tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33396389730218490272012-01-23T08:59:47.305-07:00Quotations, notes, and rambling meditations on life, literature, and languageBrendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13912318050324340091noreply@blogger.comBlogger861100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3339638973021849027.post-508612814928263232011-07-27T06:32:00.000-06:002011-07-27T06:32:00.645-06:00

I came across another interesting example the other day for my occasional series on nonsense poetry -- a pair of poems in German and Latin from Christian Morgenstern's delightful Galgenlieder. (For German learners in particular I recommend -- if one is not already familiar with it -- another poem of his, "Der Werwolf", which plays with the German case system. This poem has inspired some very

Brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13912318050324340091noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3339638973021849027.post-79149805185606530732011-07-03T15:14:00.000-06:002011-07-03T15:14:02.836-06:00

As I've been working with my German students I've noticed a number of topics which many of them seem to struggle with and which none of the textbooks or practice grammars that I have really seem to cover adequately. Generally these tend to be semantic-pragmatic challenges; syntax and morphology can be drilled quite effectively, but producing meaning is much less mechanical. 1) How to talk about

Brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13912318050324340091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3339638973021849027.post-78549252572427986912011-05-28T22:00:00.059-06:002011-07-09T16:52:50.676-06:00

Relativ oft bin ich über zwei Wörter in deutschen Foren gestolpert, wo ich nicht so richtig weiss, was ich darüber denken soll. Es handelt sich wieder um Anglizismen. Was hier allerdings merkwürdig ist, sie sind keine Begriffe, die auf deutsch einfach anders gebraucht werden als in (amerikanischen) Englisch. Das verstehe ich, auch wenn es mich gelegentlich verwirrt. Hier wird ganz deutlich

Brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13912318050324340091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3339638973021849027.post-53922187716700215342011-05-10T14:17:00.000-06:002011-05-10T14:17:22.414-06:00

I'm already starting to get excited about a production of Gogol's Revizor which will be performed this summer bilingually in Russian and English at the local Shakespeare festival. This kind of thing absolutely fascinates me, for reasons which should be obvious to my readers here. And it seems to be something which is not terribly uncommon; at least, I can think of a number of other similar

Brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13912318050324340091noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3339638973021849027.post-49440555740106065872011-05-05T17:21:00.000-06:002011-05-05T17:21:58.946-06:00

Seit Wochen schriebe ich nichts zu Ende. Und doch wimmert mein Kopf gerade so mit Gedanken. Zu viele Gedanken, vielleicht, dass ich nicht mehr weiss, wo ich anfangen soll. Da Schreiben eine gewisse Ordnung benötigt. Auch die Gedanken an Freunden, die ich seit Monaten nicht geschrieben habe, obwohl ich sie nie vergesse. Es ist einfach alles zu viel. Ich merke immer mehr in letzter Zeit, wie viel

Brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13912318050324340091noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3339638973021849027.post-25725690513076091752011-03-01T12:16:00.000-07:002011-03-01T12:16:47.181-07:00

Ursula K. Le Guin's novel The Left Hand of Darkness is another interesting example of a science fiction novel that confronts the reader with "difference" and asks him to shift his perspective during the course of the narrative, "seeing" the world finally through other eyes (I use 'he' deliberately here for the generic pronoun, as the novel arguably assumes a masculine point-of-view even while it

Brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13912318050324340091noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3339638973021849027.post-1284112348012836172011-02-14T17:44:00.000-07:002011-02-14T17:44:51.425-07:00

For some time I've been involved with the Internet Book List, which is basically an online book database which keeps track of various types of cataloging information (synopsis, contents, translations, etc). What has always particularly interested me is the potential offered by such a database for finding information which is not -- or has not been until recently -- easy to find anywhere else, at

Brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13912318050324340091noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3339638973021849027.post-42680817144139237912011-02-11T23:08:00.001-07:002011-02-11T23:11:17.599-07:00

I'm interested in the way some science fiction novels transform language in order to emphasize the 'otherness' of the society being portrayed so that the reader is forced to actively negotiate this difference in the process of understanding the story. We might call this a form of Verfremdung. I'm abusing Brecht's terminology here, but I'm not sure that there's another term that expresses what

Brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13912318050324340091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3339638973021849027.post-5045944555448937222011-01-27T12:51:00.003-07:002011-02-06T12:07:48.651-07:00

Baacke, Dieter. “Spiele jenseits der Grenze. Zur Phänomenologie und Theorie des Nonsens.” Deutsche Unsinnspoesie. Ed. Klaus Peter Dencker. Stuttgart: Reclam, 1978. Baier, A.C. “Nonsense.” Macmillan Encyclopedia of Philosophy. 1967. Blumenfeld, Walter. Sinn und Unsinn. Munich: Ernst Reinhard, 1933. Chaouli, Michel. “Die ‘Verwandtschaftstafeln der Buchstaben’ und das Produktion von Sinn

Brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13912318050324340091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3339638973021849027.post-84301492884740786292011-01-07T12:59:00.033-07:002011-05-19T12:44:03.367-06:00

I'm discovering that when I teach I have a tendency to assume that my students learn the same way I do. I assume that they are capable and motivated to learn on their own. That my job is mostly just to facilitate the process, to provide them with a chance to practice speaking and to answer questions as someone who simply has more information than they do. Not that they need me to tell them how to

Brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13912318050324340091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3339638973021849027.post-8277636575735367672011-01-04T12:21:00.037-07:002011-01-27T11:05:23.547-07:00

Night Fishing (Derek Walcott) Line, trawl for each word with the homesick toss of a black pirogue anchored in stuttering phosphorus. The crab-fishers’ torches keep to the surf’s crooked line, and a cloud’s page scorches with a smell of kerosene. Thorny stars halo the sybil’s black cry “Apothanein thelo I am longing to die.” But line, live in the sounds that ignorant shallows use; then throw

Brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13912318050324340091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3339638973021849027.post-50833358266257747372010-12-20T13:24:00.001-07:002011-01-07T13:32:56.130-07:00

(It seems that I never got around to posting the continuation of this series. So here is the much-belated final installment.) De Partis Animalibus I, 1. 640b 31 – 641a 5 φησὶ γοῦν παντὶ δῆλον εἶναι οἷόν τι τὴν μορφήν ἐστι ὁ ἀνθρωπος, ὡς ὄντος αὐτοῦ τῷ τε σχήματι καὶ τῷ χρώματι γνωρίμου. καίτοι καὶ ὁ τεθνεὼς ἔχει τὴν αὐτὴν τοῦ σχήματος μορφήν, ἀλλ’ ὅμως οὐκ ἔστιν ἄνθρωπος. ἔτι δ’ ἀδύνατον

Brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13912318050324340091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3339638973021849027.post-38529490146107204642010-11-30T21:32:00.000-07:002010-12-10T22:27:32.723-07:00

This is a somewhat odd play from Shakespeare, but I think it is precisely its oddness which makes it relevant today. His king is not portrayed as a "great" figure (whether for good or for bad), as one expects from the tragedies and histories. Instead, the plot resembles nothing so much as a family quarrel, played out over the battleground of France. The two queens hatred for one another seems

Brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13912318050324340091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3339638973021849027.post-30043434704097645732010-11-12T03:20:00.132-07:002010-12-10T20:47:38.806-07:00

Funklös, so war's, und Glitschodeme Rotierten und raplantschten rum, Das Burgtier tat, als ob's sich schäme, Ein Ratz war laut und einer stumm. (trans. Paul Celan & Guido G. Meister, 1964) (the original) `Twas brillig, and the slithy toves Did gyre and gimble in the wabe: All mimsy were the borogoves, And the mome raths outgrabe. (For comparison with other German translations of the poem, see

Brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13912318050324340091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3339638973021849027.post-66612014572201199472010-10-24T14:01:00.022-06:002011-05-05T17:23:05.412-06:00

Ich denke ernsthaft daran, für eine Promotionsstelle zu bewerben. Die Gründe, warum ich mich dagegen entschieden habe, sind nach wie vor gültig. Trotzdem: I feel like a cop-out. Als ob ich einfach zu feig war. Die Angst, dass ich nach der Promotion scheitere, ist groß. Und dann wäre ich noch weniger als jetzt in der Lage, Arbeit zu finden. Deshalb der Wunsch zu beweisen, dass ich etwas anderes

Brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13912318050324340091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3339638973021849027.post-49230379339055900952010-10-16T01:22:00.041-06:002010-11-16T16:17:00.885-07:00

Sea Grapes (Derek Walcott) That sail which leans on light, tired of islands, a schooner beating up the Caribbean for home, could be Odysseus, home-bound on the Aegean; that father and husband's longing, under gnarled sour grapes, is like the adulterer hearing Nausicaa's name in every gull's outcry. This brings nobody peace. The ancient war between obsession and responsibility will never

Brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13912318050324340091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3339638973021849027.post-100751573276098882010-09-28T09:09:00.000-06:002010-09-28T09:09:56.379-06:00

What's wrong with this picture? Those are πs, people! Not ωs. (Ok, I know there's a least a slight chance that whoever was doing the inscription didn't know Greek. But surely anyone who has taken basic geometry or a bit of physics can distinguish a pi from an omega???) Nope, nobody here but us language geeks. Photo: Sign by the entrance to the CU-Boulder campus, near the Wolf Law Building.

Brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13912318050324340091noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3339638973021849027.post-49606768473157768862010-09-16T09:35:00.059-06:002011-05-05T17:23:05.414-06:00

So schnell vergisst man. Schon nach zwei Wochen merke ich, wie die Sprache immer weiter zurückweicht. Die Leichtigkeit beim Reden ist vorbei, ich muss die Worte entgraben und ich höre. wie die amerikanischen Vokalen immer deutlicher im meinem Mund werden. Das, obwohl meine Rede immer noch manchmal vom deutschen Syntax leicht geprägt ist. So schnell geht es. Anfangs wohl noch auffälliger als

Brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13912318050324340091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3339638973021849027.post-77480906935970008072010-09-14T19:02:00.000-06:002010-09-14T19:02:28.057-06:00

Одиссей Телемаку (Joseph Brodsky) Мой Tелемак, Tроянская война окончена. Кто победил - не помню. Должно быть, греки: столько мертвецов вне дома бросить могут только греки... И все-таки ведущая домой дорога оказалась слишком длинной, как будто Посейдон, пока мы там теряли время, растянул пространство. Мне неизвестно, где я нахожусь, что предо мной. Какой-то грязный остров, кусты, постройки,

Brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13912318050324340091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3339638973021849027.post-19894477889103535592010-09-13T08:54:00.000-06:002010-09-28T15:33:18.819-06:00

Vor der Abreise habe ich drei Tage in der Schweiz bei einem Freund verbracht. Was am ersten auffällt sind die Vertikale. Es geht ständig nach oben und nach unten. Die Städte sind wirklich in den Bergen gebaut: als ich am Bahnhof in Baden ankam, läuft man keine Hundert Meter bis man zu einem steilen Abhang kommt; dort geht es im Aufzug 5-6 Stockwerke abwärts zum Fluß. Die Sprache fand ich etwas

Brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13912318050324340091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3339638973021849027.post-24921014255685828602010-09-02T18:57:00.006-06:002010-09-21T08:52:57.967-06:00

Ich laufe an der Uni herum und es kommt mir gespenstisch vor: ich weiß nicht, ob ich wirklich hier bin. Es ist merkwürdig, wieder hier zu sein, in der gleichen Stadt, in der gleichen Wohnung, wie vor einem Jahr. Als ob sich nichts geändert hätte. Als ob kein Jahr inzwischen vergangen ist. Und doch habe ich viel erlebt. Ist das alles so schnell vorbei? Lebt man sich so einfach ohne weiteres in das

Brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13912318050324340091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3339638973021849027.post-19296370302941953422010-08-26T16:18:00.000-06:002010-08-26T16:18:47.958-06:00

Heute hat ein Unbekannter Korrektur für meine Hausarbeit gelesen. Ich war an der Uni um einen Rechner zu benutzen, um wenigstens die Grammatik zu überprüfen, bevor ich die Hausarbeiten morgen abgebe. Eigentlich hätte ich einen deutsche Muttersprachler fragen sollen, die Arbeiten durchzulesen, aber ich habe keine Zeit mehr dafür, da ich Übermorgen abreise. Und ich habe zu lange für die

Brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13912318050324340091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3339638973021849027.post-36387962298847978422010-08-24T01:17:00.000-06:002010-08-24T01:17:20.541-06:00

Meditation am Webstuhl (Cyrus Atabay) Verzweifle am Turnus der Dinge und schwöre ihm ab: du schaffst ihn nicht aus der Welt. Das Unaufhörliche hält nicht inne, es wiederholt die Muster und erneuert den Umlauf. Darum will ich nicht ins Detail gehen, das tun schon andere und meinen, der Ausschnitt erschöpfe das Ganze. Was dich einmal entrückte, so der Geruch der Mahd oder das Licht nach einem

Brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13912318050324340091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3339638973021849027.post-41377364565046905592010-08-21T12:39:00.001-06:002010-08-27T00:31:26.111-06:00

Letzte Wochenende fuhr ich nach Trier, um einen Freund zu besuchen, der mir in den letzten Monaten sehr am Herzen gewachsen ist. Wir haben so lange abends zusammen auf Skype gequatscht, und nun hats endlich geklappt, dass wir beide einige Tage frei hatten wo ich hinfahren konnte. Ich merke jetzt, wie wichtig der Ausflug für mich war, um meine Aufenthalt hier abzuschließen. Ich hätte sonst immer

Brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13912318050324340091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3339638973021849027.post-70746919669357874992010-08-10T14:48:00.000-06:002010-08-10T14:48:53.004-06:00

Den Ausdruck "geflügelte Worte"** für generell verbreiteten Zitate, Aussprüche und Redewendungen ist mir schon lange bekannt, aber es ist mir erst vor kurzem plötzlich eingefallen, dass es eine Übersetzung des Homerischen ἔπεα πτερόεντα ist (wo es natürlich eine völlig andere Bedeutung hat). Diese Momente der Einsicht sind ein Grund, warum ich gerne Sprachen lerne: Es gibt immer etwas neues zu

Brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13912318050324340091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3339638973021849027.post-56800813416846524932010-08-04T05:08:00.000-06:002010-08-04T05:08:06.615-06:00

Ich glaube, was mich gestört hat war die einfache Tatsache, dass es völlig anders ist, in Deutschland arbeiten zu wollen, als hier befristet als Student oder Gast zu wohnen. Wenn ich Probleme habe, in der Arbeitswelt in den USA Fuß zu fassen, so ist es nicht zu erwarten, dass es in Deutschland einfacher wäre. Aber ich hatte mir trotzdem irgendwie eingebildet, dass ich meine Fähigkeiten hier

Brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13912318050324340091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3339638973021849027.post-30186367535005900702010-07-26T04:46:00.000-06:002011-05-05T17:24:19.195-06:00

Ich wusste, dass es so kommen wurde. Dass ich nach einem Jahr in Deutschland gerne länger bleiben würde. Und die Bedingungen dafür: Arbeit finden. Ich wusste auch -- ich kenne mich nur zu gut -- dass ich es wahrscheinlich nicht schaffen wurde. Und so ist es in der Tat. Abgesehen von ein Paar halbherzigen Versuchen, bin ich nicht weiter gekommen. Ich lebe zu viel Tag für Tag, dass Planen um die

Brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13912318050324340091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3339638973021849027.post-41603354173608075082010-07-16T04:05:00.000-06:002010-07-16T04:05:23.250-06:00

Discussions of "semi-modal" promise and threaten (see my previous post) generally discuss the two verbs together, under the assumption that they function similarly, the only major difference being the evaluation by the speaker (negative or positive/neutral) of the expected event. However, there are a couple of fairly striking differences in their occurence patterns which I still can't think of

Brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13912318050324340091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3339638973021849027.post-26296092773697289952010-07-12T15:04:00.000-06:002010-07-12T15:04:31.216-06:00

ὑψόσ᾽ ἀναθρώσκων ἅ τε Σείριος Ὠκεανοῖο, ὃς δή τοι καλὸς μὲν ἀρίζηλός τ' ἐσιδέσθαι ἀντέλλει, μήλοισι δ' ἐν ἄσπετον ἧκεν ὀιζύν (Apollonius Rhodius, Argonautica 4.957-9) οὐ μόνον τοῖς μήλοις· καὶ τοῖς ἀνθρώποις δεινότατον τὸ καῦμα.

Brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13912318050324340091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3339638973021849027.post-3768356666681488842010-06-06T02:30:00.000-06:002010-06-06T02:30:13.675-06:00

"Das Vergangene ist nicht tot; es ist nicht einmal vergangen." Man vergißt leicht, dass wir immer mit der Geschichte leben. Zwar gibt es in Göttingen eine "Humboldtallee" und eine "Schillerstraße", und in der Innenstadt stehen überall Gebäude mit Plakaten, die ankündigen, welche historische Persönlichkeit dort gelebt hat. Aber am Ende sind sie nur Namen, nur Steine. Sie machen die Vergangenheit

Brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13912318050324340091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3339638973021849027.post-68497805550525248672010-05-18T04:13:00.000-06:002010-07-03T04:15:15.906-06:00

DAS hätte ich gerne gesehen. Ich beschäftige mich ohnehin mit Nachdichtungen klassischer Mythen, ich habe es kaum geglaubt, als ich von einem Theaterprojekt hörte, wo sechs neue Stücke zum Thema "Odyssee" produziert werden. Leider habe ich auch ziemlich bald festgestellt, dass ich es zeitlich und finanziell schlecht rechtfertigen konnte, ein ganzes Wochenende dafür zu opfern. Aber zum Glück fürs

Brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13912318050324340091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3339638973021849027.post-61295221893667988972010-05-09T04:01:00.000-06:002010-05-09T04:01:06.258-06:00

We're reading the Argonautica (or at least excerpts of it) in my Greek course this semester. Either my Greek has improved since the last time I tried tackling Hellenistic poetry (highly likely), or Apollonius is simply easier than an author like Callimachus. In any case, it's not as bad as I remembered. I'm enjoying it, in fact. And I'm familiar enough by now with the conventions of both Homeric

Brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13912318050324340091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3339638973021849027.post-2280392338877509642010-04-19T02:14:00.002-06:002010-04-19T02:30:40.678-06:00

Someone in a message board I read was complaining about "trolls" - in this case, the context was a discription of users who indicated interest in a reading group and then failed to participate when the time for discussion came around.This usage puzzled me -- for me a "troll" is someone who deliberately makes inflammatory posts for no other purpose than annoying other users; i.e, there is an

Brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13912318050324340091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3339638973021849027.post-1075537331368803912010-04-10T15:02:00.010-06:002010-04-24T00:58:25.348-06:00

It's interesting how many nonsense poems of the Jabberwocky type (i.e., those which make use of nonsense neologisms) are either supplemented by a gloss or commentary of some kind, or themselves take the form of a gloss.This suggests that for the authors part of the intention is not simply to destruct meaning, but to highlight the hermeneutic process - the transition from non-meaning to meaning (

Brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13912318050324340091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3339638973021849027.post-51183245493342102492010-04-03T00:27:00.085-06:002010-08-27T00:40:50.335-06:00

Ende März fuhr ich für zwei Tage nach Hamburg, ein letzter Ausflug, bevor die Lehrveranstaltungen wieder anfingen. Es war eine relative spontane Entscheidung; einen Freund von mir aus Trier war dort wegen eines Fußballspiels unterwegs, ich habe mit ihm einige Tage vorher geskypt, und da ich schon lange vor hatte, Hamburg zu besuchen, wollte aber nicht alleine herumlaufen, schien es eine gute

Brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13912318050324340091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3339638973021849027.post-45917271532913576492010-03-23T01:23:00.003-06:002010-04-11T13:08:05.772-06:00

I keep telling people I'm not a linguist.No doubt that's why I'm writing a linguistics paper this semester on the English verbs "threaten" and "promise" -- and for a seminar on German modal verbs at that. (Perfectly logical connection, I know.)I had intended to write a paper for a different course on theories of tragedy -- a nice straightforward analysis of whether Aristotle's Poetics forms a

Brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13912318050324340091noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3339638973021849027.post-22617006924160843692010-02-25T05:18:00.013-07:002011-08-26T22:27:56.120-06:00

gebetsmühlenartig = immer wieder ein Argument oder eine Meinung wiederholend gang und gäbe = gängig, allgemein üblich grassieren = häufig auftreten, sich schnell ausbreiten (z.B. eine Seuche oder ein Gerucht) sich aufbrezeln = sich schön machen, schminken federführend = maßgebend, leitend unverblümt = offen, unverhohlen, ungeschminkt abkupfern = abschreiben, einen Plagiat begehen Bulimielernen =

Brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13912318050324340091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3339638973021849027.post-54794393781895868932010-02-14T07:15:00.004-07:002010-02-14T10:10:13.402-07:00

С месяца участвую в тандем по-русски. Это мне очень нравится.К сожалению я отвыка заниматься русским языком. Изучение языка - как спорт. Надо заниматься регулярно, а то - легко думать, мне не хочется, временя нету, и забросить это. И дело в этом, что мне не надо изучать то язык сейчас. Мои курсы, конечно, о немецкой литературе, не о русской. И маловероятно, что я скоро еду в Россию. Самый

Brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13912318050324340091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3339638973021849027.post-40106899762901343942010-02-08T13:01:00.002-07:002010-02-14T23:31:47.325-07:00

Ich ließ eine Rosenhecke um mich wachsenbittre Entbehrung hinter Dornengerüst.Und ich träumte mir die Hände, die ich nie anfasste.Als die Rosen aufblühten floh ich:Es war zu spät.Der Prinz kommt immer zu spätAls wir ihn nicht mehr brauchen.Als die Knospe schon verdorrt.Niemand berührte die kahle Geästeoder durchtränkte das durstige Bodendamit die verworrene Zweige sich lösenund die Hecke sich

Brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13912318050324340091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3339638973021849027.post-49616569487637187562010-01-06T14:29:00.005-07:002011-04-30T12:50:06.988-06:00

After a certain level of mastery I've found that most language courses, even those intended for advanced students, simply are not useful anymore. Instead, I have collected a number of more specialized resources which I have found helpful (whether my German has actually improved as a result is of course more difficult to evaluate) 1. A good monolingual German dictionary. Duden and Wahrig are the

Brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13912318050324340091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3339638973021849027.post-64097478173722469812010-01-03T09:28:00.002-07:002010-02-14T12:56:45.237-07:00

Zum neuen Jahr werde ich immer nachdenklich. Zeit, Bilanz zu ziehen: was ich geschafft habe, was mir nicht gelungen ist, was in nächster Zeit vor mir steht.Nach drei Monaten in Deutschland bin mit meiner Sprachkenntnissen immer noch nicht zufrieden. Im Sprechen mache ich ständig Fehler. Meistens ist es der falsche Artikel, aber immer häufiger kommen Fehler vor, die ich schon lange nicht mehr

Brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13912318050324340091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3339638973021849027.post-50496135414525708242009-12-30T11:36:00.014-07:002010-01-02T09:03:00.514-07:00

[Christmas and adventures in Bavaria. For those of you who don't read German I will try to put up an English version at some point. Some photos can be found here]Zu Weihnachten und den Feiertagen war ich in Bayern und dann in Frankfurt bei verschiedenen Freunden von der Uni in Colorado. Es wurde viel gequatscht (und gestritten), gegessen, getrunken (Tee, nicht Alkohol), gespielt (hauptsächlich

Brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13912318050324340091noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3339638973021849027.post-56162245817294044122009-12-06T02:04:00.004-07:002009-12-06T04:09:31.460-07:00

Ich lese gerade Hundejahre und bin aufs neue von dem merkwürdigen Grass'schen Stil beeindrückt. Den Begriff 'skaz' fällt mir hier ein. Ich weiss nicht, ob man seine Werke jemals so bezeichnet hat. Vielleicht greife ich zu weit. Aber es passt irgendwie ganz gut.Vor einigen Semestern versuchte ich den russischen Begriff für ein Referat zu erklären. Da die typische Beispiele (Leskow, Gogol,

Brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13912318050324340091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3339638973021849027.post-26367039238461844162009-11-25T12:35:00.004-07:002010-02-14T12:59:32.641-07:00

Seit anderthalb Wochen wird es hier an der Uni gestreikt. Oder besser gesagt: demonstriert. Zu meiner großen Erleichterung ging man bisher unbehelligt weiter in den Vorlesungen, auch im Verfügungsgebäude, dessen Erdgeschoß von den Protestierenden besetzt wurde.Ein komisches Gefühl, zwischen den Protestschilder in das Gebäude zu gehen...Obwohl ich mehr und mehr Verständnis für die Studenten und

Brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13912318050324340091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3339638973021849027.post-26466827680685650312009-11-15T12:58:00.006-07:002009-11-21T12:35:00.818-07:00

On Saturday a friend and I used our semester train ticket to do some sightseeing in Hannover (about an hour north of Göttingen). When we came back in the early afternoon, we left the train station only to find dozens of police officers lined up in rows on either side of the entrance. It was a surreal moment. (If you remember the scene in "Lola Rennt" with the swat team pointing their guns at

Brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13912318050324340091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3339638973021849027.post-70303386235686354272009-11-14T00:11:00.002-07:002009-11-14T00:11:00.225-07:00

Als ich gestern frühstücken wollte, waren zwei Mitbewohner bereits in der Küche und diskutierten gerade die Bedeutung des Wort 'satt'. Vorigen Tag nämlich hatte jemand die etwas merkwürdig klingende These geaüßert, daß Kaffee satt macht, und jetzt fragten sie sich, ob man das eigentlich sagen könnte. Gemeint in diesen Fall war nicht, daß man keinen Hunger mehr hatte, sondern keine Durst.Es

Brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13912318050324340091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3339638973021849027.post-72073860432116231382009-10-31T15:23:00.003-06:002009-12-07T01:10:39.934-07:00

I've been trying to take advantage of the rich variety of cultural events the city has to offer -- there are three quite active theaters and frequent readings by both established and less well-known authors -- but mostly I've always been either too stressed or too absent-minded and haven't actually managed to attend anything.Until this last week, when I saw two productions, both of them based on

Brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13912318050324340091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3339638973021849027.post-38378247852866578912009-10-19T22:39:00.004-06:002009-11-15T15:25:07.400-07:00

"Die Stadt Göttingen, berühmt durch ihre Würste und Universität, gehört dem Könige von Hannover, und enthält 999 Feuerstellen, diverse Kirchen, eine Entbindungsanstalt, eine Sternwarte, einen Karzer, eine Bibliothek und einen Ratskeller, wo das Bier sehr gut ist."("The city of Göttingen, renowned for its sausages and its university, belongs to the king of Hannover and contains 999 fireplaces,

Brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13912318050324340091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3339638973021849027.post-89752821756515203792009-10-19T12:58:00.008-06:002010-01-01T12:14:24.002-07:00

[On politeness forms and having an American accent]Es ist ein prekäres Gleichgewicht.Ich bin daran gewöhnt: sobald man erfährt, daß ich Amerikanerin bin, reden alle plötzlich auf Englisch. Also warte ich immer mit einer gewisser Spannung darauf, bis es geschieht. Dann etwas wie Erleichterung, wenn es doch anders kommt.Und meistens spricht man tatsächlich Deutsch mit mir, sogar manchmal, wenn ich

Brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13912318050324340091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3339638973021849027.post-53937923355265630282009-10-08T14:09:00.007-06:002009-10-11T08:31:42.690-06:00

[In which I complain about German bureaucracies]Das nächste mal, das jemand mir etwas über 'German efficiency' sagt, würde ich ihn bitten, mal in irgendeiner Behörde zu gehen, um etwas zu erledigen. Um ganz gerecht zu sein, wenn man das richtige Amt gefunden hat, sind die Beamte alle sehr höflich und kompetent, wissen genau, was sie von einem brauchen, und machen überhaupt keinen Ärger, was ich

Brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13912318050324340091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3339638973021849027.post-26284211592747182602009-10-08T14:07:00.008-06:002009-11-08T12:12:05.955-07:00

I've long been intrigued by a phenomenon in colloquial English referred to by linguists as Contrastive Focus Reduplication, in which a potentially ambiguous word or phrase is repeated in order to pick out a more prototypical meaning. For example, "Oh, that's a potato salad, not a SALAD-salad" (i.e., a green salad) or "I'm up, I'm just not UP-up" (i.e, I'm awake, but not out of bed and dressed and

Brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13912318050324340091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3339638973021849027.post-67332880735257493672009-10-02T12:48:00.004-06:002009-10-19T22:13:38.156-06:00

Die Wortlosigkeit durchbrechen. Wie lange es denn immer dauert, bis ich alles zur Worte bringen kann. Es hat weniger mit der Sprache zu tun als einer gründlicheren Ungewissheit: Was sagen, zu wem, und auf welcher Sprache.Und ich weiss auch nicht, ob es wirklich etwas zu sagen gibt. Ich warte. Jetzt ist Pause, ich nehme das Leben später wieder auf.Enttäuschend, irgendwie. Ich weiss nicht, wo ich

Brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13912318050324340091noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3339638973021849027.post-50847624515373894502009-09-30T02:14:00.010-06:002009-11-15T15:27:55.760-07:00

I'm not sure why it hasn't occurred to me before that Kant's aesthetic theory can be understood in relation to the Russian formalists' concept of ostranenie ('defamiliarization', 'making strange'). The idea that literary language (for example) is language used in such a way that it is remarkable or unusual, that we are led to consider things in a new light. Kant's ideas about beauty are of course

Brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13912318050324340091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3339638973021849027.post-48637588363396508522009-09-27T20:43:00.003-06:002009-10-08T14:02:38.942-06:00

So, just in case anyone was taking bets, I've been in Germany less than a week, and already I've managed to purchase several books (as though I weren't lugging around enough stuff as it is).I went to the Pergomon Museum this morning so I could see the Ishtar Gate and some other exhibits which had been closed when I was there last summer...The weekly antique market was set up in the street outside

Brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13912318050324340091noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3339638973021849027.post-49099298835031280562009-09-21T12:06:00.003-06:002009-10-15T13:43:16.563-06:00

Punk of course had to help me with the packing...And make sure that nobody meddled with the contents of my suitcase...And finally test out the view from my half-emptied bookshelf...Sniff. I'll miss the little monsters.

Brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13912318050324340091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3339638973021849027.post-64108735366306186112009-09-19T11:51:00.003-06:002009-09-19T11:59:55.547-06:00

I've always liked this brief enigmantic story by Walter Benjamin. Times like now when I'm running around trying to arrange things and wondering what the purpose of all of it is, it seems particularly appropriate."The Wish"Walter BenjaminOne evening at the close of the Sabbath the Jews sat in a poor inn in a Hasidic village. All of them were locals except for one whom no one knew, a very poor and

Brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13912318050324340091noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3339638973021849027.post-37752283298452590292009-09-05T20:28:00.001-06:002009-09-19T12:00:25.535-06:00

Categoriae 1. 1a 1-15Ὁμώνυμα λέγεται ὧν ὄνομα μονον κοινόν, ὁ δὲ κατὰ τοὔνομα λόγος τῆς οὐσίας ἕτερος, οἷον ζῷον ὅ τε ἄνθρωπος καὶ τὸ γεγραμμένον. Τουτων γὰρ ὄνομα μόνον κοινόν, ὁ δὲ κατὰ τοὔνομα λόγος τῆς οὐσίας ἕτερος· ἄν γάρ τις ἀποδιδῷ τί ἐστιν αὐτῶν ἑκατέρῳ τὸ ζῴῳ εἶναι, ἴδιον ἑκατέρου λόγον ἀποδωσει.Συνώνυμα δὲ λεγεται ὧ τό τε ὄνομα κοινὸν καὶ ὁ κατὰ τοὔνομα λόγος τῆς οὐσίας ὁ αὐτός, οἷον

Brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13912318050324340091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3339638973021849027.post-90888298879127980822009-09-02T15:48:00.009-06:002009-09-18T15:34:35.704-06:00

A medievalist's understanding of the ancient world is very different than a classicist's. This is frustrating and highly disorienting, at least for the classicist.I'm not sure how much of the structure of the medieval education system (for example) is appropriate to attribute to Aristotle (or even the neo-Aristotelian tradition), although people in the Middle Ages may have believed that they were

Brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13912318050324340091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3339638973021849027.post-27937384719947307122009-08-31T10:16:00.009-06:002009-09-03T22:28:03.099-06:00

Been attending lectures to keep myself busy until I leave next month, and I can't seem to get away from Aristotle, even in courses which theoretically have nothing to do with him. So I figure it's a good time to resume my series of reflections on language in Aristotle.Physica B 3. 194b 16 – 195a 3Διωρισμένων δὲ τούτων ἐπισκεπτέον περὶ τῶν αἰτίων, ποῖάτε καὶ πόσα τὸν ἀριθμόν ἐστιν. ἐπεὶ γὰρ τοῦ

Brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13912318050324340091noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3339638973021849027.post-77735149509394085192009-08-12T08:15:00.001-06:002009-08-12T13:12:30.088-06:00

Ich will keinen neuen Angriff auf die Anhäufung von Anglizismen im Deutschen anfangen (die gibt es schon reichlich genug). Aber ich glaube, es lohnt sich mal die ganze Sache aus amerikanischer Sicht ein bisschen zu erklären, da die meisten Beiträge zum Thema entweder von Nörglern, die sich über den Verfall der deutschen Sprache alarmieren, oder von Linguisten, die die Sprachinnovationen gegen

Brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13912318050324340091noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3339638973021849027.post-57326842166572793912009-08-05T08:28:00.001-06:002010-01-01T12:17:01.622-07:00

So...I walk into Norlin library the other day after my Greek art and archaeology class, and what do I see?That's right. Pergamene columns! And guttae!When I saw the columns I was pleased with myself for recognizing the type of capital being used. When I noticed the guttae I was pleased with the architect for the classical citation. (Mind you, I'm not sure what the guttae are doing inside the

Brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13912318050324340091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3339638973021849027.post-83166122902092610662009-07-30T06:16:00.007-06:002009-10-08T14:04:45.855-06:00

Two months till Germany. I'm very gradually starting to think about packing and -- most importantly -- deliberate about which books to take with me. Rather a daunting task, even though I've tried to weed out my collection a bit over the last couple of months. Needless to say, most of it is staying here, it's just a question of what.Langenscheidt, Pocket Dictionary German-English/English-German *

Brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13912318050324340091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3339638973021849027.post-7466741024292223872009-07-28T11:40:00.007-06:002009-09-02T17:57:44.785-06:00

A discussion of temple architecture in my Greek art and archaeology class sent me scrambling for the dictionary, wondering about the relationship between the word naos, used to describe the main chamber of a temple, and ships (the Greek word is naus). Christian churches, obviously drawing on Greek models, refer to the body of the church as the nave (in German, Schiff), recalling the Latin word

Brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13912318050324340091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3339638973021849027.post-26217932920866494462009-07-03T22:23:00.001-06:002009-07-08T14:14:58.143-06:00

French, week 2.Once again I'm reminded of why I generally skip over numbers and dates at the initial stages of learning a language. Admittedly this is partly self-indulgence: I want to get on to the more juicy bits of grammar as quickly as possible, and numbers are usually irregular and not very useful for understanding the working of the language as a whole. Because I'm usually learning the

Brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13912318050324340091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3339638973021849027.post-31956812239376016222009-06-16T12:46:00.000-06:002009-06-16T12:48:21.599-06:00

Man soll Vertrauen haben. Gegenüber anderen und auch gegenüber sich selbst.

Brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13912318050324340091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3339638973021849027.post-41151292490020558232009-06-11T18:30:00.001-06:002010-02-26T01:30:32.827-07:00

Brunetti, Mendor. Read, Speak, Write French. Bantam, 1963.I don't think I've seen any language textbook that's arranged quite like this. It's divided into three sections: a grammar (with drills & practice exercises), conversations which are keyed to the grammar, and readings, usually 2-3 pages, adapted from various literary sources. The book is designed for self-study and includes a key to all

Brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13912318050324340091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3339638973021849027.post-927371841242598512009-06-08T13:20:00.000-06:002011-01-07T13:22:11.110-07:00

Categoriae 5. 2b 37 – 3a 6 ἔτι αἱ πρῶται οὐσίαι διὰ τὸ τοῖς ἄλλοις ἅπασιν ὑποκεῖσθαι κυριωτατα οὐσίαι λέγονται. ὡς δέ γε αἱ πρῶται οὐσίαι πρὸς τὰ ἄλλα πάντα ἔχουσιν, οὕτω τὰ εἴδη καὶ τὰ γένη τῶν πρώτων οὐσιῶν πρὸς τὰ λοιπὰ πάντα ἔχει· κατὰ τούτων γὰρ πάντα τὰ λοιπὰ κατηγορεῖται. τὸν γάρ τινα ἄνθρωπον ἐρεῖς γραμματικόν· οὐκοῦν καὶ ἄνθρωπον καὶ ζῷον γραμματικὸν ἐρεῖς, ὡσαύτως δὲ καὶ ἐπὶ τῶν ἄλλων

Brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13912318050324340091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3339638973021849027.post-72455670574566198962009-06-06T11:31:00.003-06:002009-08-31T15:47:54.919-06:00

I did a project a several semesters ago on Aristotle in the form of a translation + commentary on some of his writings on language (looking at, among other things, his discussion of aitia, which was later used by Pustejovsky in his theory of lexical semantics). It's not argued entirely in an academic mode (since I am an expert neither on Aristotle nor on semantics), and some of the sections

Brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13912318050324340091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3339638973021849027.post-1064421184258096752009-06-01T11:17:00.000-06:002009-06-01T12:05:56.360-06:00

Working through my collection of patterns, I decided it was time to try making a pair of stays; I'm using Simplicity 3635, as it seemed to be the least confusing of the patterns I had.I'm planning on using this fabric (cotton drill, I believe) as the outer layer. Unfortunately, I have a suspicion that the pattern is not quite period, but it will have to do.My mock-up, made of posterboard glued

Brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13912318050324340091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3339638973021849027.post-20320732144216982972009-05-30T16:56:00.000-06:002009-06-06T14:09:43.538-06:00

Compiled during my own work on Tertz's Fantastic Stories (here and a non-academic review here).This was some of the first major academic research I did, and Tertz (along with Gogol) was one of the primary reasons I decided to learn Russian, so he has a special place in my heart.MonographsDalton, Margaret. Andrei Siniavsky and Julii Daniel', Two Soviet 'Heretical' Writers. Würzberg: Jal, 1973.

Brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13912318050324340091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3339638973021849027.post-50524662076370533202009-05-29T11:00:00.003-06:002010-07-12T12:43:00.213-06:00

More ancient Greek resources...with the disclaimer that I haven't used (or even seen) all the titles in questions. Comments/suggestions on omissions (or broken links) are as usual welcome. Communicative/Reading-Based Textbooks These texts move away from a traditional grammar-translation approach and focus more on reading and aquiring the language. The approaches are fairly disparate, but all

Brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13912318050324340091noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3339638973021849027.post-21063563348999002472009-05-20T09:32:00.000-06:002009-05-20T09:32:00.863-06:00

Now that I have a sewing machine again -- and a camera to get pictures -- I figure it's time to put up some notes on several sewing projects I worked on over winter break, and maybe motivate myself to work on doing something with all the fabric and patterns I have lying around.At one of the $1 pattern sales at Joann's I got this beautiful corset pattern from Simplicity:After some of the comments

Brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13912318050324340091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3339638973021849027.post-1342753566882731512009-05-13T12:21:00.001-06:002009-09-03T22:54:14.064-06:00

This post at languagehat discusses attempts to determine whether an unknown script in fact represents a language using statistical analysis. The principle seems to be that language will show a higher probability for certain symbols to follow certain other symbols, for example, in English we can predict that 'q' will be followed by 'u', and certain words ('the,' 'and') will appear more frequently

Brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13912318050324340091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3339638973021849027.post-17909743192423658832009-05-13T10:58:00.000-06:002009-05-13T12:20:32.886-06:00

Zwei Leute im Sitz vor mir auf dem Bus -- er sprach Russisch, sie (wahrscheinlich seine Tochter?) antwortete auf Englisch. Fand ich total faszinierend. Offensichtlich verstanden sie sich ohne Mühe, ich kann nur mutmaßen, dass das Mädchen Russisch nur passiv beherrschte. Was mich wunderte war, dass es sie überhaupt nicht störte. Alles ganz normal.Mir ist es manchmal in Deutschland vorgekommen,

Brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13912318050324340091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3339638973021849027.post-35040754322913713622009-05-06T22:31:00.000-06:002009-05-06T23:12:47.360-06:00

Even after speaking German regularly for so long I still have to make an effort to remember to use "du" and "Sie" at the proper times. My brain apparently hasn't learned to make the semantic/pragmatic distinction correctly; for example, when I'm reading texts in German I often don't pick up immediately on what pronoun form characters are using when addressing one another (which is particularly a

Brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13912318050324340091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3339638973021849027.post-17186608761858788312009-04-24T16:34:00.000-06:002009-10-20T08:42:50.326-06:00

So...we watched the Caprica prequel on DVD last night & it looks like the series will be interesting. I'm still a little bit doubtful about setting everything so few generations before the events of Battlestar Galactica, but the story is good and promises to have the same thoughtful characterization and exploration of philosophical problems as the earlier series, so I'm willing to give it a

Brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13912318050324340091noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3339638973021849027.post-24740134385579410072009-04-19T09:48:00.007-06:002011-05-16T09:54:24.423-06:00

Some books and resources I've found helpful when doing German tutoring. The textbook I generally recommend for self-study is Deutsche Sprachlehre für Ausländer by Dora Schulz and Heinz Griesbach. This is a natural-method textbook (i.e., all explanations are in German) which starts out with easy readings and dialogues that get gradually more difficult, and it contains plenty of grammar drills (

Brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13912318050324340091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3339638973021849027.post-64085877292981604902009-04-10T17:31:00.001-06:002009-07-11T07:40:23.402-06:00

Not only did I just successfully pass my comprehensive exam, but my examiners were highly complimentary about my work as well!*bounces around excitedly*Which puts me one step closer to earning my masters' degree. (Eventually I may even get around to finishing my bachelors'...)I am so relieved to have this over and not have to worry about it anymore. The anticipation (let's say 'Vorangst,'

Brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13912318050324340091noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3339638973021849027.post-81405158821772814182009-04-05T21:45:00.000-06:002009-06-06T11:54:13.166-06:00

(I should be writing my comprehensive exam -- I have one last section to finish -- but meanwhile I thought I would post a few random translations from my notebook.)Climax for a Ghost Story - I. A. Ireland"How eerie!" said the girl, advancing cautiously. "--And what a heavy door!" She touched it as she spoke and it suddenly swung to with a click."Good Lord!" said the man. "I don't believe

Brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13912318050324340091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3339638973021849027.post-51227041557056365602009-03-28T21:11:00.020-06:002011-12-03T16:36:57.623-07:00

Please note that inclusion of a link on the list does not imply any judgment about quality or accuracy, except in the case of the tutorials. I have, however, tried to limit the list to resources for the reconstructed classical pronunciation rather than NT or Koine. Recordings which are blatantly non-classical are marked as such. The focus here is on connected speech, not isolated units; hence,

Brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13912318050324340091noreply@blogger.com12tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3339638973021849027.post-69729239406530497902009-03-16T05:59:00.001-06:002009-09-03T22:59:33.063-06:00

The German and Slavic dept hosted a conference last weekend, so I abandoned the papers I should have been working on to go listen to some of the speakers (and grab a free lunch). The panels were quite interesting and I learned a lot. It's so easy to get so caught up in our own particular research projects that we forget about other approaches. It's energizing to see all the different

Brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13912318050324340091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3339638973021849027.post-36422940249256902512009-03-02T20:42:00.000-07:002009-10-15T13:45:55.145-06:00

What's odd about Medea is not that she commits atrocious crimes, but that she is allowed to do so over and over. In the case of other mythical figures, such as Tantalus or Pelops, punishment follows, and the guilt from the crime becomes a curse which succeeding generations must reenact. Medea escapes unpunished. Perhaps this has something to do with her status, which lies uncomfortably

Brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13912318050324340091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3339638973021849027.post-89461222201569275912009-03-01T23:35:00.000-07:002009-03-16T06:17:24.156-06:00

French is an exasperating language.After several months of trying to dredge up enthusiasm for the language, I have come to several conclusions. 1) Studying the language is not, as I had hoped, going to be enough to induce an interest in the language. Or at least not enough of an interest to make me suddenly become fascinated with the language. I need some other motivation. Literary texts,

Brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13912318050324340091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3339638973021849027.post-56832252852135074842009-02-14T05:56:00.000-07:002009-06-06T11:53:13.859-06:00

Aesop's Fablesἑσπέρας ἐπιλαβουσης / ὡς ἑσπέρα κατέλαβε - als es Abend wurdeπυνθάνεσθαι (+ interrogative) - s. erkündigenμετ’ εὐλόγου αἰτίας - unter einem guten Vorwandὕπνου τυχεῐν - zum Schlafen kommenποιεῖν ἐπ’ ὠφελείᾳ / εἰς ὠφέλειαν πράττειν - zu (ihrem) nutzen tunπρὸς τὸ παρόν - für den Augenblickκαταφεύγειν, προσφεύγειν - zu jemandem flüchtenτὸ τελευταῖον λέγειν - zum Schluß sagenπολλῷ τῷ

Brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13912318050324340091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3339638973021849027.post-29926426784509713912009-02-03T21:21:00.000-07:002009-10-15T13:45:08.714-06:00

We've been reading the Bacchae for my Greek class and it suddenly dawned on me how much it has in common with Kleist's play Penthesilea. Not just because of their violence, or in the similarities of the savage customs of the Amazons with the rituals of the maenads, and the challenge both of them pose to conventional views of femininity. It's the sudden, violent intrusion of an outside force

Brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13912318050324340091noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3339638973021849027.post-48783100161033907972009-02-01T07:47:00.000-07:002009-03-30T13:08:47.228-06:00

So, I finally caved in and decided to start a blog, about two years after the rest of the world and after everyone else has presumably moved on to newer and more interesting things. (I'm still holding out on the myspace/facebook thing, however.) I've been needing a place to put down my thoughts while working on research papers, information I've gathered on various topics, and, of course, a way

Brendahttp://www.blogger.com/profile/13912318050324340091noreply@blogger.com0