This is an interesting op-ed column on the use of Latin on diplomas. The author, despite being a "Latin scholar" (for those of you who take Latin :) ) themselves, strongly believes that diplomas should be written in English.
To be honest, I have never really given much thought to this issue. However, I do have to agree with the author that the Latin on diplomas is clearly intended to impress rather than serve any educational purpose. Even so, I don't really think it's that big of a deal. Latin script on diplomas is a tradition, and it looks kind of neat. Even though I doubt most people can read the Latin on their diploma, this shouldn't really matter, after all they are the ones graduating and I sincerely hope they know what degree they are graduating with without having to read a piece of paper. I suppose it would be nice to be able to display a diploma without having to explain to everyone what it means, so in a way the author has a point. But to me at least, saying "Why, then, celebrate that education with a document that prizes grandiosity over communication?" is going a little far. Does it really matter all that much? If it's that vital, why not print a translation and hang it underneath the original?
No comments:
Post a Comment