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Views from the Choir Loft

Book Title • “English As She Is Spoke”

Jeff Ostrowski · December 2, 2020

The following is an excerpt from “Trials Of A Translator” (1949). This little excerpt demonstrates not only Monsignor Ronald A. Knox’s tremendous grasp of languages, but also shows he was quite humorous!

O MUCH FOR sentences; and now, what of phrases? It stands to reason that no two languages have exactly the same idiom; that the English for “Comment vous portez-vous?” is not “How do you carry yourself?” If anybody has come across that extremely rare book, English as she is Spoke, he will know what I mean. The book was a phrase-book compiled by a Portuguese author for the benefit of English travelers in Portugal. And you do not need much critical insight to detect the fact that this well-meaning gentleman knew no English at all. He knew French; so he translated his sentences into French and then did them into English with a dictionary. Consequently, when he wanted to render a Portuguese idiom which meant, “to wait about, to kick one’s heels,” he could do all right for the first part of his process; he knew that the corresponding idiom in French was “croquer le marmot”—I have no notion why. The English, therefore, for kicking one’s heels was “to crunch the marmoset.”

It is an extremely entertaining book; but, if you come to think of it, practically every translation of the Bible you have ever read makes errors which are quite as ludicrous—only we are accustomed to them. Douay was consistent; it translated the Latin word for word, and if you protested that its version sounded rather odd, replied woodenly, “Well, that’s what it says.” In the eleventh psalm, for instance, you get the words “deceitful lips, they have spoken in heart and heart.” Even Challoner saw that that would not do, so he pillaged from the Authorized Version and gave us “with a double heart have they spoken.” I don’t see what a double heart could be except an abnormal anatomical condition, or an obscure kind of convention at bridge; but anyhow it sounds a little more like English. But when the Latin had “renew a right spirit within my bowels,” that was what Challoner put; and when the Latin had “Examine, O Lord, my kidneys,” Challoner put that down, too; only he changed kidneys to the obsolete word “reins,” hoping that his readers would not look it up in the dictionary.

We are sensible of these Hebraisms, and most of us would like to see the last of them. But there are hundreds and hundreds of other Hebraisms which we do not notice, because we have allowed ourselves to grow accustomed to them. We should have thought it odd if we had read in The Times: “General Montgomery’s right hand has smitten Rommel in the hinder parts.” But if we get that sort of thing in the Bible, we take it—unlike Rommel—sitting down. “Mr. Churchill then opened his mouth and spoke”—is that English? No, it is Hebrew idiom clothed in English words.

SOURCE: “Trials Of A Translator” (1949)

Opinions by blog authors do not necessarily represent the views of Corpus Christi Watershed.

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Filed Under: Articles Tagged With: Monsignor Ronald Knox Traditional Mass Last Updated: April 12, 2021

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Jeff Ostrowski

About Jeff Ostrowski

Jeff Ostrowski holds his B.M. in Music Theory from the University of Kansas (2004). He resides with his wife and children in Los Angeles.—(Read full biography).

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Can You Spare 33 Seconds?

Here’s an audio excerpt (33 seconds) of a setting for Kyrie VIII which was recorded live last Sunday at our parish in Los Angeles. The setting (“Missa de Angelis”) is by composer Richard Rice, and you can download the free PDF if you click here and scroll to the bottom. I think Richard’s composition is marvelous. I missed a few notes on the organ, but I’ll get them right next time.

—Jeff Ostrowski
5 April 2021 • When Girls Sing

Covid restrictions here in California are still extremely severe—switching “two weeks to flatten the curve” into “two years to flatten the curve.” Since 2020, we’ve had police breaking into our church to check if everyone is wearing a mask…even when only 5-6 people are present! But we were allowed to have a small percentage of our singers back on Easter Sunday, and here is their live recording of the ancient Catholic hymn for Eastertide: Ad Cenam Agni Providi. The girls were so very excited to sing again—you can hear it in their voices!

—Jeff Ostrowski
29 March 2021 • FEEDBACK

“E.S.” in North Dakota writes: “I just wanted to take a moment to say THANK YOU for all the hard work you have put—and continue to put—into your wonderful website. In the past two years, my parish has moved from a little house basement into a brand new church and gone from a few families receiving Low Masses twice a month to several families (and many individuals) receiving Mass every Sunday, two Saturdays a month, and every Holy Day. Our priest has been incorporating more and more High Masses and various ceremonies into our lives, which has made my job as a huge newbie choir master very trying and complicated. CCWatershed has been an invaluable resource in helping me get on my feet and know what to do!!! Thank you more than I can express! May God bless you abundantly and assist you in your work and daily lives!”

—Jeff Ostrowski

Random Quote

“At the hour for the Divine Office, | as soon as the signal is heard, | let them abandon whatever they may have in hand | and hasten with the greatest speed, | yet with seriousness, so that there is no excuse for levity. | Let nothing be preferred to the sacred liturgy.”

— Rule of St. Benedict (Chapter 43)

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