[BC] How far is ok?...

[Fred Gleason]

On Friday 16 June 2006 14:41, PeterH5322 wrote:
> Sure, no problem.
>
> The Bible (chose any one you wish, but the NRSV would be my choice) uses
> words which are easily identifiable as F-words or S-words.
>
> Easily identifiable!
>
> Really, this is not a choice of "success" vs. "failure", as postulated by
> the quoted writer, but a choice to use "formal" language vs. "informal"
> language ... "street talk" vs. "OED talk".

I guess I would make a distinction between language whose primary purpose is 
to "call a spade a spade" (which I would generally characterize as "slang") 
and that whose primary purpose is to shock the listener (call it obscenity, 
four-letter words, whatever).  I've found that a practical test for telling 
the difference is often the effect that repetition of a given phrase has on 
the listener, it being a well-known fact that shock is an emotion that 
quickly fades after just a few repetitions.  This is why I find so much of 
so-called "shock radio" today not so much shocking as simply dreadfully 
*boring* -- the poverty of creativity shown in much of this programming is 
truly the most "shocking" thing about it.

As for the Bible, whatever effect the original language had on it's original 
hearers (and I've nowhere near enough knowledge of ancient Greek to have an 
opinion on that), the effect in any English language translation I've ever 
read (including NRSV) has certainly not been one of "shocking" language.  
Shocking *concepts*, yes, but that's a completely different topic.  :)

Cheers!


|-------------------------------------------------------------------------|
| Frederick F. Gleason, Jr. | Director of Broadcast Software Development  |
|                           |             Salem Radio Labs                |
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|             Some changes are so slow, you don't notice them.            |
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