Mac Oglesby wrote:
> Dear Jorge,
>
> It would be a kindness to me, and perhaps to some others on this List, if
> you would either return to posting in English, or offer a translation into
> English.
Mac
The last thing I want is to be in the middle of a language war. I'll let share
with you how I see it. Perhaps
that would help you feel better.
We all know that there are several thousands languages in use today. From
those only a few have a significant
number os native speakers.I think Mandarin is the most important (numberwise),
followed by
English, Spanish, Russian, Portuguese, French (no precision intended, and this
list is not in any particular order)
Theoretically, if you want to be understood by the largest number of people,
Mandarin and English
are good choices. Nevertheless, most of us think that the natural way to
communicate more
universally is resorting to English.
Since the Internet is a "universal" asset, it seems more than natural that
English be used as its
lingua franca. So be it.
On the other hand, there are moments when people do not want -- and do not
expect -- to
be understood by everybody. In these moments, instead of using English they
may prefer to
use a less know language.
Myself, I take this at its facial value. When I encounter a message whose
meaning I can not
decipher because I don't know its code, I just take it as if the author:
a) Did not want to share it with a larger number of people
b) Could not translate it (either because it was difficult or he lacked the
skill to do it)
c) It only interests a small number of people that share a common language
Whatever the reason, I have three choices:
a) skip it
b) try to understand it using dictionaries and grammars
c) ask someone to translate it
Most of the time I opt for a), accepting that the author -- whatever his
reasons -- did not consider
it appropriate, or necessary or convenient to use a more "universal" language.
I accept that, it does not disturb me and I don't have the feeling that I am
missing something.
Again I don't think this is a war, and if it is, I don't think it is worth to
be fighting it.
- fernando
>
>
> Thank you very much.
>
> Mac
>
> You wrote:
> >
> >Achim,
> >
> >A expressao que dah o valor medio da obliquidade da ecliptica eh
> > 23d 26' 21.45'' - 46.815'' *T - 0.0006'' *T^2 + 0.00181*T^3
> >
> >T eh o numero de seculos Julianos para ou desde a epoca 2000 Jan 1.5
> >(Dia Juliano 2 451 545.0)
> >
> >jorge
--
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Fernando Cabral Padrao iX Sistemas Abertos
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