Guest guest Posted January 6, 2007 Report Share Posted January 6, 2007 > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > 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. > ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > > > 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)? No, it's limiting the word's meaning to confine it simply to skin color. It's not only color that is referred to when speaking of complexion: AHD and Wesbsters both refer to complexion as pertaining to color, texture, and appearance. In that sense, it means scarring from skin diseases, acne, unsightly skin afflictions that might weep, etc. And, while I'm reluctant to speculate about what Prabhupada "might have been thinking," in this sense it's not a stretch (considering he was in the medical field) to consider that he may also have been including "white leprosy," which was not an uncommon sight for him -- it's not such a rare thing in India -- where the pigment of the skin is damaged and so there are white patches -- usually quite large -- over the surface of the skin. > > Otherwise, perhaps it's an idea to use "unhealthy" or something similar > for "bad"? It's a better idea to understand the full meaning of a word, then one can see it's context within a sentence. Your servant Braja Sevaki dd . Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted January 6, 2007 Report Share Posted January 6, 2007 At 01:28 PM 1/6/2007 +0100, Rupa Sanatana (das) JAS (Med.BBT Dutch) wrote: >Please accept my humble obeisances. >All glories to Srila Prabhupada! > > >~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ >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. >~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ > > >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.). How about "sickly complexion"? >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 13). Quality, character, condition; in mod. use >often with some notion of ‘tinge, colour, aspect’ from senses 45. > > b. (fig. from 4 or 5.) Appearance, aspect. > >------ > > >Thank you very much! > >Hare Krishna. Your humble servant, >Rupa Sanatana Dasa > > >-- > > >Version: 7.5.432 / Virus Database: 268.16.6/617 - Release 1/5/2007 >11:11 AM > > > > >-- > > >Version: 7.5.432 / Virus Database: 268.16.6/617 - Release 1/5/2007 >11:11 AM -- Version: 7.5.432 / Virus Database: 268.16.6/617 - Release 1/5/2007 11:11 AM Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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