softly aloud

English translation: barely audible, in a quiet voice

18:50 Jan 20, 2022

English language (monolingual) [Non-PRO]
General / Conversation / Greetings / Letters / meditation guide

English term or phrase: softly aloud

Dear colleagues,
I’m not completely sure about the meaning of “softly aloud” in the passage below, taken from a meditation guide.
At first, I thought it could mean “in a low voice”, but in another part of the text, in a similar context, with the same phrases to repeat, the author uses the expression “aloud”: “Repeat the following phrases aloud or say them silently in your mind as you continue to breathe deeply”
So, perhaps, “softly aloud”, means: aloud in a gentle voice or something like that?
Thank you so much for your attention!

********************************

As you take this time to feel forgiveness toward another and offer forgiveness to yourself, you can repeat the following phrases quietly in your mind or even say them ** softly aloud ***:
- May all living beings be happy..
- May all living beings be as healthy as they can be..

haribert KudoZ activity Questions: 289 (none open) (1 without valid answers) (1 closed without grading) Answers: 524
Local time: 13:30

Selected answer:barely audible, in a quiet voice

Explanation:
just before this he says

quietly in your mind or even say them ** softly aloud ***:

so don't voice them at all or just say thenm so you can just about hear them yourself

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Note added at 4 mins (2022-01-20 18:54:27 GMT)
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100% CL here

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Note added at 1 hr (2022-01-20 20:34:45 GMT)
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yes, but that could just be a normal speaking voice.
In this particular case "in your mind and softly aloud" are linked.

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Note added at 1 hr (2022-01-20 20:38:33 GMT)
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in other words, aloud, is more audible.

BTW we also say sotto voce for "softly aloud"

Yes, it's borrowed from Italian! LOL

https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/sotto voce

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Note added at 1 hr (2022-01-20 20:39:17 GMT)
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aloud=normal speaking voice.

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Note added at 5 days (2022-01-25 22:29:04 GMT) Post-grading
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Hi Haribert, About the audio: The speaker(s) didn't follow the written English instructions if they utter the sentences at the same volume. There should be a distinction between the two.

https://www.macmillandictionaryblog.com/language-tip-of-the-... "speak softly/quietly:
He spoke so softly it was difficult to hear what he said. ♦ Moira spoke quietly to the young woman...." "softly" and "aloud" are antonyms as you can clearly see here: https://www.merriam-webster.com/thesaurus/softly

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Note added at 5 days (2022-01-25 22:29:53 GMT) Post-grading
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anyway, there should be an audible difference

Selected response from:

Yvonne Gallagher
Ireland
Local time: 12:30

Grading comment

Dear Yvonne, thank you very much for your help! As I said in the Discussion, having purchased also the audio edition of the book, I still have some little doubt, because in the audio versione the sentences aren't said in a low voice, but more or less with the same volume as when the author suggests saying them aloud...
A sincere thanks also to all other colleagues for their contribution!
4 KudoZ points were awarded for this answer

SUMMARY OF ALL EXPLANATIONS PROVIDED

4 +6

barely audible, in a quiet voice

Yvonne Gallagher

4 +1

gently out loud

Alex Oliver

"aloud" is redundant

Kiet Bach

Discussion entries: 5

haribert

ASKER

Dear Yvonne,

18:47 Jan 25, 2022

thank you for your contribution. It’s certainly true that sometimes I tend to overthink, but in this case my doubt derived from the fact that I also have purchased the audio edition of the book and in the passages I mentioned, there doesn't seem to be a difference in the volume of the voice between "softly aloud" and "aloud".... Just to be sure I wasn’t “overhearing” (!!), in the meantime I also asked my boyfriend and some friends to listen to both passages – the one where the author says “say them softly aloud” and the other where, referring to the same sentences after a few pages, he simply says “aloud”. My friends don’t know either the text or the author, so maybe their judgement is more unbiased than mine: actually they also found no difference in the volume of the voice in the two passages of the audio edition; only one of them said that, when the author suggested saying the phrases “aloud", his voice seemed a little more "assertive" than when he said “softly aloud”... That’s why I think that the difference may be perhaps more in the tone than in the volume itself.. Anyway, to cut it short, I think I’ve found a word ambiguous enough to leave both possibilities open.

Yvonne Gallagher

Ireland

@ Asker

11:14 Jan 22, 2022

I already answered your question amd said I'm 100% sure. The author chose voiceless/internally, softly and aloud, 3 (not 2) different ways of "saying" these phrases. He didn't choose "gently" so agree with Tony you are overthinking this. (And it has already been voted non-pro by 3 natives so why complicate things?)

haribert

ASKER

Hi, Tony, thanks for your advice!

21:07 Jan 21, 2022

You're probably right... I actually tend to over-think (sigh)... In this case, however, it's not only a matter of style: the author is describing a meditation practice, these are the instructions for a series of exercises: that's why it seemed strange to me that in one case you say the sentences in a low voice, and then in a virtually identical exercise, you say them in a normal tone of voice..
Anyway, perhaps I've found a word in Italian which conveys both meanings, more or less: a low voice and a gentle tone...
A sincere thanks for your patience!
Have a nice weekend!

Tony M

France

@ Asker

20:13 Jan 21, 2022

I think you are over-thinking this. Writers sometimes use different words for variety, or emphasize different aspects of their points in different places.
If there was any intended sense of 'gently', describing the manner>/i> of speaking rather than the volume, why would they not have used that more natural adverb?

haribert

ASKER

Dear colleages, thank you very much for your help

18:11 Jan 21, 2022

I understand that "softly" as in "speak softly" usually means "in a low voice", as Yvonne said.
What I don't understand is why the author says "softly aloud" in this part and "aloud" in another passage with the same sentences that have to be repeated... Why saying the sentences one time in a low voice and then the other in a normal speaking voice? It's really the same kind of exercise...
So wouldn't it be possible that "softly" in this case has a less "standard" meaning, maybe more in the sense of "gently" as Alex said, also considering that these are statements of "kind" intention...
I'll think over that a little longer...

Answers

2 hrs confidence:

"aloud" is redundant

Explanation:
The "say" in "say them softly aloud" already means "utter aloud".
https://www.thefreedictionary.com/say

The author just wants to emphasize that it is not "quietly in your mind" (used in the same sentence), but aloud.

Kiet Bach
United States
Local time: 04:30
Native speaker of:

Chinese
PRO pts in category: 8

Notes to answerer

Asker: Thank you, Kiet, for your contribution!

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)

neutral

philgoddard: It is redundant, though I think Yvonne has already answered the question satisfactorily.

50 mins

-> It simply means "say them softly".

neutral

Tony M: As Phil says, it's not really redundant, it is needed to make the opposition between 'in your mind' and 'out loud' as Alex suggests below. It's not "emphasis" ... it's just to be explicit about the opposition.

10 hrs

-> I said "aloud" was used "to emphasize". Read my explanation. // I meant emphasizing the difference. You called it "the opposition".

neutral

Yvonne Gallagher: no, "aloud" is needed to make the distinction here of unvoiced and aloud "say"//your "explanation" does not back your contention at all. Worthless in fact

12 hrs

-> I said "aloud" was used "to emphasize". Read my explanation. // The dictionary backs me up, but you are entitled to your opinions.

neutral

AllegroTrans: I agree with Phil, Tony and Yvonne; you have not really understood this correctly

15 hrs

-> I said "aloud" was used "to emphasize". Read my explanation.

7 hrs confidence:

peer agreement (net): +1

gently out loud

Explanation:
I am a meditation teacher as well as a translator (I have experience interpreting for Thai Buddhist teachers and am familiar with the "loving kindness" meditation in this passage). I would translate this as "gently out loud" for the following reasons:
1) "Aloud" is not redundant, as "say" could still mean "say them in your mind" if no distinction is given from the internal repetition previously mentioned in the passage.
2) I prefer "out loud" to "aloud" in this context because the point here is to express your goodwill to all beings, therefore you say it "out". "Out" also makes the distinction from internal repetition clearer - however, you could use "gently aloud" if you prefer.
3) I choose the word "gently" rather than "quietly" or "barely audibly" for the simple reason that the point is not to be heard at all (so the volume doesn't matter). The point is to gently express your intention of goodwill ("gently" so as not to disturb your meditative state). Even though there is no one to hear you, expressing your mental intention aloud can help you to establish it with strength and clarity.
4) May all beings be well, peaceful, and happy ;)

https://positivepsychology.com/loving-kindness-meditation/

Alex Oliver
Australia
Local time: 21:30
Native speaker of: English

Notes to answerer

Asker: Thank you, Alex, for your contribution!

4 mins confidence:

peer agreement (net): +6

barely audible, in a quiet voice

Yvonne Gallagher
Ireland
Local time: 12:30
Specializes in field
Native speaker of:

English
PRO pts in category: 659

Grading comment

Notes to answerer

Asker: Thank you so much, Yvonne, for your help! My doubt derives from the fact that, for the very same sentences, some pages later the author simply says "repeat the same sentences aloud"...

Peer comments on this answer (and responses from the answerer)

agree

Tony M

34 mins

-> Many thanks:-)

agree

philgoddard: It's the opposite of "in your mind".

3 hrs

-> Many thanks:-)

agree

Carl Bickett (X)

3 hrs

-> Many thanks:-)

agree

AllegroTrans

17 hrs

-> Many thanks:-)

agree

Tina Vonhof (X)

20 hrs

-> Many thanks:-)

neutral

Kiet Bach: I am not sure if "softly" is the same as "barely audible". In fact, "softly" could be very audible, it just means not loud, harsh or irritating. // https://www.thefreedictionary.com/softly // We're not ignoring context, we just shouldn't over-translate

21 hrs

-> No, you are wrong, as usual. You think 1 entry, among many others, in 1 dictionary, makes you an English expert? Let's just ignore context shall we?

agree

Anastasia Kalantzi

2 days 2 hrs

-> Many thanks:-)

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softly aloud

English translation: barely audible, in a quiet voice

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