Re: [ICANN-EU] Andy's article on Slashdot

[Thomas Roessler <roessler@does-not-exist.org>]

On 2000-10-18 20:19:34 +0200, Thomas Roessler wrote:

> Those who are interested in ongoing discussions on Andy MM's
> Internet Governance text may wish to have a look at
> <http://slashdot.org/article.pl?sid=00/10/18/0545200&mode=thread>.

I just read the discussions there myself.  It seems that most
readers have huge problems with the "official" translation.  Alone
on slashdot, there are two alternative translations of the text.

So, a word of warning to those who didn't read the original version:
It's extremely easy to be mislead by the translations, because they
are losing lots of stuff hidden between the lines.

For instance, someone translated the article's title as "An
Explaination of Governing Theory".  That's just inappropriate.

The text's title is actually just another ambiguity. In German, it's
"Meine Regierungserklärung". There are actually several things you
have to notice about this in order to understand it:

* The word "Regierungserklärung" is used in an ambiguous way.
  Normally, it's the German for a declaration the government gives
  to the parliament, such as an inaugural speech. (It's not limited
  to inaugural speeches, though, because a government may also give
  a Regierungserkälrung on ongoing matters of importance.) 
  
* However, Andy also interprets it in the sense of an explanation of
  government. This becomes clear in the end of the first paragraph
  of the text. There, Andy writes "Manche Regierungen muß man eben
  erklären", that is, "Some governments have to be explained".
  
* Finally, what's special about "_Meine_ Regierungserklärung"? It's
  (deliberately) bad style. It quotes the style children use in
  school essays, like "My first trip to Aunt Lizzy", or "My first
  day in school". By quoting that style, Andy puts himself into the
  position of someone who's still learning, and additionally gives
  the reader an idea that he doesn't want to do a formal inaugural
  speech. Also, the combination of this school essay style on the
  one hand and the important-sounding "Regierungserklärung" already
  gives some advance warning to the reader on what to expect, and
  additionally avoids a tone of inappropriate importance.

So, please, don't expect this article to be a Treatise on the Theory
of Government, or an academic contribution. It's written in a style
which is most likely impossible to translate. Large parts are
written in some kind of tongue-in-cheek-mode which is likely to be
lost by any translation.

I hope the interpretation of the two-word title gives you some idea
of how you should read this text to avoid misunderstandings.

(I've also posted this to slashdot.  Andy: I hope I didn't
misinterpret you. ;-)

-- 
Thomas Roessler                         <roessler@does-not-exist.org>