Quote by Virginia Woolf

Humor is the first gift to perish in a foreign language.

Humor is the first gift to perish in a foreign language.

Summary

This quote suggests that humor, being deeply rooted in language and cultural nuances, is often lost when spoken in a foreign language. The complexities of language, including wordplay, sarcasm, and cultural references, make it difficult for humor to be fully understood and appreciated by those who do not possess a native-level understanding of the language. As a result, the ability to comprehend and create humor is one of the first skills to diminish when adopting a foreign language.

Topics

Translation

By Virginia Woolf

Liked the quote? Share it with your friends.

Random Quotations

No one can withstand the charm of such a mystery.

No one can withstand the charm of such a mystery.

Persuasion Romance Jane Austen

Women upset everything. When you let them into your life, yo

Women upset everything. When you let them into your life, you find that the woman is driving at one thing and you're driving at another.

George Bernard Shaw

Life Women

We gave up some of our country to the white men, thinking th

We gave up some of our country to the white men, thinking that then we could have peace. We were mistaken. The white man would not let us alone.

Alone

I love the wry motto of the Paleontological Society, meant b

I love the wry motto of the Paleontological Society, meant both literally and figuratively, for hammers are the main tool of our trade: Frango ut patefaciam - I break in order to reveal.

Stephen Jay Gould

Society

When you have confidence, you can have a lot of fun. And whe

When you have confidence, you can have a lot of fun. And when you have fun, you can do amazing things.

Amazing

What is wrong with the Iranians in addition to the nuclear b

What is wrong with the Iranians in addition to the nuclear bomb? This is the only country on Earth in the 21st century that has renewed imperialistic ambitions. They really want to become the hegemon of the Middle East in an age that gave up imperialism.

Age

Passion is momentary love is enduring.

Passion is momentary love is enduring.

Love

When a whole nation is roaring Patriotism at the top of its

When a whole nation is roaring Patriotism at the top of its voice, I am fain to explore the cleanness of its hands and purity of its heart.

Ralph Waldo Emerson

Patriotism Nations

The happy life is thought to be one of excellence; now an ex

The happy life is thought to be one of excellence; now an excellent life requires exertion, and does not consist in amusement.

Happiness Excellence

As man sows, so shall he reap. In works of fiction, such men

As man sows, so shall he reap. In works of fiction, such men are sometimes converted. More often, in real life, they do not change their natures until they are converted into dust.

Charles W. Chesnutt

Change

There are depths in man that go to the lowest hell, and heig

There are depths in man that go to the lowest hell, and heights that reach the highest heaven, for are not both heaven and hell made out of him, everlasting miracle and mystery that he is.

Miracles Man Mystery

A place belongs forever to whoever claims it hardest, rememb

A place belongs forever to whoever claims it hardest, remembers it most obsessively, wrenches it from itself, shapes it, renders it, loves it so radically that he remakes it in his own image.

Travel