3t$1@xivic.prima.de   
   From: Wolfgang.Schelongowski@gmx.de   
      
   Moe Trin  writes:   
      
   >On 1 May 2012, in the Usenet newsgroup alt.os.linux.mandriva, in article   
   >, Wolfgang Schelongowski wrote:   
   >   
   >>It's worse than that. Due to the achievements of a certain Austrian   
   >>draft-dodger English has become the lingua franca of science and   
   >>computing.   
   >   
   >and aviation - but I'm not sure I'd blame the Austrian.   
      
   Until the 1930s you published your scientific papers in German if you   
   wanted the widest distribution. But then - Einstein[1] is just _one_   
   name representing many. See also Hilbert's[2] remark to Goebbels   
   enquiry about the state of the "Goettinger School" in 1938   
   (translated):  "No, it hasn't suffered - it just doesn't exist any   
   longer."   
      
   As to aviation: "M'AIDEZ, M'AIDEZ!" :-)   
      
   >                                                         It's more   
   >that the average student no longer is exposed to other languages in   
   >school - a long time ago, this wasn't the case.  In the late 1940s and   
   >early 1950s, we usually studied one or more "other" language for a   
   >class year (I had Latin and French - which I've almost completely   
   >forgotten by now).   
      
   I had English/Latin/French for 8.5/5/4.5 years. You might also say   
   that I grew up bilingual before that, because I speak fluent German   
   and a local dialect. My Latin and French is a bit rusty due to lack of   
   exercising. I won't pass judgement about my English.   
      
   >                                     I'm guessing, but most people in   
   >the US today that speak more than one language will often speak   
   >English as their second language.   
      
   That's very much to _your (pl.)_ disadvantage.   
      
   >>Even then - I have an acquaintance who married a woman from Illinois   
   >>some ten years ago. She hasn't bothered to learn German although   
   >>they've been living here since then. OTOH there's a distant relative   
   >>of mine from Rochester who speaks German like native.   
   >   
   >Living there and not bothering to learn German is a bit of a stretch   
   >but if she's near an enclave like Wiesbaden or Frankfurt   
      
   No, they're all so far south that you can't even receive FM-broadcasts   
   from there. However, BFN/BFBS/whatever-they-call-themselves-now can be   
   received here - when I was young I could even receive FM from the   
   Canadians in Werl. IOW there are few people whose first language   
   is English in her vicinity, and most of these might refer to her   
   as one of the "uppity colonials".   
      
      
   [1] It is my experience that nearly anybody who starts a sentence with   
       "Einstein said" continues with some nonsense like "E=mc^2". That   
       disturbs because I have to decide if I should slay a toddler to my   
       hurt, so to speak.   
      
   [2] Look him up in Wikipedia. He's also known for to other remarks   
       which are usually known in acdementia:   
       1) Every urchin in Goettingen knows more math than Einstein.   
          But Einstein understands physics.    
       2) Hilbert did so extensive research about linear spaces of   
          infinite dimension that "Hilbert space" is a synonym for a   
          "linear space with a scalar product which defines a norm   
          respective to which it is complete" (you don't have to   
          understand that). Several years later he attended a colloquium.   
          When it had ended he asked a collegue: "That young man   
          mentioned 'Hilbert spaces' rather often. What does that mean?"   
   --   
   The first entry of Sin into the mind occurs when, out of cowardice or   
   conformity or vanity, the Real is replaced by a comforting lie.   
     -- Integritas, Consonantia, Claritas   
      
   --- SoupGate-Win32 v1.05   
    * Origin: you cannot sedate... all the things you hate (1:229/2)