A Parting Summary of Bore
Mark McGee errancy@infidels.org
Wed, 14 Jul 1999 08:31:03 +0100 (00931955463, v03130301b3b1eb7466f3@[128.83.43.8])
><snip Burdette's 17th "parting rant">
>
>RPHIL
>> I've seen so many people do good translation jobs on this list, I'd
>> like to give it a try. "Since I believe in the Bible I will believe an
>> inprobable explanation over a probable one. Until Till agrees to criteria
>> that puts a burden of proof of 100% on the errantist, I will not debate him.
>> Perhaps I can slide in a pathetic insult to Till before I leave with my tail
>> between my legs"
>
>> It is my first attempt at these translations. How did I do?
>
>ATTORNEY REVEREND FLUFFY
>Not too bad. Not too bad at all. I would, however, change "... before I
>leave with my tail between my legs" to "... before I scream like a girl."
>That would fit the Burdette man-child a bit better, in my judgment.
>
>Bullshit-to-English translations are such a tricky science.
McGEE
"...before I scream like a girl" does indeed fit the context of a true
believer in one of the more misogynistic religions to come down the pike in
the last 3000 years, but it loses literal significance when translated into
the language of skeptics. To maintain the intent of the phrase, RPHIL's
original translation seems superior, IMHO. After all, RPHIL might "scream
like a girl" for a variety of reasons which have nothing to do with his
failure to present a cogent criterion, or to accept the "p and ~p"
criterion, or to even suggest a means of finding an "acceptable" criterion.
Besides, my 11 year old niece (bless her heart!) recently stumped her
Sunday school teacher with "Why does Jesus say he will be dead for three
nights and three days if he was only in the tomb for two nights and a day?"
So, as you can see, a phrase like "scream like a girl" can lose its
contextual significance just as easily as any biblical prophesy can.....