Metaglossia: The Translation World

Will Hong Kong Turn Into a Modern Version of ‘The Killing Fields’?
"“The Killing Fields,” which is based on a true story of an American journalist and a Cambodian interpreter, won three Oscar awards for best supporting actor, best cinematography, and best film editing. It was about the Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia in the 1970s, when civil war and carnage ravaged the country that was subsequently cut off from the outside world.
The 1970s was an interesting time—a golden print media era—when Polaroids were used for instant pictures and newsmen were respected. In real history, back in April 1975, as the American Embassy staff was evacuated from Cambodia, the American journalist, who was mentioned in the movie, left the capital city of Phnom Penh before its fall, leaving behind his Cambodian sidekick interpreter."

Edward Chin
September 4, 2021 Updated: September 4, 2021biggersmaller Print
Beijing’s national security law has turned Hong Kong into a place of terror, which reminds me of a modern version of the Oscar award-winning film “The Killing Fields.”

I was just a teenager when I first watched this British biographical drama in the mid-1980s. It was difficult to fathom what “the fall of a country” would mean for Cambodia under the communist dictator Pol Pot’s reign of terror in the 1970s.

As I revisited the movie recently, I gained a new perspective—it warned me of the worst-case scenario of how Hong Kong could end up if Beijing took total control of the city. The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) and the puppet Hong Kong government officials won’t be ashamed to destroy the core values of the once famed global financial hub—its freedom of speech, freedom of press, freedom of expression, and the rule of law—in order to silence all opposition voices, at all costs.

In fact, Hong Kong has been in crisis for more than a year since Beijing implemented the national security law, and the suppression of the city’s freedoms has just gotten worse.

“The Killing Fields,” which is based on a true story of an American journalist and a Cambodian interpreter, won three Oscar awards for best supporting actor, best cinematography, and best film editing. It was about the Khmer Rouge regime in Cambodia in the 1970s, when civil war and carnage ravaged the country that was subsequently cut off from the outside world.

The 1970s was an interesting time—a golden print media era—when Polaroids were used for instant pictures and newsmen were respected. In real history, back in April 1975, as the American Embassy staff was evacuated from Cambodia, the American journalist, who was mentioned in the movie, left the capital city of Phnom Penh before its fall, leaving behind his Cambodian sidekick interpreter.

April 17, 1975, was a significant day to remember for the Cambodian people—the Khmer Rouge, the Cambodian communist forces, seized the nation’s capital and civilians thought that they brought peace. But nothing could be further from the truth. Hope quickly turned into fear across the country: Many Cambodians who had supported the old regime—the Khmer Republic—were purged and executed by Pot, the Khmer Rouge regime’s ruthless leader. As a result, a nationwide genocide of 1.5 to 2 million Cambodians—the mass murder of one-fourth of the country’s population—ensued from 1975 to 1979.

The Khmer Rouge guerilla soldiers drive jeeps through a street of Phnom Penh on April 17, 1975. The Cambodian capital surrendered after a three-and-a-half-month siege of Pol Pot forces. (Sjoberg/AFP via Getty Images)
Recently, I had a strange dream about Hong Kong. Many people, foreigners and locals, were jammed inside and outside of the U.S. Embassy compound on Garden Road. These people took over the streets in a massive assembly and were about to be attacked by the soldiers. As Hong Kong declared martial law, those who supported democracy would be punished, tortured, or quickly executed. While U.S. military helicopters were being deployed for a rescue mission, the soldiers were firing warning shots in the air to scare off people on the ground waiting to be rescued.

These soldiers then went past the gate of the building of the U.S. Embassy, facing the U.S. marines head-on. But nobody dared to fire the first shots. Meanwhile, more people were rushing toward the U.S. Embassy in an attempt to board the helicopters. The airport was locked down; all the sea routes were blocked with “Coast Guard vessels” everywhere.

The number of soldiers grew into the thousands around Garden Road and Central. They all cocked their guns and were ready to pull the trigger as they waited for the final order, but they were outnumbered by the tens of thousands of Hongkongers. Then all of sudden, the sky turned dark while a gigantic IMAX dome-shaped screen appeared in the sky. Several scenes of actual events that occurred during the pro-democracy movement from 2019 to the end of summer this year were being shown on the huge screen: peaceful marching demonstrators, geared-up protestors dressed in black, undercover police disguised as pro-democracy protestors, and the raided Apple Daily office. As the soldiers were about to start firing shots, they all suddenly fell on their knees and dropped their weapons, signifying peace with the people.

Then I woke up from that vivid dream, back to reality.

As we look at communist-ruled Hong Kong today, we see that the level of uncertainty continues to grow as Hongkongers surrender or leave the city. Under the draconian national security law, people have lost their rights to hold an assembly or to protest.

A man looks at the dark clouds over the city’s skyline in Hong Kong on Aug. 14, 2013. ( Phillippe Lopez/AFP via Getty Images)
Hong Kong has fallen and lost its freedoms. Outspoken Hongkongers are now censored, silenced, or arrested by the authorities. We have all witnessed how rampant police brutality has become in the city. Recently, the concert of pro-democracy activist and singer Denise Ho was cancelled. And more censorship and suppression in Hong Kong are expected to come.

The ruthless Chinese regime has been trying everything possible to incarcerate Hong Kong citizens. But Hongkongers should not give up and must keep on fighting for their survival.

Views expressed in this article are the opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of The Epoch Times.

Edward Chin (錢志健) runs a family office. Chin was formerly Country Head of a UK publicly listed hedge fund, the largest of its kind measured by asset under management. Outside the hedge funds space, Chin is the Convenor of 2047 Hong Kong Monitor and a Senior Advisor of Reporters Without Borders (RSF, HK & Macau). Chin studied speech communication at the University of Minnesota and received his MBA from the University of Toronto. Twitter: edwardckchin Youtube: Ed Chin Live Facebook.com/edckchin Email: edckchin@gmail.com
edwardckchin

monolingual & multilingual resources & terminology for translators & interpreters

In the field of Electromobility, there are some terms that are not necessarily self-explanatory or known to everyone. We provide the explanations for these in our has·to·be glossary on eMobility. via: www.has-to-be.com

Lors du Congrès de Berlin en 1878, les délégués américains s’étaient vu rappeler à l’ordre pour avoir voulu s’y exprimer en anglais alors que la langue de la diplomatie mondiale était le français, tout autant que le latin était celle de l’Église catholique.

Une génération plus tard et ils remportent une victoire d’étape puisque le Traité de Versailles signé en 1919 est rédigé tant en anglais qu’en français en vue de satisfaire les exigences du Président Wilson, premier président américain à quitter son pays, et qui ne parlait que l’anglais.

Une guerre de plus et une génération encore et en 1945 les États-Unis imposent au monde entier la pax americana et avec elle sa culture aux accents de chewing gum, de Coca-Cola et de rock and roll. Désormais le monde entier est prié d’apprendre l’anglais.

Ce que les Américains considèrent comme un privilège régalien, se révèle en réalité depuis trois quarts de siècles non seulement une faiblesse mais une source de défaites. Car maîtriser une langue étrangère, ce n’est pas simplement s’exprimer dans la langue de son interlocuteur, c’est partager sa culture et sa vision du monde. Ainsi, certes il est correct de traduire bread par pain, mais les deux mots ne recouvrent pas la même réalité. Là où l’Anglais songe à un pain de mie découpé en tranches enveloppé dans un sachet en plastique, le Français rêve d’une baguette qu’il rapporte de la boulangerie voisine. Parler une autre langue, c’est voir le monde d’un autre œil.

De l’avis de La Ligne Claire, cette incapacité des Américains à chausser d’autres lunettes que les leurs est la source de l’hostilité à laquelle les États-Unis sont souvent confrontés en matière de politique étrangère. Car ni les Sud-Américains, toujours contrariés face à l’impérialisme yanqui, ni les Russes, ni les Chinois, ni aujourd’hui les Afghans n’aspirent à devenir des Américains ni même à adopter leurs mœurs politiques.

Avec le retrait de Kaboul, les Américains alignent une nouvelle défaite à la suite de celles déjà essuyées au Vietnam, en Somalie, en Irak, en Libye et en Syrie. Il n’y a guère que l’invasion de la minuscule Grenade en 1983 qui vienne éclairer ce sombre tableau. Il est vrai qu’on y parle l’anglais

Due to the pandemic, renewed focus has been placed on reading and literacy skills of young children, as learning times in school were slashed in half.

A new French edition of Hitler's Mein Kampf aims to put it in context. Publisher Fayard offered the proceeds to the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation.

• Profits from a new French edition of Adolf Hitler’s “Mein Kampf” will go to the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation.
• The new critical edition of the book aims to put the text in its full historical context.
• The foundation’s director told Insider it was important to deal with “the darkest chapter of history.”
• See more stories on Insider’s business page.

A new edition of Adolf Hitler’s notorious book “Mein Kampf” has become a bestseller in France, and proceeds are going to the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation.

Mein Kampf, or “My Struggle,” was an autobiographical book written by the Nazi leader and first published in two volumes in 1925 and 1927.

The new critical edition of the book, called “Historicizing Evil: A Critical Edition of Mein Kampf,” has been produced by French publishing house Fayard.

The book is nearly 1,000 pages long and features expert analysis that places the controversial text in its full historical context and debunks each lie, according to The New York Times.

It also features a new translation that better reflects the original’s jumbled prose, the paper said.

Olivier Mannoni, the translator of the new edition, told French newspaper Libération that he had stuck as close as possible to the original text, which earlier translations had improved by making it more coherent.

“An incoherent soup, one could become half-mad translating it,” Mannoni said about the original writing, according to The New York Times.

“To me, making this text elegant is a crime,” Mannoni added.

Wojciech Soczewica, the director-general of the Auschwitz-Birkenau Foundation, told Insider that Fayard had offered the foundation a portion of the proceeds.

“For us, it is important that the publication is placed in a historical context and that it tries to deal with the darkest chapter of history for 20th century Europe,” Soczewica said.

“As long as it is presented in a critical way, and young generations have the opportunity to learn from it, then I think it is absolutely necessary.”

Soczewica said that the foundation had expanded the scope of its work to include promoting education alongside its regular work preserving the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp.

He added that the foundation trusted the prestigious publishing house to deal with the text responsibly.

The new edition of the book has sparked some controversy in France after becoming a summer bestseller, with some arguing that Hitler’s views should not be given any more air time, even critically.

The Amazon and Fnac websites were asked to alter their algorithms so that the book did not register on bestseller lists, The Times of London reported.

Fayard reportedly had to order a second print run after surprising sales, despite the hefty price tag of €100 ($US119 ($AU160)), the paper said.

Sophie Hogg, Fayard’s editorial director, said that the strong sales were satisfying “because it is recognition of the work of historians,” according to The Times.

She added that although journalists and booksellers seemed to understand their initiative, the publishing house was disappointed that few university libraries had taken up an offer of free copies.

El título pone a disposición de los alumnos un actualizado Plan de Estudios que asegura una formación de calidad y muy competitiva

El Tribunal Estatal Electoral resolvió que se den a conocer de manera oral las regidurías étnicas de once municipios

A brilliant resurrection of Sir Edwin Arnold’s 19th century poem on the life and teachings of the Buddha, which is sure to create more awareness about Buddhism in the country of its birth.

‘The Light of Asia: The Poem that Defined the Buddha’ By Jairam Ramesh (Penguin, 2021)

Maha Bodhi temple, Bodhgaya, which marks the location where the Buddha is said to have attained enlightenment and which has historically remained a site of contestation between the Buddhists and Hindus. Photo: The Hindu

A brilliant resurrection of Sir Edwin Arnold’s 19th century poem on the life and teachings of the Buddha, which is sure to create more awareness about Buddhism in the country of its birth.
I first came across Sir Edwin Arnold’s The Light of Asia in 1976 while preparing for the civil service examinations. A section in the syllabus was dedicated to Gandhian thought; from here, I gathered that this book had had a profound influence on the Father of the Nation. I must confess that I did not go beyond that slight curiosity until 45 years later, when I read Jairam Ramesh’s The Light of Asia: The poem that defined the Buddha. On completing it, I was left amazed by the profound impact this single tome has had in spreading the story of the Buddha and his teachings across the world.

The Light of Asia was seminal because until its publication in the late 19th century, no one in the West knew about the Buddha. Jairam Ramesh’s book captures this brilliantly. I can foresee the book leading not only to a resurrection of Arnold’s chef-d’oeuvre but also creating more awareness about Buddhism in the country of its birth.

This is a “book within a book”, in which the primary story is about The Light of Asia, first published in 1879. It also covers the fascinating life story of Arnold the oriental scholar, poet, linguist, adventurer and Pax Britannica man. Finally, it tells the story of Buddhism through the ages in various forms and how it totally disappeared from India.

The Light of Asia is itself a translation of the Lalitavistara, meaning “the play in full”, a Sanskrit Mahayana Buddhist Sutra on the Buddha’s life and his teachings. Translating intricate thoughts is not an easy task, more so when it is in verseform. Arnold manages to it do so well even though he was not recognised as one amongst the top poets of his time.

A similar effort that I am aware of is “84,000: Translating the words of the Buddha”, a project helmed by Dzongsar Khentse Rinpoche. As part of this project, the Lalitavistara has already been translated into English in 2013 and the rest of the 108-volume Kangyur [Words of the Buddha] is under way. A group of international scholars are working on it, yet it is not definite whether their version will be able to capture the real meaning of what the Buddha had said. Different people see the elephant differently, depending upon their past experiences and perceptions. My respect for Arnold only grows when I realise the amount of confidence and effort it needed to undertake this work single-handedly.

Jairam Ramesh’s writing is full of rich information, mined diligently from literature across the world, including the latest doctoral theses by researchers. This outstanding work proves that he is an academic first, an inkling I had while setting up the Indira Gandhi Centre for Sustainable Development at the Somerville College in Oxford in 2013, where I found that he was respected as a scholar and a researcher in his own right. He is indeed an academic disguised as a politician, although it is generally the other way round!

The historical Buddha
Personally, the book evokes the same feeling of wonder and disbelief I had while reading Ten Thousand Miles without a Cloud by Sun Shuyun or The Buddha and the Sahibs by Charles Allen, which Jairam Ramesh also refers to. The story of the historical Buddha would have been forgotten had it not been for Xuanzang (Hiuen Tsang), who diligently recorded his travels in India in the 7th century.

On the basis of his records, British archaeologists in the 19th century such as Sir Williams Jones, James Princip and Alexander Cunningham worked to link Buddha as a living person to Lumbini, Bodh Gaya, Sarnath and Khushinara where his birth, enlightenment, first sermon and death respectively took place.

Jairam Ramesh’s book deftly highlights the fact that if the 19th-century rediscovery of the historical Buddha was done by archaeologists, it was The Light of Asia that actually led to the awareness and spread of Buddhism across the world from Japan to the United States. The poem has since been translated into 13 European and 14 South Asian languages. Similarly, Arnold’s other poem, “Song Celestial”, published in 1885, introduced to the West the Bhagavad Gita, which until then was an unknown chapter in the Mahabharata, and made it world-famous.

The book also brings home the power of poetry over prose. With his poetic rendition of the life and teachings of the Buddha, Arnold achieved what the scholars of the Royal Asiatic Society and the archaeologists could not. Interestingly, in Tibet in the 8th century, it was Guru Padmasambhava the tantric and poet who spread Buddhism, rather than Santarakshita the scholar who had spent several years in Tibet before him trying to achieve the same.

Until I read Jairam Ramesh’s book, I did not realise the extent of influence The Light of Asia had on the leaders of the nation’s freedom struggle, be it Mahatma Gandhi, Bal Gangadhar Tilak, Jawaharlal Nehru or B.R. Ambedkar. The Theosophical Society, founded by Madame Helena Blavatsky and Colonel Olcott, also had ardent admirers of the book and has also published several editions of the book from time to time. Others who were influenced by The Light of Asia include Swami Vivekananda, Rabindranath Tagore, Rajkumari Amrit Kaur, eminent literary personalities such as Rudyard Kipling, W.B. Yeats, T.S. Eliot and Leo Tolstoy, as well as scientists like C.V. Raman and Dmitri Mendeleev, not to forget Andrew Carnegie, the richest man of his time.

In the context of understanding the nature of Buddhism today in India, it would not have been too much of a digression if some space had been dedicated to the historic linkage of Tibetan Mahayana Buddhism to the Nalanda tradition of India, about which the Dalai Lama never fails to remind both his own people as well as Indians. This would have been apt as the foreword of the book itself has been written by the Dalai Lama.

Buddhism was introduced in Tibet in the 8th century thanks to Santarakshita, the renowned Indian scholar from Nalanda University in Bihar, who also established Tibet’s first monastery, Samye Gonpa, in the 8th century. Over time, many monasteries were established throughout the country and a rigorous system of cultivating intellectual mastery of philosophy, logic, psychology—inner and outer sciences—was developed based on what they learnt from the Nalanda masters.

Few of us are aware that although we lost many of our valuable Pali and Sanskrit texts in Nalanda to the wanton destruction caused by the forces of Bakhtiyar Khilji in 1202, many were taken to safety in Tibet where they were preserved and translated into Tibetan. It has now come full circle as these texts are back in India after more than a thousand years, thanks to the Dalai Lama who set up mirror institutions of Tibet’s famed monastic universities of Gaden, Drepung, Sera, Tashi Lhunpo, Namgyal, Rato, Gyuto and Gyume in Tibetan refugee communities established in Mundgod and Bylakuppe in Karnataka. It is in our interest to unlock the rich wisdom and knowledge of our ancient past by translating those texts back into Indian languages.

Unfortunately, apart from the Central Institute of Higher Tibetan Studies, Varanasi, no serious work is being undertaken in this vital area. The Nalanda University, initiated by the Ministry of External Affairs, has only the name in common with this great tradition. Nothing makes one guiltier than a visit to the State Museum at Patna where a treasure trove of Tibetan texts and artefacts, brought from Tibet by the writer Rahul Sankrityayan under challenging circumstances in the 1930s, lie gathering dust and in utter neglect.

Mahabodhi temple
An aspect which has been well highlighted by the author is about the issue of the control of the Mahabodhi temple in Bodh Gaya which was with the Hindu mahants. It was the dogged persistence of Arnold, who was one of the first to raise the issue with his fellow Englishmen in power, that eventually culminated in the mahants’ partial sharing of responsibilities with Buddhists in 1954. Angarika Dharampala, a Bikkhu from Sri Lanka whose statue is prominently seen at Sarnath, also had a major role to play. As a child, I was a silent witness to several heated discussions in our house on this issue as my grandfather was a member of the Mahabodhi Society as well as the President of Himalayan Buddhist Society which caters to the Himalayan regions of Ladakh, Lahaul Spiti, Pangi, Zanskar and Rupshu. This is an ongoing matter and one hopes that in the years to come, the control of the Mahabodhi temple will be passed on completely to the Buddhists. If matters can be resolved as in the case of Ayodhya temple, one has all the reasons to hope that in the case of Mahabodhi temple, too, the innate sense of human goodness will eventually prevail, paving the way for a permanent resolution of the issue.

Lastly, the book takes us to the important point of Hinduism–Buddhism interface and its effect on each other. Though Hinduism eventually managed to assimilate Buddhism into its fold by tactfully recognising Buddha as an avatar of Vishnu, Hinduism, too, was not the same again as many of the doctrines of Buddhism like ahimsa, vegetarianism, emphasis on inner realisation, ethical living and equality of all human beings became an integral part of Indian society which are cherished even today.

Ashok Thakur is former Secretary, Ministry of Human Resource Development, Government of India, and a Buddhist from Lahaul Spiti, Himachal Pradesh.

TEHRAN – Mexican writer Valeria Luiselli’s 2019 novel “Lost Children Archive” has been published in Persian.

TEHRAN – Mexican writer Valeria Luiselli’s 2019 novel “Lost Children Archive” has been published in Persian.

Vida Eslamieh, a Persian translator of the Harry Potter series of books, has rendered the book published by the Agar publishing house in Tehran.

The novel, which is in part inspired by the ongoing American policy of separating children from their parents at the Mexican-American border, is the first book Luiselli wrote in English.

It is a fiercely imaginative new novel about a family whose road trip across America collides with an immigration crisis at the southwestern border, an indelible journey told with breathtaking imagery, spare lyricism, and profound humanity.

A mother and father set out with their two children, a boy and a girl, driving from New York to Arizona in the heat of summer. Their destination: Apacheria, the place the Apaches once called home.

“Why Apaches?” asks the ten-year-old son. Because they were the last of something, answers his father.

In their car, they play games and sing along to music. But on the radio, there is news about an “immigration crisis”: thousands of kids trying to cross the southwestern border into the United States, but getting detained or lost in the desert along the way.

As the family drives through Virginia to Tennessee, across Oklahoma and Texas, we sense they are on the brink of a crisis of their own. A fissure is growing between the parents, one the children can almost feel beneath their feet. They are led, inexorably, to a grand, harrowing adventure, both in the desert landscape and within the chambers of their own imaginations.

Told through several compelling voices, blending texts, sounds and images, “Lost Children Archive” is an astonishing feat of literary virtuosity. 

It is a richly engaging story of how we document our experiences, and how we remember the things that matter to us the most. With urgency and empathy, it takes us deep into the lives of one remarkable family as it probes the nature of justice and equality today.

Photo: Front cover of the Persian translation of Valeria Luiselli’s novel “Lost Children Archive”.

MMS/YAW

With the collapse of the pro-American government in Kabul, Afghanistan and the rise of the Taliban, non-Sunni Muslims there are likely to endure heightened persecution, human rights advocates say.

Born in 1921, at Mahe, which was under French occupation, Raghavan was catapulted to the liberation movement of Mahe, early in his youth.

His translated works include French Pranayageethangal, Victor Hugoyude Kavithakal, and French Kavithakal. Raghavan was conferred the Kerala Sahitya Akademi Award for his translation of French poems. He was also chosen for the Ayyappa Panikker Award, MN Sathyarthi Award and Mayilppeeli Award for his literary achievements.

Awards and recognitions

Mangalattu Raghavan was conferred the Kerala Sahitya Akademi award for his translation of French poems. He was also chosen for the Ayyappa Panikker Award, MN Sathyarthi Award and Mayilppeeli Award for his literary achievements.

La 10ème session ordinaire du conseil d’administration du Centre international de recherche et de documentation sur les traditions et les langues africaines (Cerdotola) tenue les 26 et 27 août 2021 à Bujumbura au Burundi a doublement félicité le Cameroun.

Tout d’abord, au sujet des contributions des Etats, « le Conseil a exprimé sa satisfaction et adressé au gouvernement camerounais ses vifs remerciements pour l’ensemble du soutien multiforme qu’il apporte au développement du Cerdotola ». Même si, en tant que pays hôte de l’institution, le Cameroun a été invité à consolider ce soutien.

Le gouvernement camerounais est félicité au regard de son engagement relatif à l’épineux problème des arriérés de contributions accumulés par certains Etats. Ce qui a décidé le Conseil à formuler une résolution « appelant les Etats à manifester leur sollicitude à l’endroit du Cerdotola pour que les situations pendantes soient soldées par chacun sur la base de souveraineté, de manière à faire de l’exercice 2022 ‘’une année pilote sans arriéré’’ ».

Le conseil d’administration a aussi honoré le Cameroun par le truchement de son ressortissant Charles Binam Bikoi, le secrétaire exécutif, « pour l’excellente gouvernance de l’institution commune, pour le rayonnement acquis par cette dernière attesté par la visibilité de la production scientifique et intellectuelle du Cerdotola », précise le communiqué final.

Celui-ci note l’insistance du secrétaire exécutif « sur la place des valeurs culturelles pour l’avenir de l’Afrique et le rôle du Cerdotola dans la démarche vers l’appropriation par les Africains du destin de l’Afrique, gage de libération effective des peuples et outil de construction de la puissance africaine bâtie sur ses traditions, ses langues et ses cultures ».

Créé en 1977, le Cerdotola est une institution commune à nombre d’Etats africains dédiée à la coopération scientifique pour la préservation, la diffusion et la mise en valeur du patrimoine africain.

Dominique Mbassi

Pour la troisième année consécutive, la communauté Hausa du Niger a célébré la semaine dernière, la journée mondiale de la langue Haoussa sous le thème «Le Haoussa et ses métiers». Pour marquer cette journée et malgré la forte pluie tombée toute la matinée du jeudi 26 août sur la ville de Niamey, le comité d’organisation a procédé au lancement de la célébration de la journée dans l’après-midi. Pour l’édition 2021, le comité d’organisation a animé une série de conférences à la Faculté des lettres et des sciences humaines de l’université Abdou (FLSH/UAM), ainsi qu’un salon sur la pharmacopée traditionnelle et une soirée culturelle.

En marge de la célébration de la journée mondiale de la langue Haoussa, Pr Mahamane Laoualy Abdoulaye du département de Linguistique de l’UAM, a expliqué que le Niger, à l’image de la plupart des pays d’Afrique, est un pays multilingues dans lequel les langues nationales et celles coloniales se côtoient, avec le plus souvent peu de citoyens qui parlent ces langues coloniales. «Les langues africaines qui ont un grand nombre de locuteurs sont appelées à jouer un rôle très important. C’est le cas du Haoussa qui est une langue véhiculaire depuis longtemps, bien avant l’arrivée des langues coloniales et qui continue à jouer ce rôle et à se développer davantage», estime-t-il.

Depuis le lancement de la journée mondiale du Haoussa, dit le chercheur Nigérien, la langue a beaucoup évolué et a atteint des sommets inimaginables il y’a encore quelques années. On la retrouve aujourd’hui en utilisation dans beaucoup de medias, notamment la télévision, l’internet, les chansons et l’art. Cette vivacité de la langue Haoussa à travers son utilisation, fait-il remarquer, est un espoir qu’elle devienne un outil de développement en général. Et pour lui, le développement soutenu des outils d’analyse est de bonne augure pour la deuxième langue africaine la plus utilisée après le Swahili car «on ne finira jamais, à mon avis, de développer une langue».

En tant que chercheur, avoue-t-il, Pr Mahamane Laoualy Abdoulaye ne se sent pas préoccupé par la perte de certaines compétences de la langue parlée qui s’observent au niveau des locuteurs Hausa qui vivent dans les centres urbains même si, précise-t-il, certains traditionnalistes peuvent le condamner. «On ne peut pas empêcher les gens de parler la langue comme ils le veulent. L’essentiel est qu’il ait une communauté qui observe des standards communs et après, que ces standards changent d’une région à une autre, d’un moment à un autre, cela ne pose aucun problème scientifique sur la langue de toute façon», a-t-il indiqué.

Unanimement, le président du comité d’organisation de la journée mondiale du Haoussa au Niger, M. Aboubacar Yacouba Maïga, et le chercheur spécialiste de la langue Haoussa, Pr Mahamane Laoualy Abdoulaye, appellent les Nigériens à une prise de conscience indispensable pour son développement. Ils font remarquer que la plupart des autres pays, tout en ayant besoin d’une langue étrangère internationale comme l’Anglais ou le Français, prennent néanmoins soin de leurs langues maternelles. «Si vous êtes éduqués, c’est en ce moment que vous devrez normalement, encore plus, respecter votre langue traditionnelle ou langue maternelle», ajoute Pr Mahamane Laoualy Abdoulaye.

Par Souleymane Yahaya

An Afghan interpreter who was instrumental in saving then-Senator Biden 13 years ago is one of the people abandoned and stranded in Afghanistan and under threat of death from the Taliban. He has a right to expect that the current resident of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue owes him a favor — and he is publicly calling in that favor. Addressing Biden directly via an interview with Fox News Thursday, the interpreter known only as Mohammed pleaded, “Do not forget me and my family.”

In 2008, then-Senator Biden was in one of two Black Hawk helicopters in Afghanistan when they were forced to land in a valley due to a heavy snow storm. Now-Secretary of State Antony Blinken (who at the time was an aide to the Senate Foreign Relations Committee) and then-Senators John Kerry (D-Mass.) and Chuck Hagel (R-Neb.) were also on that trip and were in the helicopters forced to land. A call for help went out and a motorcade made up of soldiers and volunteers responded. One of those men was Mohammed, a 36-year-old interpreter working with the U.S. Army. The group — including Mohammed — risked their lives to save the men who were down and exposed to dangerous weather and attack from Taliban insurgents who had been seen in the valley about the same time as the helicopters were forced to land.

If that account is true, it is no stretch to imagine that, but for Mohammed and men like him, Senator Joe Biden and the others would have ended their lives and their careers in that valley. And while Biden — like his frenemy Hillary Clinton — is known for stretching stories past the breaking point, this account depends not only on Biden’s telling, but also that of one of the men involved in providing the help Biden and the others needed. It appears that the exaggeration Biden has applied to this story is his claim that his helicopter was forced to land because of an al-Qaeda attack, when — as stated above — it was really due to a snowstorm. Even considering Biden’s exaggeration, there is no real question that Mohammed rendered Biden and the others a great service and likely helped keep them from harm from al-Qaeda or the Taliban.

In the years since the episode in the Afghan valley, Biden went on to become vice president and then the current resident of 1600 Pennsylvania Avenue. Hagel went on to be defense secretary from 2013-2015. And Kerry served as secretary of state from 2013-2017 and now serves as Biden’s global warming envoy.

Mohammed, on the other hand, stayed behind and has lived in danger ever since. He has tried for years to escape Afghanistan, but has been unsuccessful. And with the slapdash U.S. withdrawal from Afghanistan leaving so many behind, Mohammed was among so many who were unable to get to the airport.

Like either hundreds or thousands of stranded Americans (depending on which department of the U.S. government one chooses to listen to), Mohammed is stuck in an Afghanistan that is under the control of the Taliban. But while those Americans are targets simply by virtue of their Americanness, Mohammed is an Afghani who collaborated with the American “crusaders” and is therefore considered worse than an infidel. He is a marked man.

The one man who could save him is the man he saved 13 years ago. And Mohammed is counting on that.

The Taliban have been reported to be nailing “night letters” to the doors of those they accuse of “working with the crusaders” against their particular brand of Islamic rule. The “night letters” order the recipients to attend a Taliban-convened court and face sentence or face the death penalty for the “crime” of assisting the West.

If the Taliban knew where Mohammed was, he would certainly already be dead. In a phone call interview with Fox News, Mohammed said he had a message he wanted delivered to Biden. He pleaded, “Just give him my hello and tell him — if possible — tell him or send a message. Do not let me and my family behind.”

Mohammed delivered a similar message through the Wall Street Journal, telling Biden, “Hello Mr. President: Save me and my family.” He added, “Don’t forget me here.”

He also told Fox News that his situation is “hard” and “horrifying” and said, “It’s very scary, ma’am. We are under great risk.” But he expressed confidence that Biden would honor the age-old, unwritten code of a life for a life, saying, “I trust him. He can do everything. He’s the power of the United States. He controls the power and [can] use power right now. He can do everything for me, and, like me, other people.”

For its part, the White House is making promises to save Mohammed. White House Press Secretary Jen Psaki said Tuesday, “Our message to him is thank you for fighting by our side for the last 20 years. Thank you for the role you played in helping a number of my favorite people out of a snowstorm and for all the work you did,” adding, “Our commitment is enduring — not just to American citizens, but to our Afghan partners who have fought by our side — and our efforts and our focus right now is… to the diplomatic phase. We will get you out. We will honor your service.”

That promise and a few dollars would buy Mohammed a cup of coffee, if he could safely go outside whatever house he is hiding in to go buy one. But given similar recent promises by the current administration, it likely is not worth much else. After all, it sounds too much like Biden’s promise that the last U.S. plane would not leave Afghanistan without the last American on board.

Of course, since there are still U.S. aircraft in Afghanistan — albeit under Taliban control — Psaki may be able to use her spin super-powers to make it so that Biden kept that promise. But that isn’t going to help Mohammed or the other allies Biden left behind any more than it is going to help the Americans he left behind.

While leaving men like Mohamed behind along with that ever-mysterious number of Americans, the Biden administration has evacuated 20,000 Afghanis — and that number is growing. Many of those evacuated (and brought to the U.S.) are men of fighting age about whom we no little to nothing. So, while ignoring those to whom he should owe something, Biden is bringing questionable people here, possibly setting the stage for the War on Terror to be fought in large scale on American soil.

One could be forgiven for wondering where Biden’s allegiance lies.

The Sarasota County Sheriff's Office is helping Deputy Mubarak bring 33 relatives here from Afghanistan. Mubarak served as an interpreter.

SARASOTA COUNTY – A Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office deputy who had worked with U.S. Special Forces as a translator was able to get 33 of 34 of his family members out of Afghanistan and into the United States prior to the Aug. 31 troop withdrawal deadline. 

He now has a goal of bringing his relatives – who are currently in Fort Bliss, Texas – to Sarasota. 

“Individually for me, for the family, it has been a big relief; they’re out of harm's way, they’re safe here, in addition to that they can pursue their future dreams,” said sheriff’s Deputy Mubarak in a Friday morning joint interview, along with Sarasota County Sheriff Kurt Hoffman. “They can be anyone they want to be, as long as they do the work.” 

Mubarak’s first name is not being published for security reasons. 

Helping interpreters:White House responds to plea of interpreter who helped rescue Biden but is still stuck in Afghanistan

More:Struggling to get out of Afghanistan: Military interpreter tear gassed, beaten

Evacuations in Afghanistan:What to know about who's going out, where are they going and more

“When the Taliban took over, it was very hard for me,” Mubarak said. “I thought it would be would be quick retribution, quick revenge. 

“I was pleased and I was honored to work with the Marine Corps in the past and I tried to contact the Marine Corp, the defense department and that’s how I was able to get them out of Afghanistan.” 

Mubarak is equally appreciative of the way the Sarasota County Sheriff’s Office family has embraced him and Hoffman’s immediate efforts to help. 

“It’s a big thing, it’s huge,” Mubarak said. “I can see the value in this teamwork, in this agency’s family this agency's a community.  

“I am a new deputy and I feel honored and privileged that our sheriff is going out to do everything to help a new member of this community.” 

Mubarak, 39, served as a translator alongside Hoffman’s cousin, Col. Randy Hoffman, a retired Marine. 

Col. Hoffman, who first met Mubarak and his brother in 2003, while he was a Marine Corps captain, said the two men were like a brother to him, and Mubarak helped him navigate the culture. 

“His understanding of Pashtun tribal culture, his understanding of the little nuances that I would not pick up on, either in a meeting or driving down the road or looking at the faces or the children’s expressions in a village – he could immediately tell me if something was right or wrong,” Col. Hoffman said in a Zoom interview. “On several occasions, I’m sure more than 10, I’m sure his decision saved not only my life but saved the lives of other Special Forces operators.” 

Deputy is head of family after father's death during Kabul evacuation

Mubarak moved to Sarasota in December 2020, was sponsored to attend the law enforcement academy in March 2021, was hired by the Sheriff’s Office April 2 and completed the law enforcement academy in June. He won awards in academics and physical fitness. 

He is finishing the field training program at the Sheriff’s Office and lives in Sarasota with his wife and four children. 

Sheriff Hoffman worked on behalf of the deputy and his family with the Marine Corps and U.S. Sen. Rick Scott and others to bring Mubarak’s family to the U.S. 

They are currently being processed with Special Immigrant Visas through the U.S. State Department. 

Mubarak’s father died of an apparent heart attack while preparing to get to the airport in Kabul. 

That left the deputy, as the elder in his family, responsible for their well-being as they arrive in Sarasota. 

The majority of his family are from rural villages in eastern Afghanistan and arrived in the U.S. with little more than the clothes on their backs. 

In Florida:Afghan refugees have found a home in Florida, hoping for a 'peaceful and calm' life

Sarasota community helping raise funds

Hoffman and Mubarak established a GoFundMe page that should be active sometime Friday at https://www.gofundme.com/f/afghan-interpreter-family-relocation-mission. 

Sheriff Hoffman started that off with a $1,000 donation. 

“They're going to need a lot of assistance when they get here,” Hoffman said. “As you could imagine, there’s going to be a culture shock, we’re going to need housing, clothing, food.

“They are a hard-working people, as is Deputy Mubarak."

They’re already asking about jobs. 

“I know this community; I’ve lived here for 40 years; they will rally and they will support us,” he added. “I hope they go to that GoFundMe page and put a few dollars in for a guy who has stood with our military for a number of years and protected our military. 

‘Now its’s our turn to give back and help his family.” 

Hoffman has been working with the Sheriff's Office chief financial officer to create an Afghan Refugees Fund to help them get settled. 

At least one local congregation, Church of the Redeemer, has raised $60,000 for that effort, and presented the sheriff's office with a check Friday afternoon. 

The Rev. Charleston D. Wilson of The Church of The Redeemer said at least another $20,000 has been raised among the parish. 

Wilson said this is the type of outreach he had been praying about, as it demonstrates the connectivity of the human family. 

“All of a sudden something very national became very local and to use an overused word, it got real instantly,” said Wilson, who learned about the sheriff’s effort through an email forwarded by one of his parishioners. “We had a local connection to an an international tragedy. 

“We took that as a sign from God.” 

In all, Mubarak is now responsible for the well-being of five separate family groups. 

The first consists of two parents with four children ages 25, 24, 20, and 16; the second consists of two parents with three children ages 20, 18, and 5; the third consists of two parents with seven children ages 6, 12, 14, 15, 16, 16, and 17; the fourth consists of two parents with eight children ages 2, 5, 5, 7, 8, 10, 11, and 12. 

The fifth family are Mubarak’s brother and two sisters – all three are adults without children.

A father's blessing

With the blessing of their father Mubarak and his brother both became interpreters for the U.S. military. 

“They saved a lot of lives, over the 15 years or so they worked with Special Operations,” Hoffman said. 

Because of his work Special Forces and Col. Hoffman, Deputy Mubarak was granted U.S. citizenship. Army Gen. David McKiernan, who was then commander of the International Security Assistance Force in Afghanistan, wrote a special immigration letter that led to Mubarak entering the United States and he later brought his wife two children. 

He worked at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, and went on to spend time in Quantico, Virginia, and Twentynine Palms and Camp Pendleton in California. 

While working with the Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center in Twentynine Palms, Mubarak trained Marines about interacting with members of the Afghan community, as well as understanding the Afghan culture, while using a mock Afghan village as an immersive training ground. 

Following his work at Camp Pendleton, he went on a deployment from 2010 to 2011 in southern Afghanistan. 

Upon his return, he moved to Indiana, earned both a bachelor's degree and a master’s degree in Central Eurasian Studies and became graduate teaching assistant. 

Learning English with a British accent

Mubarak and his younger brother learned English through The HALO Trust, a non-governmental organization dedicated to removing landmines after the former Soviet Union pulled out of Afghanistan in 1988. 

The late Princess Diana raised the profile of the organization in 1997, when she waked through one of HALO’s minefields in Angola. 

The work of the HALO Trust was key to allowing people to farm and grow food. 

“Being a member of that NGO was seen as valuable, as something that you could contribute more to the community, to the people,” Mubarak said. 

On the first day Mubarak and his brother attended class with The HALO Trust, they were already a week late. Mubarak got a zero on a quiz and contemplated not continuing. 

His father, who was passionate about education, saw those studies as key for his sons’ futures. 

“It was my dad that constantly encouraged me not only to learn but he would picture the future for me,” Mubarak said, noting that picture would include wearing blue jeans and knowing what he was doing. 

“The gate to this success will be English language and English language would take you there.” 

Mubarak can speak six languages, but it was his fluency in English – complete with a British accent – that led another interpreter to recommend Mubarak and his brother to then-Capt. Randy Hoffman as both an interpreter and cultural guide. 

That cooperation with the U.S. military made it imperative for Mubarak’s family to leave Afghanistan once the Taliban assumed control of the country. 

“Back in 2003, his family was identified by the Taliban as a supporter of the United States and the United States military. Once you’re listed as a supporter, you’re automatically in danger,” Col. Hoffman said. "I would expect most of his family would be killed or they would have no future in an Islamic Emirate of Afghanistan. 

“It would be extremely difficult for his brothers-in-law to even be alive and his sister and sisters-in-law may very well have been given as brides to the Taliban.” 

An accelerated timetable

Efforts to get Mubarak’s family were already underway but the timetable was accelerated once the Taliban entered Kabul. 

“It’s been kind of a full-court press,” Sheriff Hoffman said. “We’ve enlisted Sen. Rick Scott’s office, we’ve reached out to the Marine Corps, we’ve reached out to the State Department. Both Deputy Mubarak and I have had some late-night phone calls because obviously it’s a 12-hour time difference there. 

“Fortunately, his family was able to make it onto the airport,” Hoffman continued. “After several attempts at trying to get past Taliban checkpoints, they hooked up with someone who was an interpreter on the other side of the fence (who) called out their name, they heard their name called, they made their way towards that particular gate. 

“Fortunately for us the Taliban guard who was at that gate stepped aside and let them on to the base. It’s nothing short of a miracle.” 

Because his extended family is still living on a military base, Mubarak doesn’t plan to visit and is waiting for them to arrive in Sarasota for a long-overdue reunion. 

“We can’t wait to see each other,” he said. “I haven’t seen my sister in 13 years, so this is going to be huge and a big thing.  

"I won’t be able to recognize most of my nieces; I haven’t seen them in 13 years,” he added. “I know they know me and I know them by name.” 

It means a lot to Mubarak that his family can get a fresh start in the United States. 

One of his nephews is of high school age, and his sister already asked if he can be enrolled in school in Texas. 

“It gives them this feeling of confidence and freedom and opportunity in enrolling their children without fear and sending them to school,” Mubarak said. 

“I wish I knew when I first came to the states, I wish I knew how big the American Dream was, how big the opportunities we have in the states are. 

“And I’m glad I have that now and I’ll be able to share that with them,” he added. “I'm very excited to see them and once again I’m grateful for the Sheriff’s Office help.” 

Interested?

To contribute to the Afghan Interpreter Family Relocation Initiative, visit https://www.gofundme.com/f/afghan-interpreter-family-relocation-mission.

Earle Kimel primarily covers south Sarasota County for the Herald-Tribune and can be reached at earle.kimel@heraldtribune.com. Support local journalism with a digital subscription to the Herald-Tribune.

When it comes to color, our first reaction is mostly the seven-tone spectrum of the rainbow. Color has a particularly important and prominent role in China in both the language and aesthetics. Some rarely used Chinese characters are assigned a specific color, and these figurative prototypes have developed into poetic images with the changing of the times.

Incorporating Chinese colors and their cultural essence into the campus is what educators at Yunjin Primary School in Southwest China's Chongqi municipality believe a first step toward reviving the traditional aesthetic consciousness-using Chinese colors and patterns to ingeniously design their school logo and build up cultural meaning.

The school has designated "wisdom purple", a specially designed shade of the module selected from Yun brocade, a traditional silk technique that boasts a nuance of 27 colors. Banners and logos based on the color are seen everywhere on campus, and even the school public WeChat account and PowerPoint templates take advantage of these symbols to strengthen the sense of belonging among faculty and students.

Wu Min, associate of the project at Dett Design based in Chongqing, says these colors are the precipitation and quintessence of Chinese culture, as well as the best educational resource for cultivating aesthetic qualities and cultural self-confidence.

"For example, xiang lu zi yan, translated literally into English as incense burner purple smoke, would lose most of its poetic conjecture in the translation," Wu says.

"But if a child is brought up in a Chinese context, they would know perfectly well that the four-word abbreviation comes from a famous quote, 'In sunshine censer peak breathes purple vapor'. Here the purple color is cleverly used with poetic words to 'speak' the concrete and 'paint' an image," Wu says.

In a Japanese elementary school not far from Odaiba, Tokyo, traditional colors and allusions are used to decorate the corridor walls. "Amur cork tree", "golden tea", "Edo purple"-each wall presents elegant traditional colors in turn, supplemented by fonts to introduce their origins.

"How can children not cherish and love the traditional colors and aesthetic traditions of their country?" says scholar Guo Hao after a visit to the school. Guo also wrote the book Traditional Chinese Colors.

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If you're browsing online, you may run into websites that you need to translate. Here are six ways to translate any webpages you visit.

When browsing the internet, there's a good chance you'll come across webpages in languages other than English. To read the content on these websites, you'll need to translate them into a language you can understand.

Here are six methods to translate the language on any webpage you visit, so you can access the web without being pulled back by a language barrier.

1. Translate Any Webpage With Google Translate

You've undoubtedly used Google Translate to interpret phrases into several languages. Google also allows you to translate entire webpages between any languages you prefer.

Here's how to translate webpages using Google Translate:

1. Open Google Translate in your preferred web browser.
2. In the Google Translate box, paste the URL of the website you intend to translate.
3. Select the language you wish to translate your web page to by clicking the Down arrow in the center-right of your screen.
4. To view the site, go to Google Translate's Translation side and click on the link.

You can also use Google Translate in any app on Android devices and iOS devices too.

2. Easily Translate With Microsoft Bing's Translator

Bing's Translator works in the same way as Google Translate. If you prefer the Microsoft Bing search engine, you can use Bing's Translator to translate any online page.

The steps to follow are:

1. Open Bing Microsoft Translator in your web browser.
2. To translate, copy the link and paste it into the text box.
3. Next, select your preferred language.
4. To read the online content in your favorite language, click on the link.

3. Translate Webpages in Google Chrome

If Google Chrome is your preferred, you don't need to bother finding any online translation tools, as your web browser will handle it for you.

Here's how you can translate webpages using the Google Chrome browser:

1. Open any website in a regional language on your Chrome browser. A popup with the Google Translate logo appears on the far-right side of your address bar.
2. Select your language. Your default language will be pre-selected, but you can on click on More to translate the webpage into any other language.

4. Install Add-ons on Mozilla Firefox to Translate

On your Mozilla Firefox browser, you will have to download Add-ons to change the language of the webpage.

Here's how to find and use a translator Add-on in Firefox:

1. Search for Translator Add-ons on Firefox.
2. Add any translator add-on to Firefox. With most Add-ons, you can choose Translate Web Pages, which appears at the top of your window.
3. Set up the Add-on settings by adding your preferred languages.
4. Now, when you open a website in a different language, you’ll see a translation icon on the right end of your address bar.
5. Click on the translation icon to read the content on the website in your own language.

5. Language Translation on Microsoft Edge

If you surf the internet on Windows’ default web browser Microsoft Edge, you can automatically translate webpages to any language you like on this browser too.

Here’s how to translate on the Edge browser:

1. Open any website in a foreign language on your browser.
2. A Bing Translate logo will pop up in your address bar.
3. Click on the Translate button to interpret the webpage into your language.

6. Translate Webpages on Safari

Apple device owners can translate webpages with a built-in translation feature. Any Mac or iOS devices running a version of Safari after the 2020 release, can take advantage of this feature.

To translate any web page on Safari:

1. Click on the Translation button in the top-left corner of the address bar on Safari.
2. From the drop-down menu, you can choose to translate to English or any preferred language.

Web Translation Is a Big Help Online

Language translation tools are very beneficial when browsing the interne, to make websites accessible to everyone, and internet browsing more convenient.

It's worth noting that translations by these tools aren't always accurate and may not always translate text to its exact meaning. For the most part, you should be able to work out any mistakes, but don't solely rely on translation tools.

After fighting a long war with his enemies, the lion Talhan could establish his government in the jungle. One day he invited all the animals of the jungle so that he could address them and also explain the rules of his politics to them.
The animals of the forest gathered to listen to their new king, Talhan.
Talhan sat on high ground and made a powerful show of his power in front of the animals who had gathered to listen to him. He began his speech with these words: “I just want to take care of your issues and problems. After having established a just system of governance among you, I would focus on the external threats that our territory is facing. And….”
After the end of his speech to the animals, a donkey, who was in the audience, said, “This is the king who we have been looking and waiting for long.” A monkey who was there asked the donkey, “why?”
“Didn’t you listen to his speech? He promised truth and justice for all,” the donkey said.
“It is very easy to make promises. What is important is the fulfilment of those promises,” said the monkey.
“Don’t be a pessimist. I am satisfied with the speech of the king,” said the donkey to the monkey.
“Don’t rush to conclusion. His policies of governance will prove him right or wrong,” said the monkey to the donkey.
“How?” asked the donkey.
“Just see the animals whom he takes as his advisors, helpers, and supporters in running the affairs of the jungle, then you will come to know,” he elaborated.
Some days after this meeting with the animals, the new king of the jungle announced that he had decided to appoint the wolf as his chief administrator, who would be managing and controlling all the affairs of the jungle on his behalf.
Upon hearing the announcement, a giraffe said to a deer who was her friend, “Wolf Tamaan has become the chief administrator of the jungle. The same wolf Tamaan who is responsible for kidnapping animals and killing their children. This is, indeed, a tragedy. Who would we complain to when we would face any injustice and our food is stolen or our children are killed? He has now become more powerful.”
She further elaborated, “The old king of the jungle would check him and would even decide against him. But now he would be doing all sorts of injustices and crimes in the name of the new king.”
One day, the wolf had a meeting with the other wolves of the jungle wherein he said, “The days of hunger and bereavement are over now. Whatever anyone of you can steal now from other animals and whosoever animal you would be able to kill and eat, you are free to do that.”
The other wolves present in the meeting said to him, “How would the new king of the forest respond to such behaviour?”
“The new king, lion Talhan, will participate in our bounty of fresh and sweet food from the flesh of animals and if any of the animals would object to our action, its flesh would be permissible for all of us,” said the wolf.
“How would that be possible?” asked the other wolves.
“We would complain to the king that such and such animal does not like him and would further complain that such and such animal is in correspondence with the old king, lion Salhan.”
All the wolves laughed while their mouths were watering at the prospects awaiting them. All of them said “Good bye to hunger and lack of food!” They even said, “Long live lion Talhan!”
The environment of the jungle changed. All the animals feared for the lives of their younger ones upon seeing the oppression and crimes of wolves.
The animals, with the passage of time, stopped approaching the wolf, Tamaan, and the king, lion Talhan, for the redress of their grievances. Every one amongst them tried to settle things with whatever power they had.
One day a monkey went to an elephant called Fahman and said to him, “Why don’t you, sir, advise the new king Talhan as you were doing to the old king, Talhan?”
“He never asks me for it. But even if he ever would, I would now offer it to him,” said the elephant to the monkey. He further said, “I alone cannot change the things. All those animals who surround the new king and advise him are the worst lot of animals who would never allow him to go for any change in policies.”
“What is the solution?” asked the monkey.
“The solution is that a group of animals should visit the new king and brief him about the realities,” said the elephant.
“Doesn’t he know the truth? He is himself a partner in the crimes of wolves. He has crossed all limits of the misuse of his power,” said the monkey.
There were no rains after some time in the forest. The forest dried up. There was shortage of water in every corner of the jungle.
The wolves controlled all the wells of water where they drank to the content of their hearts and also played with the water, but they would not allow the other thirsty animals to approach these wells.
The donkey said to the monkey, “Now I understand what you had said that day. The new king Talhan does not bother about the fact that the animals of the jungle are dying of thirst while he and his close associates enjoy.”
One morning, all the animals of the jungle went to a well for drinking water but they were shocked to see that the wolves were already guarding it. They had to return without quenching their thirst.
The thirst among the elderly animals intensified and their younger ones started crying. As a result of their growing anger, they one day started an uprising against the wolves. There was a fierce battle between the animals and the wolves. A huge number of wolves were killed. The new king Talhan was scared and he publicly expressed his anger against the wolf. He, in fact, suspended him from the assignment of being his chief administrator.
Upon seeing this change, the elephant said to the king, “O king, the problem is not with wolf Tamaan.”
“Where does the problem lie then?” asked the king.
“The problem lies in your politics and your method of governance, as you are the one who appointed the wolf as chief administrator when you knew that he is a thief and a bad listener as well,” said the elephant.
“I have suspended him and expelled him from the jungle also,” said the king.
“You too must leave the jungle now,” said the elephant to the king.
“Who would rule the jungle then?” asked the king.
“Lion Salhan would return as the king of the jungle,” replied the elephant.
“I would never allow it to happen,” threatened the king.
“But that is going to happen,” said the elephant.
The elephant Fahman proceeded towards lion Talhan and there started a fierce battle between the two. Lion Talhan was seriously injured in the fight between the two. Upon seeing the king injured, the animals of the forest came out and pounced upon the lion and killed him.
The elephant Fahman sent a message to lion Salhan and requested him to return as the king of the jungle.
The monkey said to the donkey, “What is your opinion, now?”
“I feel the jungle would be full of blessings now by the return of lion Salhan,” said the donkey. “But I am surprised by one thing.”
“What is that?” asked the donkey.
“Lion Salhan returned as the king of the jungle without any apparent power on his side and lion Talhan lost his power and got killed despite having the brutal force of wolves at his disposal,” explained the monkey.
Here the monkey said something very amazing to the donkey, “Truth is the most powerful thing in the world, even though the whole world be against it.”

ameenparray@gmail.com

RIYADH: A 10-day writing retreat organized by the Literature, Translation and Publishing Commission, in collaboration with the Soudah Development Company, kicked off on Thursday in Soudah, Asir region, with the participation of a number of writers from Saudi Arabia and various countries around the world.

The commission noted that the retreat features training workshops provided by specialized guides, panel discussions, tours in selected areas, and working and writing sessions.

The writing retreat in Soudah complements those launched by the Ministry of Culture in the Qassim region in 2019.

The commission is seeking to organize several such retreats before the end of the year, with the aim of exchanging experiences between local and international writers and achieving international cultural communication by bringing together different literary cultures that will pave the way for a stimulating writing and creative environment.

"When are you going to have babies?", "You've put on a bit of weight!", "Don't be so touchy!". In Russia, many people encounter dozens of intrusions into their personal space and privacy almost daily. What is it - a lack of manners or a cultural characteristic?

It often happens in an ordinary queue at the checkout in a store: Despite the pandemic, someone is bound to be breathing straight down your neck or pushing you with their bag. Many people even today are put under pressure within their own families, with their parents or relatives inundating them with questions such as "When's the wedding?" or "When are the babies coming?". Or they even try to exert influence on the everyday lives of their adult children - from their choice of profession or partner to the tidiness of their flats or their lifestyle.

Born in the USSR

There is a well-known joke in Russia: "Why can't you have sex on Red Square? Because you will be inundated with advice". A legacy of the "Land of the Soviets" is unsolicited advice [in Russian, the noun "soviet" denotes a local, regional or national council, but it can also mean a "piece of advice"], while a legacy of socialism is that everyone pokes their nose into everyone else's affairs.

'Heart of the dog' novel and movie is exactly about how the low class became the ruling gone

Vladimir Bortko/Lenfilm, 1988

"During Soviet times, the culture of the bulk of the population - i.e. workers and peasants - became dominant. And the characteristic behaviour of these classes became the norm," explains Natalya Tikhonova, a chief research fellow at the Center for Stratification Studies at the National Research University Higher School of Economics. "For them, a person's earnings or intra-family relations were not a taboo subject."

The phenomenon of Soviet communal apartments completely deprived people of the opportunity to get away from other people and to keep their personal lives private. After the Revolution luxurious aristocratic apartments and mansions were "compacted" - each room had a different tenant or even a whole family living in it. It was part of the struggle against social injustice, except that the shower, toilet and kitchen had to be shared with the other tenants.

A common kitchen in a Soviet communal apartment

Oleg Ivanov/TASS

Therefore, when in the 1950s families started to be allocated individual accommodation en masse, everyone was delighted to have a separate flat, albeit small and modest.

Also, there was a citizens' oversight system in the USSR. An unfaithful or heavy-drinking individual, male or female, could easily end up being summoned to a "comrades' court" at work or be expelled from the Communist Party. Those who didn't perform well at school or university could be compulsorily put under the supervision of the best students.

As a result of many years of intrusion into people's private lives, which became effectively non-existent, there was essentially no notion of privacy in Russia. And this state of affairs still persists today.

There is no word in Russian for 'privacy'

"I won't miss people breathing down your neck in the pharmacy line, asking why you picked out such expensive medicine. (There is no word in Russian for "privacy")," American journalist Julia Ioffe wrote when she returned to the U.S. after several years working in Russia.

Moscow metro passengers

Sergei Bobylev/TASS

The dictionaries give the meaning of the English word "privacy" as "being alone and undisturbed: the right to this freedom from intrusion or public attention", in other words the right to avoid intrusive attention from others. According to linguists, the word really doesn't have an exact equivalent in the Russian language. Depending on the context, it can be translated with the help of terms such as "private", "personal" or "confidential", but these words do not fully reflect all its shades of meaning.

Linguist Tatiana Larina proposes the notion of "avtonomiya lichnosti" [individual autonomy] as an equivalent. In the English language, this right to be alone is an important cultural phenomenon since there is even a saying "my home is my castle". But in Russian culture this notion is not widespread because frequently it is only lawyers who know about the inviolability of private life in Russia.

Disrespect for personal space

In spite of the pandemic, many people in Russia fail to observe social distancing. This happens very frequently in queues where people of the older generation squeeze up against those standing in front of them until they are almost touching.

A line for rubber boots

Vadim Zhernov/TASS

"Recently I even asked a woman to keep her distance, but you should have seen what she snorted angrily at me in response," says Elena, an accountant from Moscow. "Many people think - it seems to be a legacy of Soviet times - that if you stand more than a meter behind the person in front of you, someone is bound to push in and steal your place in the queue. It's the same on the roads with drivers."

Another ordeal for people sensitive to privacy is posed by public transport. In any mass transit system in the world in the rush hour there is going to be a crowd of people all squeezed up against one another and all feeling exactly the same way (hemmed in).

In a suburb train

Pavel Smertin/TASS

At the same time, even in these situations it should be possible to observe certain rules of decorum. "I was once sitting in the Metro and a woman standing in front of me kept brushing against me with her large and not particularly clean carrier bag. I asked her to take care with her bag, to which she responded by launching into an angry tirade to the effect that she had nowhere to put her bag, and if I didn't like it here I should travel in my own car and that I wasn't the only person here..." says Alexandra, a pensioner from Moscow.

A shock to foreigners

Whereas Russians have by and large got used to having their personal boundaries violated, foreigners in Russia are sometimes genuinely shocked by behavior they find tactless. Lucia from Italy lived in Russia for a number of years and encountered such things on more than one occasion. The woman in charge of monitoring the floor of residence at the Russian State University for the Humanities where she was a student would come into her room without warning or knocking and discover her draped in a towel or wearing her nightwear - and would not be the least bit abashed. "My friends explained that in Soviet times there was no concept of privacy as we understand it nowadays, and her behavior was just part of that mentality," Lucia says.

Foreign students in a dorm of the Peoples' Friendship University of Russia

Ruslan Krivobok/Sputnik

Frenchman Erwann has lived in various Russian cities and experienced for himself this same "cultural peculiarity" of Russians so frequently that he has even stopped being surprised. The most striking example happened to him in Nizhny Novgorod. Erwann was a student there for a whole year and rented a flat near the university, and his landlord treated him as a son from the outset... and in a fatherly fashion started coming over without warning early in the morning every Sunday, and could remain chatting for the whole day. According to Erwann, in France people at the very least give prior warning that they are going to drop in, and more often than not arrange meetings in good time.

An inevitable ordeal for foreigners is also posed by personal questions from people they don't know well. "I don't know how many times I've been asked "Are you married?" within a minute of meeting someone," Erwann says, laughing. Lucia says she was initially irritated by excessively personal questions from people she did not know well: How much did she earn? Did she plan to marry and have children? But then she also got used to it and stopped being surprised or embarrassed.

"Russians don't really have a concept or understanding of "boundaries". It is absolutely common for strangers to start asking you personal questions and offering advice (that they were never asked to provide...). Even when I go to the doctor in Russia, the female doctors will ask if I have children and when I say I don't, they'll ask why not," says Mariya, who is Russian but grew up in America and has lived in a number of different countries. She does not advise people to interpret it as a negative trait or as a lack of manners, however. "I don't think it should be taken the wrong way. Russians are genuinely curious, open and helpful people so many of them are not consciously trying to invade your privacy or be too nosy or make you uncomfortable. It's just a national trait, if you will, so I've learned to live with it and not let it bother me."

The fashion for privacy

Still, in a small section of the population, privacy has always existed. Before the 1917 Revolution it was the privilege of the nobility and in Soviet times it existed in the milieu of the educated intelligentsia. For them, there were questions that were inappropriate to ask and there was an idea of personal space.

"[Of late] psychotherapists are frequently approached by people experiencing problems to do with separation from, and the creation of boundaries with, their loved ones," says psychologist Galina Laysheva from the YouTalk service. "Many people feel that their parents are overly controlling or that they continue to preoccupy them psychologically even when they have moved out of the parental home."

Also, according to the psychologist, the idea of working through your feelings and developing your emotional intelligence in general is now becoming popular and even fashionable.

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