description in chinese papers

[Thomas Lammers]

At 09:20 AM 2/13/01 +1100, you wrote:

>The biggest problem of Chinese language is that ordinary layman a Chinese
>person is not able to read entomological texts.
>I have try my friend who was born in China, he is Chinese and who is
>teacher of english in Australia, and even he was not able to translate 3 lines
>description.

I suspect the same is true for English or any language: the technical terms
used in any specialized endeavor, such as entomology, are just not in the
untrained layman's vocabulary.  He will recognize it as his own language,
but will not fathom the meaning.  Much the same as Lewis Carroll's
"Jabberwocky" ["'Twas brillig and the slithety toves did gyre and gimble in
the wabe ..."]: it sure LOOKS and SOUNDS like English, but what in the
world is he SAYING???


Thomas G. Lammers, Ph.D.

Assistant Professor and Curator of the Herbarium (OSH)
Department of Biology and Microbiology
University of Wisconsin Oshkosh
Oshkosh, Wisconsin 54901-8640 USA

e-mail:       lammers at uwosh.edu
phone:      920-424-1002
fax:           920-424-1101

Plant systematics; classification, nomenclature, evolution, and
biogeography of the Campanulaceae s. lat.
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