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Discussion Groups / English Usage / January 2007Two from news on line
>From a CNN article on reconstructing a feathered dinosaur: "[Xing Xu of the Chinese Academy of Sciences] added that '...we can compare different models in computer or even in wind tunnel, which we are planning to do.'" <http://www.cnn.com/2007/TECH/space/01/24/biplane.dinosaur.ap/index.html> Didn't reporters use to silently correct little errors like "in computer" and "in wind tunnel"? I think I'd prefer them to do so, especially for non-native speakers. >From a Reuters article: "The mountain gorilla population has clung on in Virunga despite years of violence which continues despite elections last year, and has even managed to increase by 14 percent since the war began." <http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20070124/sc_nm/congo_democratic_gorillas_dc> [three seconds elapse] Oh, the /gorilla population/ has increased!  SignatureJerry Friedman jerry_friedman@yahoo.com filted: >>From a CNN article on reconstructing a feathered dinosaur: > [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] >computer" and "in wind tunnel"? I think I'd prefer them to do so, >especially for non-native speakers. There were probably too many of them "correcting" little phrases like "in the utero"....r Signature"You got Schadenfreude on my Weltanschauung!" "You got Weltanschauung in my Schadenfreude!" > >From a CNN article on reconstructing a feathered dinosaur: > [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > Didn't reporters use to silently correct little errors like "in > computer" and "in wind tunnel"? The CNN page displays an Associated Press news story, not a CNN story. The passage quoted appears to be direct speech by Prof. Xing Xu. The errors are thus probably his own in oral speech. It is a fine point but we can understand the AP writer's preference not to correct the foreigner's English when the correction was not necessary for sense or clarity. SignatureDon Phillipson Carlsbad Springs (Ottawa, Canada) On Jan 24, 4:09 pm, "Don Phillipson" <d.phillipsonSPAMBL...@ncf.ca> wrote: > <jerry_fried...@yahoo.com> wrote in messagenews:1169672707.085593.295780@l53g2000cwa.googlegroups.com... > > > >From a CNN article on reconstructing a feathered dinosaur: Good point. > > "[Xing Xu of the Chinese Academy of Sciences] added that '...we can > > compare different models in computer or even in wind tunnel, which we [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > preference not to correct the foreigner's English when the > correction was not necessary for sense or clarity. Sure, I can understand it. But I think it's distracting to the reader and makes Prof. Xu look bad in a way that's not relevant to the article, so my preference is for the correction. SignatureJerry Friedman On Jan 24, 4:09 pm, "Don Phillipson" <d.phillipsonSPAMBL...@ncf.ca> wrote: > <jerry_fried...@yahoo.com> wrote in messagenews:1169672707.085593.295780@l53g2000cwa.googlegroups.com... > [quoted text clipped - 8 lines] > > computer" and "in wind tunnel"?The CNN page displays an Associated Press news > story, not a CNN story. I see, thanks. > The passage quoted appears to be direct speech by Prof. > Xing Xu. The errors are thus probably his own in oral speech. > It is a fine point but we can understand the AP writer's > preference not to correct the foreigner's English when the > correction was not necessary for sense or clarity. Sure, I understand it. But as it distracts some readers and makes Prof. Xu look bad in a way that's irrelevant to the subject, my preference is for the correction. -- Jerry Friedman hopes he successfully canceled an earlier, garbled response. >>From a Reuters article: > [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > >Oh, the /gorilla population/ has increased! I never even got that far. I got stuck trying to imagine the violent mountain gorillas holding elections in Virunga. SignatureArchie Valparaiso (Me? I blame the weather.) The Archie Valparaiso entity posted thusly: >>>From a Reuters article: >> [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] >I never even got that far. I got stuck trying to imagine the violent >mountain gorillas holding elections in Virunga. <slapping forehead> I spent most of my time trying to figure out why there was a gorilla population in Virginia. |
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