Author: Dr. Chaim Zins
Translation: Ms. Grazyna Nawrocka,
MLS, SLA WCC Archives Chair/Head Librarian, Sprott-Shaw Community
College, BBA – Burnaby Campus, Canada
Editorial Comments by Ms. Grazyna Nawrocka:
- Pillar 2, Supernatural. In Poland, as well as in many
other places, there is a strong difference between understanding of knowledge,
science and belief. Usually for something to be recognized as a science it
needs to be supported by body of evidence based on experiments. Scientific
experiment is some action performed in controlled environment that will always
return the same results (as I understand it). The title of Pillar 2 is
therefore tricky to translate. Ultimately I would translate it "Wiedza o
Zjawiskach Nadprzyrodzonych," (Knowledge), but again, how would you define
knowledge. You could also translate it as "Wierzenia o Zjawiskach
Nadprzyrodzonych" (Beliefs in Supernatural). It would be much easier task if
you could define also "supernatural." For example we use termin "UFO" in
Poland, we also use ghost ("duch," or "zjawa") gods ("bogowie"), goddesses
("boginie"), people from Mars ("marsjanie"). It seems that the whole category
entails much more than it should...
By the way, I do suspect that in different countries hierarchy of sciences
vary. I would expect that India might organize their knowledge/sciences quite
differently, and religions other than Roman Catholic might interpret/percive
"supernatural" as closer to reality that our Polish culture does.
- Pillar 6, Body and Mind. Biologia Czlowieka. We use in
our schools the term "Nauka o Czlowieku" for "human biology", but "Biologia
Czlowieka" can be used as well, it is just not so common.
Położnictwo. The term used commonly in Poland is "Ginekologia i
Położnictwo" (Gynecology and Midwifery). Recently I have also seen
"Neonatologia" in Polish sources.
- Pillar 8, Thought and Art. Translation is "Mysl i
Sztuka." However, I would suggest that instead of "Thought" you used "Kultura,"
(culture). The reason I would suggest such a change is that commonly this is
how we group/represent those ideas in Poland...
Drukarstwo. It is a
part of typography. I would believe that when you study specific discipline,
they teach you a little more that very narrow practical part. Typography is:
print from printing machines, printing art, graphic structure of a book. In
general, we use term "drukarstwo" seldom, and limit it to very technical part of
the field (something like applied sciences). "Drukarstwo" is printing books or
magazines and industry that includes all types of typesetting. (I took those
definitions from the dictionary of Polish language available online, created by
Polskie Wydawnictwo Naukowe (very respected authority in
Poland).
Tkactwo. Please be aware that "Tapestry" in English is making artistic
carpets While "Tkactwo" in English is "Weaving". Weaving is
Textile art. In Polish language artistic carpets are called
"gobeliny," and making them can be represented either by "Tkactwo
gobelinowe" or "Gobeliniarstwo." Anyway, it is smaller discipline
that belongs to "Tkactwo".
- Capital letters.
Polish ortography requires that if you give something a title, it is
all put in capital letters. For example the title of a chapter is
capitalized. However, if it is a final list, not a title, only
the first word is capitalized. I left Pilar names all in capitals,
treating them as titles, and the rest of it I treated as final list.
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