OUR KIND OF ENGLISH: Girls withdrawn from school, FORCED into marriage ‘without their consent’
BEGGINING? We can bet our last cent that the person who was contracted to prepare this sign was directed to write BEGINNING, but they somehow came up with a non-existent word as far as English is concerned. Trust signwriters! PHOTO | COURTESY
A Page 1 story on Bongo’s senior-most broadsheet is carrying a story whose headline reads, ‘PM: Sugar surplus now within reach,’ and therein, the scribbler writes in his intro: “Prime Minister Dr Mwigulu Nchemba has said Tanzania is on course to eliminate the sugar supply deficit as local factories expand production capacity, paving the way for the country to ACHIEVE SELF-SUFFICIENCY AND GENERATE SURPLUS FOR EXPORT.”
We skip two paragraphs, then we read Para 4 in which our scribbling colleague writes: “Dr Mwigulu said increased investment and expansion of sugar factories provided a strong indication that the country would soon ACHIEVE SELF-SUFFICIENCY AND GENERATE SURPLUS FOR EXPORT.
Need we explain why we have put in capitals sections of the two paragraphs we cite above? Well, let us do it.
The reason is, we are bugged by the monotony! In case the scribbler felt a great need to reiterate in Para 4 what the PM is reported as saying in Para 1, rephrasing would be apt so as to avoid blatant monotony.
Below is our suggested rewrite: “Dr Mwigulu said increased investment and expansion of sugar factories provided a clear indication that the country would soon BE PRODUCING MORE THAN ITS DOMESTIC REQUIREMENTS AND BECOME AN EXPORTER OF THE SWEETERNER.”
We move to Page 3 where the lead story reads: ‘Tanzania, Eswatini pledge stronger economic ties.’
In Para 3 of the story, the scribbler pens, “During a private meeting with King Mswati III…Ambassador Hamad conveyed greetings and goodwill from President Samia and reaffirmed Tanzania’s commitment to further strengthen the HISTORIC, friendly and brotherly relations between the two nations.”
We have noted it in this space before, let us repeat it: Something “historic” is that which has happened today and we are certain it will, for certain, be remembered thereafter, perhaps for ever and ever!
Then, “historical” is something that happened—or has been there in the past—and still remembered and cherished to date because of its significance.
Like the good and amicable relations that has been there even before independence between the people of Eswatini and those of Tanzania. These are HISTORICAL relations.
And now, some linguistic gemstones from Page 6 of Bongo’s huge and colourful broadsheet of Monday, August 10.
In this one, there is a story entitled, ‘NGO partners with journalists to combat ongoing child marriage in RURAL villages.’
Hello! A “village”, by its very nature, is located in a “rural area.” You indulge in tautological nonsense if you qualify it with “rural.” Which is to say, the headline chief should have simply penned, “…in villages” or “…in rural areas.”
In Para 5 of this human interest story, our colleague reports further: “Despite ongoing efforts by the government…child marriage continues to occur in secret…Many girls are withdrawn from school and FORCED into marriage WITHOUT THEIR CONSENT…”
When you say “forced into marriage without consent,” you are overtly suggesting that a young woman can be coerced while, at the same time, agreeing (consenting) to becoming some crooked man’s wife. Nonsensical, isn’t it?
Which is to say, our fellow scribbler’s sentence should have ended with, “…and FORCED into marriage.” Period! However, if you are keen on verbosity, you may say: “…Many girls are withdrawn from school, then GET married WITHOUT THEIR CONSENT…”
Finally, colouring this page is a photo whose caption reads: “Stephen Michael, director of production and marketing at the Ministry of Livestock and Fisheries, briefs journalists FOR Tanzania’s plans to become a net milk exporter, with expected exports valued at US$231 million...”
Hello! Mr Michael was not briefing journalists “for” Tanzania’s plans to become this or that; rather, he was briefing journalists ON Tanzania’s plans to…
