Translation is not a matter of words only: it is a matter of making intelligible a whole culture.
Anthony BurgessRead
Only in England is the perversion of language regarded as a victory for democracy.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote criticizes how the manipulation of language is seen as a positive aspect of democracy in England.
Anthony Burgess's quote reflects a cynical view on the relationship between language and democracy in England, suggesting that the distortion or perversion of language is celebrated or seen as a triumph of democratic values. This perspective raises questions about the implications of altered communication and its impact on society, highlighting the potential risks of misinterpretation and manipulation in the political discourse.
Themes
LanguageDemocracyManipulationCommunicationSociety
In practice
Example use cases
This quote could be used in a discussion about the impact of political rhetoric on public perception.
More from Anthony Burgess
All quotes βThere is a satisfactory boniness about grammar which the flesh of sheer vocabulary requires before it can become a vertebrate and walk the earth.
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Violence among young people is an aspect of their desire to create. They don't know how to use their energy creatively so they do the opposite and destroy.
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You needn't take it any further, sir. You've proved to me that all this ultraviolence and killing is wrong, wrong, and terribly wrong. I've learned me lesson, sir. I've seen now what I've never seen before. I'm cured! Praise Bog! I'm cured!
Anthony BurgessRead
It may not be nice to be good, little 6655321. It may be horrible to be good. And when I say that to you I realize how self-contradictory that sounds. I know I shall have many sleepless nights about this. What does God want? Does God want goodness or the choice of goodness? Is a man who chooses the bad perhaps in some way better than a man who has the good imposed upon him? Deep and hard questions, little 6655321.
Anthony BurgessRead
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