Read the given passage and answer the questions that follow:-
Words have their limitations and those who write, or those who read, also have their limitations or their own frameworks to understand words. Many words start their journey with some meaning, but over the centuries they gather different nuances or acquire a totally different meaning. When the writer uses a specific word with some specific meaning in mind, it is not necessary that the reader will have exactly the same meaning in mind while reading. Thus, the communication, and the intent of the writer gets hampered. The problem increases manifold when we talk about essentially Indian concepts in English.
Several Sanskrit words like Dharma, Yajna, Srishti, Jeevan Darshan, Ishvara, and Aatman are untranslatable in English, as of course, there are words in English like 'religion', 'secularism', 'exclusivism', 'theology', 'ideology', etc. which are untranslatable in Indian languages. These are not just words. They denote the characteristic thought process of that culture, which the people belonging to that culture can understand in that one word, but others outside that culture would need long explanation and yet may not grasp its meaning. Generally, people try to understand the word in the context of their cultural experience.
Thus, 'religion' is understood as Dharma by many Indians, whereas it is not Dharma. Dharma is understood as 'religion' by West-oriented thinkers, Indians and non-Indians. Similarly, Secularism is understood as equal treatment of all religions in India, whereas that is not its meaning in Europe. The usage of terms and their inherent meanings is a big topic in itself.
Which of the following statements is true according to the given passage?
(A) A word is absolutely free from its usage and cultural influences.
(B) The reader interprets what the writer means by admiring the qualifications of the writer.
(C) The act of reading is free from personal biases and opinions.
(D) A word gathers different meanings over time, context and place.
Choose the correct answer from the options given below:-
Answer & explanation
Correct answer: option 4
The correct answer is Option (4) → (D)
(A) A word is absolutely free from its usage and cultural influences. — Does not hold true.
- Contradicted: the passage says words denote the thought process of a culture and are understood through cultural experience.
(B) The reader interprets what the writer means by admiring the qualifications of the writer. — Does not hold true.
- Not mentioned: the passage says nothing about the writer's qualifications.
- It says the reader may not have the same meaning in mind as the writer.
(C) The act of reading is free from personal biases and opinions. — Does not hold true.
- Contradicted: readers have their own frameworks to understand words, so reading is not free from personal views.
(D) A word gathers different meanings over time, context and place. — Holds true.
- Words gather different nuances over the centuries, and a word such as Secularism means one thing in India and another in Europe.