep it up.
I don't think foreign language threads are really imposing upon anyone's rights. Some people are interested in foreign language and have every right to discuss in and about languages.
If we start whining about people posting things that we can't understand, then I move to ban all threads on computer games. I don't understand what they mean and it makes me feel bad. Posts: 8504 | Registered: Aug 1999
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posted
I have got to practice my Japanese. I can only understand about half of the second sentense...
Posts: 9942 | Registered: Mar 2003
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quote:If we start whining about people posting things that we can't understand, then I move to ban all threads on computer games. I don't understand what they mean and it makes me feel bad. [Razz]
The thing about this though, is that if you asked we'd be more than happy to explain everything for those of you less literate. And in no time you'd understand it.
When you post in another language like that you're essentially cutting out everyone who doesn't understand the language. Its exclusive, its rather rude, and things like that have ALWAYS pissed me off to no end.
Now if you do stuff to allow those of us who don't understand the language to understand what you are saying, and maybe even start to learn the language then I'm all for it. I think it'd kick ass to have a whole bunch of foriegn language threads with translations and such so we could start to learn the languages.
But if you don't tranlate and just jabber on... yeah, you're cutting the rest of us out. Take it to e-mail if you want to do that with out letting the rest of us in on the joke...
Posts: 3295 | Registered: Jun 2004
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posted
I don't know that I agree, Alcon--or at least, I don't know that I agree entirely. This thread definitely has a "look at me, I'm so smart" kind of feel to it (although it's possible that my having seen Jonathan in action in previous threads colors my interpretation of his behavior in this one) that is a bit tiresome, and part of the reason that it serves as an ego-plumper for him is its exclusionary feel.
On the other hand, there are definitely valid reasons for having a thread that is in a language other than English. These include people whose first language isn't English wanting to communicate with a greater degree of sophistication than they are capable of commanding in English (necessarily, their audience is going to be smaller than it would be if the post were in English, but I can see how that trade off would be worth it in certain circumstances) and people who want an opportunity to hone their skills in a second language by reading and composing posts in that language.
I'm sure there are other reasons that I'd see as valid, but I'm tired, and those are the only two that are leaping to mind.
quote:On the other hand, there are definitely valid reasons for having a thread that is in a language other than English. These include people whose first language isn't English wanting to communicate with a greater degree of sophistication than they are capable of commanding in English (necessarily, their audience is going to be smaller than it would be if the post were in English, but I can see how that trade off would be worth it in certain circumstances) and people who want an opportunity to hone their skills in a second language by reading and composing posts in that language.
See in both these cases though it would be easy enough to cut the rest of us in by including translations, even rough ones, of their posts in english. And as a trade off we could start to learn their language.
Well, in the first case it would obviously be better if there was someone as good at english as their language to translate the posts for us. But still. Since obviously people who post on and read this forum know SOME english. Then they should be able to translate what they write in other languages, even roughly. Not only would that allow the rest of us to follow the conversation and therefore wouldn't be exclusive (which is what I really object to), it would allow us to get some practice learning the language too.
Oh and to you speaking other languages and not kindly translating for the rest of us: Ustedes tienen los cerebros de los monos rabioscos! Ustedes eran patos!
(Translation: You all have the brains of rabid monkies! You're all ducks!)
Posts: 3295 | Registered: Jun 2004
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quote:Alcon, people who post "don't post like this or that cause it annoys me" posts have always seemed quite misguided to me, to say the very least.
In other words, don't do that cause it annoys me. Okay? Thanks! [Wink]
So what of the grammar nazi's who are always yelling at people for one grammar mistake or another that drives em up the wall huh?
Posts: 3295 | Registered: Jun 2004
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That's the extent of my Nihongo thus far. Well, that and aisu kurimu o kudasai. That's all you really need, ne?
Posts: 8504 | Registered: Aug 1999
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quote:The thing about this though, is that if you asked we'd be more than happy to explain everything for those of you less literate. And in no time you'd understand it.
When you post in another language like that you're essentially cutting out everyone who doesn't understand the language.
So ask. People who talk computers don't automatically "translate" everything they say, but you claim that if we asked them to, they would. So if you want to know what we're saying, just ask.
For the record, what I said was, "Actually, I don't have much interest in Arabic. Sorry. There's no reason to think there are a lot of people here who speak Japanese or Arabic, so let's use English."
I certainly would have no problem with a rule that said, "If you post in a language other than English, you must supply a translation if asked." That would certainly cut out a lot of the private conversations.
Of course, it's possible to lie about what you said. But if it's a relatively well-known language like Spanish, Japanese, or (around here) Hebrew, you just may get caught, and then you'd be in real trouble. Just my two yen. (One yen is equal to about one cent.)
Posts: 1814 | Registered: Jul 2004
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posted
Does this forum have some means of sending private messages between members? I'm on another forum where it helps out at times.
Posts: 2867 | Registered: May 2005
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posted
Wow... you guys are making a really big deal of this. If it bothers you, don't open the thread. It's pretty simple. I can't understand the Arabic, I opened the thread, I thought "hey, that's pretty cool," and now I'm leaving. Lots of people on the forums like to show off what they've learned, and what they can do, and for everyone else it's been "ooh!" and "aaah!" or "that's so awesome!" I don't see why this is any different.
Posts: 7877 | Registered: Feb 2003
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posted
Hey HS Sorry to join the party so late In fact, I probably wouldn't have known of this thread at all if my wife hadn't pointed it out and said "I think this was meant for you" I'm not really a regular habitue of the boards despite my sudden burst of activity on one thread
Thanks for the thread and for making it in Arabic but my Arabic's really, really rusty and you obviously know more Arabic than I do I can read it but most of the time I have no idea what I'm reading and while I do know enough to get the gist of stuff it's mostly guesswork since the kind of Arabic I spoke for the brief time I spent in Saudi Arabia was more along the lines of pidgin Arabic
To dispel curiosity and to lay all the commotion to rest, here's what HS said as I understood it (hopefully, he doesn't mind me raising the veil of mystery ):
The topic title was my name and then he went on to say "Fahim my friend, <not sure of words perhaps, "I am learning"> Arabic. I am Jewish <not sure of word>. <Not sure perhaps, "Do you"> have/understand Arabic?"
So there you have it - as far as I can make it out that is
posted
Incidentally, about all that hoopla over HS showing off his skills, why shouldn't he? We've all been proud of our accomplishments at one time or another and I don't see why he shouldn't be proud of what he's achieved. In fact, he makes me feel ashamed that I can't understand what he wrote, better Posts: 136 | Registered: Aug 2003
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quote: In fact, he makes me feel ashamed that I can't understand what he wrote
Probably because my Arabic is so bad it isn't correct.
ETA:
quote: Fahim my friend, <not sure of words perhaps, "I am learning"> Arabic. I am Jewish <not sure of word>. <Not sure perhaps, "Do you"> have/understand Arabic?
Actually:
Fahim, friend, I do not understand Arabic (I'm a Jew from Jerusalem), [therefore] why [should I speak] in Arabic?
I'm using vocabulary of 7th grade, or 1st grade for natives...
Posts: 358 | Registered: May 2005
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Very simple, you copy it into a word-processor that supports Unicode, and Zoom In.
I myself can't read what it wrote, but I inserted the right symbols from Micro$oft® Office Word 2003. It's awful in this size.
Posts: 358 | Registered: May 2005
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quote:Originally posted by Scott R: >>Non ho paura di Lei, Scott R.
Si, che c'e l'hai. Vedi la forma di 'Lei?' Hai paura di ofendermi, cosi' usi la forma che dimostra rispetto.
Oppure, sei un missionario appena ritornato.
Si, ma ho imparato che devo usare Lei quando non conoscere una persona e penso che non Lei conosco. (Non mi ricordo il subjuntive).
Posts: 2867 | Registered: May 2005
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posted
>>quando non conoscere una persona e penso che non Lei conosco.
Non e' cosi' piu. Si puo' usare il familiare 'tu.' Se la persona e' vecchia, or e' una persone di autorita,' forse sarebbe meglio di dargli il 'Lei,' ma non e' considerata maleducato se non lo fai.
Il subbietivo! Eh, non me recordo ne'anche usarlo. Ti capisco, communque. Quanti anni sei stato a casa?
Devi parlare con Dante (un altro membro qua); lui conosce bene l'Italiano.
Posts: 14554 | Registered: Dec 1999
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Sorry to join the party so late 
