Quote

"
The presentation of the theory of knowledge presents a peculiar difficulty. This difficulty is linguistic. Human language was a not made for speaking about knowledge; linguistic formality is not cognitive formality; there are infra-linguistic and supra-linguistic cognitive levels."
- Leonardo Polo, Curso de teoría del conocimiento, tomo I

Tuesday, August 20, 2013

Translator's Guide

Take a look at our Translator's Guide to Polian Terms and start (or join) a discussion!

The guide suggests provision English translations of Polian terms. Please feel free to comment and make suggestions.

We will be periodically updating and modifying this Guide as translations and discussions continue.

For easy access, you can always find a link to the right side column of our blog.

Enjoy!

Thursday, August 15, 2013

Translating "además"

The term "además" is central in Polo's transcendental anthropology. The word is, however, difficult to translate into English. Added to the this is the fact that Polo's use of it in Spanish is already unusual.

Polo uses "además" to express the adverbial character of the human person. For example, according to his transcendental anthropology, Polo the human person is  "un ser además."

Thus, a correct English translation would ideally be an adverb and one that goes well with verbs such as being.

Test phrases:
1. "Si no me limito a pensar, precisamente porque el pensar es límite, soy además. ¿Además de qué? Ante todo, además de pensar."
2. "Además no significa añadir, ni es un añadido, sino que significa estar más allá y en ese más allá estar el además."

Possible candidates for an English word that would translate "además" include,
a) evermore
b) additionally
c) beyond

Evermore
Evermore was used by S. Piá.

Advantages: it is an adverb; flows well with phrases; its archaic character gives it a nice philosophical-technical sound to it.

Disadvantages: archaic, might sound a bit too rhetorical

Test phrases:
"If I am not limited to thinking, precisely because thinking is the limit, I am evermore. Evermore than what? Above all, evermore than thinking."
"Evermore does not mean adding, nor something added, but rather being beyond and it is in this beyond that evermore is."

Additionally:
Additionally is currently (but provisionally) preferred by R. Esclanda.

Advantages: it is an adverb; flows decently with phrases; is a word that is currently used in English (unlike evermore).

Disadvantages: may sound too simple

Test Phrases:

"If I am not limited to thinking, precisely because thinking is the limit, I am additionallyAdditionally to what? Above all, additionally to thinking."
"Additionally does not mean adding, nor something added, but rather being beyond and it is in this beyond that additionally is."

Beyond:
Beyond was tentatively suggested at some point (by A. Vargas?)

Advantages: can be used as an adverb; emphasizes that a constant tendency to go "beyond"

Disadvantages: has a spacial connotation; gives the impression that one goes from somewhere to some other place that is beyond

"If I am not limited to thinking, precisely because thinking is the limit, I am beyondBeyond what? Above all, beyond thinking."
"Beyond does not mean adding, nor something added, but rather being beyond and it is in this beyond that beyond is."

Any observations or other suggested translations?

Wednesday, August 14, 2013

Introduction

This is a blog for all those interested in discussing topics related with translating Leonardo Polo's works from Spanish into English. Enjoy!