2023 archive

An exercise to help you describe tragedies

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Sad to say, many interpreters sometimes interpret in the wake of terrible tragedies: natural disasters, armed hostilities, terrorist attacks, etc.

This is not a topic that gladdens my heart to write about, but I’m doing so because I know many of you (well, us) find it difficult to talk about this subject in our B language (or even in our A language).

There is a particular vocabulary that is necessary in these situations, including some set phrases and a whole lot of adjectives to describe what has happened and what the effects are.

In today’s post, I’m going to suggest a few exercises to help you consolidate this vocabulary. Some of the exercises are based on a speech given by Australia’s Foreign Minister, Penny Wong. You can find the full text of her speech here.

Exercise 1: brainstorming

First things first, let’s gather a selection of suitable adjectives for describing attacks or similar situations.

Grab a pen, set the timer for 2 minutes, and write a list of adjectives that would be good alternatives for the idea of ‘awful, disgusting’.

  • Despicable
  • Ignominious
  • Contemptible
  • Disgraceful
  • Loathsome
  • Reprehensible
  • Shameful
  • Vile
  • Abominable
  • Appalling
  • Disgusting
  • Heinous

Exercise 2: brainstorming

Now set the timer for 2 minutes again, and write a list of adjectives that would be good alternatives for ‘shocking’. You may find that there is some overlap with your first list.

  • Appalling
  • Awful
  • Disgraceful
  • Disgusting
  • Dreadful
  • Incomprehensible
  • Unimaginable
  • Nauseating
  • Revolting
  • Sickening
  • Monstrous
  • Heinous
  • Horrifying
  • Shameful
  • Senseless
  • Barbarous
  • Unconscionable

Exercise 3: gap filling

Can you fill in the blanks with words or phrases that are grammatically correct and make sense in context?

President –

The Senate must __________ these acts of evil __________ a hateful group ____________ the destruction of the State of Israel and the eradication of Jews.

This was an assault on Israel, on the Jewish people.

But also an attack on our collective humanity.

We ___________ condemn these attacks, and we _____________ the immediate release of hostages.

Australia ____________ Israel, and always will.

Just as we always remember the thousands of years of persecution and atrocities perpetrated against the Jewish people…

The six million European Jews killed in the Holocaust…

That finally resolved the international community to establish the state of Israel.

And as more Jews were killed in this attack than on any single day since the Holocaust, we understand how it brings back that ________.

The attack by Hamas was ___________ in its brutality and its scale.

1,400 civilians murdered, 3,500 injured.

As many as 150 taken from Israel and held hostage in Gaza.

Men, women and children. From babies to the infirm and elderly. Holocaust survivors.

Place names that days ago were known to only a few, now ___________ in our memory.

I again __________ my __________ sympathies to those impacted by these _______________ acts.

We are shocked. We are horrified.

We grieve with you and we affirm our solidarity with you.

The Albanese Government’s _______________ has always been the pursuit of peace and progress toward a __________________ two-state solution where Israelis and Palestinians can live within secure borders.

One of the many _____________ consequences of Hamas’s _______________ attack is that it has pushed that two-state solution further out of reach.

That also makes this an __________________ perpetrated by Hamas against the Palestinian people.

Hamas’s actions have precipitated a _______________ situation in Israel and Gaza.

Civilians on all sides are suffering.

Regardless of religion or ethnicity, we _________________ each innocent life lost.

President –

The Senate must condemn these acts of evil perpetrated by a hateful group bent on the destruction of the State of Israel and the eradication of Jews. [for perpetrated by, you could say committed by; instead of bent on the destruction, you could say intent on the destruction, determined to achieve the destruction, dead set on the destruction]

This was an assault on Israel, on the Jewish people.

But also an attack on our collective humanity.

We unequivocally condemn these attacks, and we call for the immediate release of hostages. [for unequivocally condemn, you could say emphatically condemn]

Australia stands with Israel, and always will. [what about we support Israel?]

Just as we always remember the thousands of years of persecution and atrocities perpetrated against the Jewish people…

The six million European Jews killed in the Holocaust…

That finally resolved the international community to establish the state of Israel.

And as more Jews were killed in this attack than on any single day since the Holocaust, we understand how it brings back that trauma. [instead of trauma, you could say something like that terrible memory, that nightmare,….]

The attack by Hamas was shocking in its brutality and its scale. [this is where you could use several of the adjectives you brainstormed, e.g. devastating, horrific]

1,400 civilians murdered, 3,500 injured.

As many as 150 taken from Israel and held hostage in Gaza.

Men, women and children. From babies to the infirm and elderly. Holocaust survivors.

Place names that days ago were known to only a few, now seared in our memory.

I again express my deepest sympathies to those impacted by these heinous acts. [you could extend profound sympathy instead of express deepest sympathy. For heinous acts, try one of your brainstormed adjectives, e.g. terrible acts, despicable acts, egregious acts]

We are shocked. We are horrified.

We grieve with you and we affirm our solidarity with you.

The Albanese Government’s guiding principle has always been the pursuit of peace and progress toward a just and enduring two-state solution where Israelis and Palestinians can live within secure borders. [you could replace guiding principle with approach]

One of the many tragic consequences of Hamas’s abhorrent attack is that it has pushed that two-state solution further out of reach. [substitute some of your other adjectives here, for instance one of the many terrible consequences of Hamas’s incomprehensible attack; one of the many sad consequences of Hamas’s reprehensible attack]

That also makes this an unconscionable crime perpetrated by Hamas against the Palestinian people. [for unconscionable: barbarous, reprehensible, monstrous, senseless]

Hamas’s actions have precipitated a devastating situation in Israel and Gaza.

Civilians on all sides are suffering.

Regardless of religion or ethnicity, we mourn each innocent life lost.

Exercise 4: improvisation

I’m going to give you two models to help you build sentences in English to describe attacks and their effects.

MODEL 1: an adjective attack on adjective noun [by adjective noun]:

• a callous attack on innocent civilians

•A cowardly attack on innocent people

•A shameful attack on unsuspecting civilians by a callous sociopath

•A horrendous attack on defenceless children

MODEL 2:  a adjective(s) act of adjective noun [by adjective noun]

•An appalling act of senseless violence

•A vicious and contemptible act of brutal slaughter by a deranged extremist

•An unimaginable act of appalling, sickening cowardice

  1. Spend two minutes brainstorming adjectives to describe an attack, e.g. vicious, violent

Brutal, frenzied, horrific, savage, serious, vicious, violent, unprovoked, full-scale, callous, shameful, contemptible

2. Make up three sentences using model 1, and three sentences using model 2.