How we cite our quotes: (Chapter.Paragraph)
Quote #1
"We've got two kinds of language in our heads. The kind we're using now is acquired. It patterns our brains as we're learning it. But there's also a tongue that's based in the deep structures of the brain, that everyone shares." (56.5)
The way Hiro explains it, we've all got the same linguistic structures in our brains as the rest of humanity, like it or not. And this might not be so bad, except that our unconscious brain language can be used against us. Which is the premise of the book in a nutshell. Whoopee.
Quote #2
Just ask the businessmen in the Nipponese quadrant…They more or less ignore what is being said—a lot gets lost in translation, after all. They pay attention to the facial expressions and body language of the people they are talking to. (8.4)
Communication is more than just words—it encompasses body language, facial expressions, and all that good stuff. Words may lie, but bodies have a harder time of it. That's the premise, anyway, behind Juanita's facial expression software. Which makes a ton of money, so it must be good.
Quote #3
"Anyway, you're saying that when God got angry and came down on them, the tower itself wasn't affected. But they had to stop building the tower because of an informational disaster—they couldn't talk to each other." (13.50)
The Biblical fall of the tower of Babel turns out to be more complex than most people think. The real issue wasn't knocking down a tower; it was taking away people's ability to communicate while building it.