Use of foreign language<\/p>\n
I have recently returned from a trip to Eastern Indonesia and
\nwould like to add my comments to the ban-English move among
\nthe xenophobes in Jakarta.<\/p>\n
Other than the \"How low can you go?\" question posted
\neverywhere, the Coca Cola signs and the pervasive Kentucky Fried
\nChicken shoppes on every corner, there is very little English to
\nbe found in these regions. Consequently, the people speak very
\nlittle English and have little or no chance to compete in the
\ninternational markets (leaving them wide open for Jakartans).<\/p>\n
However, I have decided that the xenophobes are right and wish
\nto make some suggestions regarding the complete eradication of
\nthis linguistic virus in our Bahasa landscape. The first thing
\nthat has to go is the Coke signs; local folks read a \"C\" as \"Ch,\"
\nthereby leading to pronouncing the soft drink as \"Choke,\" not
\nsomething one wants to do with a drink. Therefore, let us require
\nthis soft drink manufacturer to change its name to Koke so that
\nwe get the proper vocalization of this foreign icon.<\/p>\n
Next the insidious \"KFC\" signs must be altered; they stand for
\nKentucky Fried Chicken which, as we all know, just will not do. I
\nsuggest changing these signs to \"AGK\" or Ayam Goreng Kentuki. Of
\ncourse since not more than one of 10 folks eating in these
\nestablishments has little or any idea what a \"Kentucky\" is, the
\nfinal letter could be changed to represent almost any Indonesian
\nword, which I will leave to your imagination.<\/p>\n
Finally, there must be a more successful way to translate the
\nvaguely suggestive question of \"How low can you go?\", but my
\nIndonesian is not good enough to give any translation the same
\nsort of sensual\/sexual innuendo that the English words do.
\nPerhaps some professional translator out there could help us out
\nbecause this little saying could be one of those things that The
\nJakarta Post is always alluding to in quotes. You know,
\n\"misleading\" information -- How low can you go, indeed.<\/p>\n
Back home in Jakarta, I noticed that a program on SCTV called
\nBabalyon 5 was being broadcast in something called Dwibahasa
\nwhich, as nearly as I can tell, transmit the first part of the
\nfirst program in dubbed Indonesian and then switches to English
\nfor some time before switching back to Indonesian and then back
\nto English...you get the picture. I only noticed this because my
\nkid was \"channel surfing\" and I noticed that the language had
\nswitched from Indonesian to English.<\/p>\n
This assures that pretty much all the population will not
\nwatch this particular program because those of us who understand
\nIndonesian will change the channel when it switches to English
\nand those of us who understand English will not be watching the
\nprogram in the first place. SCTV, this is a really bad idea; keep
\nit in Indonesian or English, not both.<\/p>\n
JOHN R. FENTON<\/p>\n
Jakarta<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/use-of-foreign-language-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }