No matter where you go on our beautiful blue globe, English changes according to the culture and native tongue of the particular area. Sometimes understanding what the other person is saying proves to be slightly difficult, but with patience and a little creativity communication can be relatively pain free and enjoyable.
Literature has also come to reflect the differences in expression and slang in the English language. In my youth reading a copy of Chinua Achebe's Things Fall Apart for my literature class was as foreign as reading Ngugi wa Thiong'o's The River Between. There were things I learned about the Nigerian and Kenyan culture that opened my eyes to things I may have not otherwise known.
This kind of exposure has not only been by African authors, but by American authors and screenplays as well. A popular phrase heard around Qalil.com is one taken from something Madea, a character played by Tyler Perry.
Google Translate via Chrome has allowed me to follow some passionate blogs by various people around the World. I can follow Basketball in a blog written in Portuguese from Angola, understand the issues that may lead up to another bout of civil unrest in Morocco or enjoy the beautiful descriptions of Tanzania written in Swahili The World has fewer and fewer boundaries.
The of course, I had to happen upon the one book I am curious to read that will take a little longer for me to have access to. Masimba Musodza has written a sci-fi novel in Shona. Shona is an African language spoken by a group of people who can be found in Botswana and Zimbabwe. Musodza's book, MunaHacha Maive Nei? presents another challenge for the language challenged curious George. I want to know what is in the book. Exerpts can be found here, all written in Shona and a puzzle for those of us that do not speak it.
The novel tackles issues ranging from greed and corruption to sustainable development and corporate intrigue. Harmful checmicals are released into the ecosystem by a research station operating in secret and the animals and plants begin to mutate. After a child has been attacked, the locals believe it to be one of the custodians of their folk lore and attempt to appease it, but they soon realize the reality which is wilder and more horrifying than their minds could have imagined.
See what I'm saying? Now how am I supposed to read this one? I want to know. I'll probably phone my own Zimbabwean friend and talk her into reading it to me over the phone.
Needless to say, the World is getting smaller as language barriers continue to fall to the ground. I'm off to go rent a wrecking ball!
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I have never thought that I wanted to read something in a different language. What is the purpose of that? The more we go meddling in other people's business the worse it is going to get for us!
How did you make Google Translate work for you? It seems so tiresome to always have to go back and forth copying and pasting text.
Wow, this all seems so surreal! I visited Zimbabwe in the mid 90's and learned a little shona, but certainly not enough to read this book.
I don't believe that english ever stays the same. The old english spoken in King James time is certainly not a reflection of the way we understand english now. Maybe misunderestimate will actually become a word the way hizzouse became a word.
@AlwaysAsking, I think that knowing more about a culture is what brings us together rather than what would tear us apart. Don't you think so?
@YuppyChick, Um, I use Google Chrome so I think that might have something to do with it. When I get to a website that is written in a different language a bar pops up at the top asking to translate it for me. It may just be the browser. I'm not sure.
Interesting thoughts shared on this subject. I also want to read this book but would have to wait for sometime. I posted a press release on it on my blog today. I am happy we are sharing in this success.
@Fredua. I saw your post which is why I tagged you. I would love to see more Africans writing literature in their languages.
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