NOI, Text 6: bad complexion

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Please accept my humble obeisances.

All glories to Srila Prabhupada!

 

 

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Indeed, one should overlook a devotee's having a body born in a low family,

a body with a bad complexion, a deformed body, or a diseased or infirm body.

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I wonder how to render "bad complexion" in Dutch. Throughout Srila

Prabhupada's books "complexion" refers to "skin colour" (at least in the

word-for-word translations; "golden complexion", "having a complexion

resembling bluish rainclouds", etc.).

 

 

However, "skin colour" in combination with "bad" will very likely get us

into trouble with Dutch readers who are not unlikely to consider us as

racist if I render this as "bad skin colour" (even though the "good" colour

isn't mentioned).

 

 

I'm inclined to use "(outward) appearance". Would that cover the meaning,

you think, or should the meaning specifically pertain to the skin (colour)?

 

 

Otherwise, perhaps it's an idea to use "unhealthy" or something similar for

"bad"?

 

 

 

OED

 

1. a. In the physiology and natural philosophy of the Middle Ages: The

combination of supposed qualities (cold or hot, and moist or dry) in a

certain proportion, determining the nature of a body, plant, etc.; the

combination of the four ‘humours’ of the body in a certain proportion, or

the bodily habit attributed to such combination; ‘temperament’. Obs. exc.

Hist.

 

lb. Also used as equivalent to ‘humour’, or to ‘collection of humours’.

Obs.

 

l2. a. Bodily habit or constitution (orig. supposed to be constituted by

the ‘humours’). Obs.

 

lb. Physical constitution or nature (of members of the body). Obs.

 

l3. Constitution or habit of mind, disposition, temperament; ‘nature’.

Obs. (exc. as fig. of 4).

 

4. a. The natural colour, texture, and appearance of the skin, esp. of

the face; orig. as showing the ‘temperament’ or bodily constitution. (Now,

without any such notion, the ordinary sense.)

 

lb. Rarely, the colour of hair or beard. Obs.

 

lc. Countenance, face. Obs. rare—1.

 

5. transf. Of other things: Colour, visible aspect, look, appearance.

 

l6. A colouring preparation applied (by women) to ‘give a complexion’ to

the face. Obs.

 

7. a. fig. (from senses 1–3). Quality, character, condition; in mod. use

often with some notion of ‘tinge, colour, aspect’ from senses 4–5.

 

b. (fig. from 4 or 5.) Appearance, aspect.

 

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Thank you very much!

 

Hare Krishna. Your humble servant,

Rupa Sanatana Dasa