The Secretary and the Reset Button (A case for promoting U.S. Russian language study)

[Paul B. Gallagher]

Max Pyziur wrote:

> Political issues aside, Rice once commented that she read one of the
> great Russian authors for leisure (Tolstoy?). However, given what
> has been said on SEELANGS about her speaking abilities it certainly
> throws into question her linguistic claims.

As you may know, there's a huge difference between passive reading at 
your convenience with access to a dictionary and active speaking at the 
other person's pace with no dictionary. She might well have read War and 
Peace from cover to cover over a period of months while also being 
incapable of carrying on diplomatic negotiations in the language. I can 
appreciate a Mozart sonata, and even follow along with the sheet music, 
but that doesn't mean I can play well enough for you to stay and listen.

-- 
War doesn't determine who's right, just who's left.
--
Paul B. Gallagher
pbg translations, inc.
"Russian Translations That Read Like Originals"
http://pbg-translations.com

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