The World in Words 32: The Bible in Jamaican patois and Rotten English
First this week, the Bible is being translated into Jamaican patois. For some, it’ll bring the scriptures alive; for others it’s just not how the word of God ought to sound. Then a longish segment on English that’s so bad, it’s rotten. Whether spoken by Joe Strummer, Linton Kwesi Johnson or Louise Bennett, this is the language of oppression, rebellion and revenge. It can sound more raw and authentic than the Queen’s English, but it’s often just as refined.
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