|
Torture, Language and Culture
|
In 2006 in New Orleans, I attended the annual conference of the American Translators Association (ATA). Members there held a hot debate on an "anti-torture resolution." The original resolution would have barred ATA members from participating in torture, but that resolution was watered down. At least a resolution passed.
Since then, the U.S. role in torture has been widely condemned, both here and abroad. Yet today we are hearing that torture "works" (despite all research to the contrary) and that we "should" do it.
As many know, I've spent years of my volunteer life developing specialized training on how to interpret for survivors of torture and war trauma.
Language matters. Language builds culture. A language of tolerance to torture breeds tolerance to torture.
I hope that all of us who support interpreting and translation can agree on facts. Torture doesn't work, undermines national security and most importantly violates our most fundamental values as a nation.
Not sure? Consider this: Twenty-six of the nation's most respected interrogation and intelligence professionals released a letter (sent to presidential candidates) rejecting the use of torture as it is illegal, counterproductive, and detrimental to national security. And so did forty-two of the nation's most respected retired generals and admirals.
I thank them.
|
|
What do All Human Languages Have in Common?
|
A new study looked at 81 languages. What did these languages share? A common underlying semantic structure.
In other words, how we conceptualize meaning seems to be encoded in our languages in startling and similar ways.
Don't get too excited. The research is preliminary. But it looked at 22 different concepts denoting basic "geographic" features like mountain, sea, sun and moon and used semantic "maps" to find out how these concepts are connected to each other through words. For example, the words ocean and salt are much more closely connected to each other than either word is to sun.
Still, it's intriguing research.
|
