I used Google Translate to translate K-D today, just for kicks. The French is not too bad...there's some good French in there (although there's some funky stuff too), but most of it would be understandable by someone who didn't speak English.
I'm surprised that the translator automatically made me feminine (végétarienne). What's up with that?
The translator didn't seem to know what to do with the word "ride." It left "ride" alone in the title, but used un tour in the body of the e-mail.
I would have thought about using un trajet, as in a "route," but un tour à vélo is probably ok, but I don't really know. (I notice that it used un trajet a few words after that.)
It totally screwed up a few words later, and mentioned something about riding a horse, lol -- monter à cheval.
I'm surprised that the translator automatically made me feminine (végétarienne). What's up with that?
The translator didn't seem to know what to do with the word "ride." It left "ride" alone in the title, but used un tour in the body of the e-mail.
I would have thought about using un trajet, as in a "route," but un tour à vélo is probably ok, but I don't really know. (I notice that it used un trajet a few words after that.)
It totally screwed up a few words later, and mentioned something about riding a horse, lol -- monter à cheval.
- Music:Candy (Pennyshaker)
Of course, I found this interesting --
So, the poor baby is screaming, "hel-LOOO, a little Desinex here!" in the same tonal qualities as whatever language his mom speaks, lol!
A new study of over a thousand recorded cries from 30 French newborns and 30 German newborns found differences in the cries' melody patterns. French cries tended to have a rising melody, while the German cries tended to have a falling melody.
...
"Crying is not linguistic, yet they seem to be echoing the acoustic patterns that they've heard either in utero or every early on, very early exposure, right after birth."
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=120131516&ft=1&f=1001
So, the poor baby is screaming, "hel-LOOO, a little Desinex here!" in the same tonal qualities as whatever language his mom speaks, lol!
- Music:Apologize (OneRepublic)
I haven't felt much like posting the last few days. No real reason -- things have been going fine...I guess my muse was on holiday or something. Or maybe it was the rain.
***
I posted a Facebook status about an event night, but here is more detail. I had a sort of stressful event when I started my Christmas shopping last night. The start of my Christmas shopping involves going to Bath and Bodyworks and buying a crapload of lotion and bath gels.
That's because nearly every female on my list gets (at least) this from me. Some women (like my sisters and Mom) get additional gifts, of course, but women like my nephews' wives get only this from me. I figure it's not very much money, and they can definitely use it (and usually appreciate the scents).
So, I had a coupon -- 20% off -- plus another coupon for a free travel sized item. I got to the counter to pay, and then the cashier pointed me to the selection of travel sized items. So, I squatted and moved around the display until I found what I wanted.
I stood up, went back to the counter, and reached for my wallet. There was nothing in my back pocket! So, I felt around my jacket. Nope, no wallet!
So, I went to the car. Nothing. Nothing lying around the parking space. I drove home to search and nada.
I drove back to the store and asked if the cashier had found it. She said, no, but we looked around.
Finally, we found it! Evidently, I had taken the wallet out to pay at the counter, then when I squatted to look at the display, I had absent-mindedly laid the wallet down on a shelf next to the display. I had no recollection of doing that. I remembered having the wallet in my hand before I went shopping, but that was the last thing I remembered about it.
I'm just glad I recovered it before someone swiped it!
I think the cashier was more stressed about it than I was, lol! I actually gave her a hug, lol!
***
On a different topic, you know I use Facebook in French, right -- just for kicks. But what's weird is the mishmash that I sometimes get.
For example, here is the list of notifications (in the right hand corner) from a few weeks ago (as usual, I've covered last names).
Notice that some are all in French. Some are in English, except for the French word lien --
***
This is kind of funny. A memo from Arnold Schwarzenegger (governor of California) to one of the Assemblymen contains an obscene acrostic.
http://www.theatlanticwire.com/features/v
***
One thing I need to do is to get some control of my finances again. When I first started working again, I put a lot of mula back into primary savings. But I haven't saved anything in the last couple of months!
That's because I have been on a spending spree -- new bike, repair work on the Subaru, a trip to Asheville (and staying in the B&B), and all along I've been buying new clothes for myself because I have lost weight and all my old clothes are too big. Now, I start Christmas shopping!
***
I posted a Facebook status about an event night, but here is more detail. I had a sort of stressful event when I started my Christmas shopping last night. The start of my Christmas shopping involves going to Bath and Bodyworks and buying a crapload of lotion and bath gels.
That's because nearly every female on my list gets (at least) this from me. Some women (like my sisters and Mom) get additional gifts, of course, but women like my nephews' wives get only this from me. I figure it's not very much money, and they can definitely use it (and usually appreciate the scents).
So, I had a coupon -- 20% off -- plus another coupon for a free travel sized item. I got to the counter to pay, and then the cashier pointed me to the selection of travel sized items. So, I squatted and moved around the display until I found what I wanted.
I stood up, went back to the counter, and reached for my wallet. There was nothing in my back pocket! So, I felt around my jacket. Nope, no wallet!
So, I went to the car. Nothing. Nothing lying around the parking space. I drove home to search and nada.
I drove back to the store and asked if the cashier had found it. She said, no, but we looked around.
Finally, we found it! Evidently, I had taken the wallet out to pay at the counter, then when I squatted to look at the display, I had absent-mindedly laid the wallet down on a shelf next to the display. I had no recollection of doing that. I remembered having the wallet in my hand before I went shopping, but that was the last thing I remembered about it.
I'm just glad I recovered it before someone swiped it!
I think the cashier was more stressed about it than I was, lol! I actually gave her a hug, lol!
***
On a different topic, you know I use Facebook in French, right -- just for kicks. But what's weird is the mishmash that I sometimes get.
For example, here is the list of notifications (in the right hand corner) from a few weeks ago (as usual, I've covered last names).
Notice that some are all in French. Some are in English, except for the French word lien --
***
This is kind of funny. A memo from Arnold Schwarzenegger (governor of California) to one of the Assemblymen contains an obscene acrostic.
http://www.theatlanticwire.com/features/v
***
One thing I need to do is to get some control of my finances again. When I first started working again, I put a lot of mula back into primary savings. But I haven't saved anything in the last couple of months!
That's because I have been on a spending spree -- new bike, repair work on the Subaru, a trip to Asheville (and staying in the B&B), and all along I've been buying new clothes for myself because I have lost weight and all my old clothes are too big. Now, I start Christmas shopping!
- Music:Just My Imagination (The Cranberries)
A friend sent this link to the "accent archive" -- recordings of people reading the same English text in different accents. Here's the link to the archive of native English speakers --
http://accent.gmu.edu/browse_language.ph
This accent is closest to how people speak where I grew up, although this woman is speaking much more deliberately and more clearly than people there normally would.
http://accent.gmu.edu/browse_language.ph
I had a French professor from Québec in college, and I remember his accent being sort of nasal, just like this French speaker record here --
http://accent.gmu.edu/browse_language.ph
http://accent.gmu.edu/browse_language.ph
This accent is closest to how people speak where I grew up, although this woman is speaking much more deliberately and more clearly than people there normally would.
http://accent.gmu.edu/browse_language.ph
I had a French professor from Québec in college, and I remember his accent being sort of nasal, just like this French speaker record here --
http://accent.gmu.edu/browse_language.ph
- Music:Through The Front Door (Vetiver)
While I'm sitting here waiting for a friend to show up for dinner, how about a language lesson?
Some people who don't know other languages think that translation is a one to one, easy task. If you know the words, then you can translate, right?
For example, a lot of evangelical folks think that when they are reading their scriptures, that they are reading exactly what was written in Hebrew, New Testament Greek, etc.
That is wrong! A lot of stuff between languages just doesn't translate well -- and as you become better at a language, you start to learn what the phrase means in the other language, more on an emotional basis than on an intellectual basis!
For example, there's an old French song that I listen to sometimes -- I made a post about it here --> http://karmicdragonfly.livejournal.com/4
The title of the song is On est bien peu de choses, which doesn't translate very well to English. Word for word, it means "One is well little of things." That doesn't mean anything right?
So, as I read the phrase, I think it means something like "One is only a little thing." Okay, more meaning, but it still doesn't really mean anything to an English speaker.
From what I can tell, the French use the phrase in the same way that an English speaker might say "We are here today, gone tomorrow," meaning we are insignificant -- we are only a little thing, in the grand scheme of things.
My point here is that sometimes, if you're reading a translation, you're actually reading what the translator believed was the best way to phrase it -- not a literal word for word translation.
As an aside, I have a couple of Greek dictionaries here at the house and also a Greek New Testament. I remember going to a Baptist book store once and asking for that - they didn't even have any! I think that says something about the nature of their movement -- that their movement is much more cultural and less religious than they realize.
Some people who don't know other languages think that translation is a one to one, easy task. If you know the words, then you can translate, right?
For example, a lot of evangelical folks think that when they are reading their scriptures, that they are reading exactly what was written in Hebrew, New Testament Greek, etc.
That is wrong! A lot of stuff between languages just doesn't translate well -- and as you become better at a language, you start to learn what the phrase means in the other language, more on an emotional basis than on an intellectual basis!
For example, there's an old French song that I listen to sometimes -- I made a post about it here --> http://karmicdragonfly.livejournal.com/4
The title of the song is On est bien peu de choses, which doesn't translate very well to English. Word for word, it means "One is well little of things." That doesn't mean anything right?
So, as I read the phrase, I think it means something like "One is only a little thing." Okay, more meaning, but it still doesn't really mean anything to an English speaker.
From what I can tell, the French use the phrase in the same way that an English speaker might say "We are here today, gone tomorrow," meaning we are insignificant -- we are only a little thing, in the grand scheme of things.
My point here is that sometimes, if you're reading a translation, you're actually reading what the translator believed was the best way to phrase it -- not a literal word for word translation.
As an aside, I have a couple of Greek dictionaries here at the house and also a Greek New Testament. I remember going to a Baptist book store once and asking for that - they didn't even have any! I think that says something about the nature of their movement -- that their movement is much more cultural and less religious than they realize.
- Music:Bajo la Lune Mexicana (Concrete Blonde)
Ever since Classical Greek in undergrad, I've had a strong interest in both classical and New Testament Greek.
Would that my Greek were better!
The world's oldest Christian Bible has been digitized. The site is dog slow, but I'm assuming that it is under load right now because of the news articles about it.
The Greek lettering in the upper right doesn't exactly match what I expected -- they used what looks to me like a "C" symbol at the ends of some words. It threw me for a minute, although I think it's correct. It's the Sigma at the end of a word, and I expected it to look more like "∫", But I think the Sigma at the end of a word does look like "ς", which is what is shown in the upper right of the screen.
http://www.codexsinaiticus.org/en/manusc
Would that my Greek were better!
The world's oldest Christian Bible has been digitized. The site is dog slow, but I'm assuming that it is under load right now because of the news articles about it.
The Greek lettering in the upper right doesn't exactly match what I expected -- they used what looks to me like a "C" symbol at the ends of some words. It threw me for a minute, although I think it's correct. It's the Sigma at the end of a word, and I expected it to look more like "∫", But I think the Sigma at the end of a word does look like "ς", which is what is shown in the upper right of the screen.
http://www.codexsinaiticus.org/en/manusc
- Music:In the Waiting Line (Henry Binns / Sam Hardaker / Zero 7)
An article on how well Norway is doing. It helps that they have oil reserves, but the article made a point of contrasting how Norwegians saved profit from oil sales into their grand fund, while Great Britain, which also had oil reserves, just spent, spent, spent.
Is it just cultural? I always wonder how much culture has to do with language. Are English speakers more spendthrifty than people who speak Norwegian?
Is it just cultural? I always wonder how much culture has to do with language. Are English speakers more spendthrifty than people who speak Norwegian?
Instead of spending its riches lavishly, it passed legislation ensuring that oil revenue went straight into its sovereign wealth fund, state money that is used to make investments around the world. Now its sovereign wealth fund is close to being the largest in the world, despite losing 23 percent last year because of investments that declined.
Norway’s relative frugality stands in stark contrast to Britain, which spent most of its North Sea oil revenue — and more — during the boom years. Government spending rose to 47 percent of G.D.P., from 42 percent in 2003. By comparison, public spending in Norway fell to 40 percent from 48 percent of G.D.P.
http://www.nytimes.com/2009/05/14/business/global/14frugal.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss
- Music:My Own Prison (Creed)
I hardly read anymore...I think it's the effect of having so many other options for entertainment -- surfing the web, reading blogs, watching TV, getting outside and enjoying the beautiful weather, etc...
Books sit next to my bed for ages, while I read a few pages at a time. But a couple of days ago, I picked back up a book which a friend had given me earlier about the history of the French language, and read a few more pages.
I found out some nice factoids.
One thing about standard French is that counting is just plain odd. I mean, who in their right mind would say "four-twenty-ten" ("quatre-vingt-dix") to mean 90??? But that's standard French! All the numbers from 70 to 100 are a bit odd to my English-speaking ears.
Do you know how much trouble it causes for a native English speaker to say the year "1996?" How about "thousand nine hundred four-twenty-sixteen" -- "mille neuf cent quatre-vingt seize."
But I found out that Belgian French and Swiss French have pretty much standardized the numbers, so they follow a pattern! And it seems so much easier!!!
Standard French -- "quarante, cinquante, soixante, soixante-dix, quatre-vingts, quatre-vingt-dix" ("40, 50, 60, 70 (sixty-ten), 80 (four-twenties), 90 (four-twenty-ten)").
Belgian French -- "quarante, cinquante, soixante, septante, huitante, nonante" ("40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90"). Notice how the numbers from 70 - 90 follow the pattern of the earlier numbers!
Of course, as an English-speaker, who am I to talk about standardization, right? Here's a partial list of English homonyms (some of these are not homonyms to me -- depends on your accent) --
Books sit next to my bed for ages, while I read a few pages at a time. But a couple of days ago, I picked back up a book which a friend had given me earlier about the history of the French language, and read a few more pages.
I found out some nice factoids.
One thing about standard French is that counting is just plain odd. I mean, who in their right mind would say "four-twenty-ten" ("quatre-vingt-dix") to mean 90??? But that's standard French! All the numbers from 70 to 100 are a bit odd to my English-speaking ears.
Do you know how much trouble it causes for a native English speaker to say the year "1996?" How about "thousand nine hundred four-twenty-sixteen" -- "mille neuf cent quatre-vingt seize."
But I found out that Belgian French and Swiss French have pretty much standardized the numbers, so they follow a pattern! And it seems so much easier!!!
Standard French -- "quarante, cinquante, soixante, soixante-dix, quatre-vingts, quatre-vingt-dix" ("40, 50, 60, 70 (sixty-ten), 80 (four-twenties), 90 (four-twenty-ten)").
Belgian French -- "quarante, cinquante, soixante, septante, huitante, nonante" ("40, 50, 60, 70, 80, 90"). Notice how the numbers from 70 - 90 follow the pattern of the earlier numbers!
Of course, as an English-speaker, who am I to talk about standardization, right? Here's a partial list of English homonyms (some of these are not homonyms to me -- depends on your accent) --
aisle I'll isle
aweful awful offal
aye eye I
bailee bailey bailie
bailer bailor baler
baize bays beys
bald balled bawled
bases basis basses
bel bell belle
bight bite byte
boar boor bore
bole boll bowl
born borne bourn
buy by bye
call caul col
carat caret carrot karat
cay key quay
censer censor sensor
cent scent sent
cents scents sense
cere sear seer sere
chord cord cored
cite sight site
cited sighted sited
cites sights sites
dew do due
do doe dough
does doughs doze
ewe yew you
ewes use yews
fir fur furr
flew flu flue
for fore four
frees freeze frieze
gild gilled guild
gnu knew new
haut ho hoe
heigh hi hie high
hoard horde whored
holey holy wholly
idle idol idyl
knot naught not
knows noes nose
lays laze leis
lea lee li
lochs locks lox
mall maul moll
marc mark marque
meat meet mete
oar or ore
pair pare pear
palate pallet pallette
peak peek pique
pincer pincher pinscher
poor pore pour
praise prays preys
precedence precedents presidents
psi sigh xi
rain reign rein
raise rays raze
rapped rapt wrapped
read rede reed
rheumy roomie roomy
rho roe row
right rite wright write
road rode rowed
seas sees seize
sew so sol sow
slew slough slue
tea tee ti
teas tease tees
tern terne turn
their there they're
to too two
toad toed towed
vain vane vein
vial vile viol
wail wale whale
ware wear where
way weigh whey
weald wheeled wield
weather wether whether
we're were whir
whined wind wined
yore you're your
http://www.fun-with-words.com/nym_homonyms.html
- Music:Galileo (Indigo Girls)
I heard this on NPR the other day.
It seems that your native language helps determine how you perceive the world. If your language says that a noun is masculine, then you will typically pick adjectives for the noun that are "strong" or "hard," that sort of thing.
If, on the other hand, your native language says that that noun is feminine, then you will picker softer, gentler adjectives for the noun.
The researcher even made up a fake language to confirm the theory. So, where does that leave a language like English, which is almost devoid of gender for its nouns?
Speaking of a made-up language. When I was in undergrad, I interviewed with the National Security Agency (NSA). One of the tests was a made-up language, where I had to construct sentences, based on made-up rules of grammar. I did great on the test -- having no problem at all with a complete fake language -- as long as I understood the rules of grammar.
On another subject, one of the tests was a lie detector test where you were hooked up and asked questions by an interviewer (and even replete with a 2 way mirror). One of the questions involved your sexuality. I believe that the purpose of that particular question was to make sure that no one could blackmail you on your sexual preference.
At the time, I was COMPLETELY not comfortable talking about my being gay -- so I had an emotional response when asked the question, even though I told the complete truth. It was just that I was uncomfortable with the question. It was after that lie detector test that I chose not to pursue the NSA as a career choice.
It seems that your native language helps determine how you perceive the world. If your language says that a noun is masculine, then you will typically pick adjectives for the noun that are "strong" or "hard," that sort of thing.
If, on the other hand, your native language says that that noun is feminine, then you will picker softer, gentler adjectives for the noun.
The researcher even made up a fake language to confirm the theory. So, where does that leave a language like English, which is almost devoid of gender for its nouns?
When asked to describe a "key" — a word that is masculine in German and feminine in Spanish — German speakers were more likely to use words such as "hard," "heavy," "jagged," "metal," "serrated" and "useful." Spanish speakers were more likely to say "golden," "intricate," "little," "lovely," "shiny" and "tiny."
...
Boroditsky suggests that the grammar we learn from our parents, whether we realize it or not, affects our sensual experience of the world. Spaniards and Germans can see the same things, wear the same cloths, eat the same foods and use the same machines. But deep down, they are having very different feelings about the world about them.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=102518565
Speaking of a made-up language. When I was in undergrad, I interviewed with the National Security Agency (NSA). One of the tests was a made-up language, where I had to construct sentences, based on made-up rules of grammar. I did great on the test -- having no problem at all with a complete fake language -- as long as I understood the rules of grammar.
On another subject, one of the tests was a lie detector test where you were hooked up and asked questions by an interviewer (and even replete with a 2 way mirror). One of the questions involved your sexuality. I believe that the purpose of that particular question was to make sure that no one could blackmail you on your sexual preference.
At the time, I was COMPLETELY not comfortable talking about my being gay -- so I had an emotional response when asked the question, even though I told the complete truth. It was just that I was uncomfortable with the question. It was after that lie detector test that I chose not to pursue the NSA as a career choice.
- Music:Snow Cherries from France (Tori Amos)
The friend I had coffee with tonight gave me this book, which is very appropriate to me, lol! Now, I will add this book to the pile of unread books that has been on my nightstand for the last year or so!
- Music:Disturbia (Rihanna)
I decided to feed my inner linguist today and looked up the origin's of the English names for the days of the week.
I find it odd that the Roman meanings were translated into the appropriate Norse gods instead of either 1) the names of the days of the week remaining completely Germanic or 2) the Latin names just carrying over (as is the case for "Saturday").
As I was looking at the Norse pantheon, I found it interesting that for the Romans, Jupiter (Jove) was the ruler of the gods and wielded the thunderbolt. But for the Norse, the head honcho was Odin (Woden) -- he was quick, wise, strong. But he didn't use thunderbolts -- that was something Thor did.
When naming "Wednesday," I find it interesting the head of the gods for the Norse (Odin or Woden) was compared to the Roman Mercury instead of to Thor.
| Day of the Week | Roman / Latin | Old English / Germanic |
|---|---|---|
| Sunday | dies solis -- Day of the Sun | sunnandæg -- Sun Day |
| Monday | dies lunae -- Day of the Moon | mōnandæg -- Moon Day |
| Tuesday | dies Martis -- Mars' Day (Mars = god of war) | tīwesdæg -- Tíw's Day (Tíw, or Tyr = Norse god of war). |
| Wednesday | dies Mercurii -- Mercury's Day (Mercury = messenger god) | wōdnesdæg -- Woden's Day (or Odin's Day -- Norse god, Odin, was wise and quick, sort of like Mercury, I guess). |
| Thursday | dies Iovis -- Jove's Day (Jove / Jupiter = god who used lightning and thunder) | thursdæg -- Thor's Day (Thor used lightning bolts and thunder like Jupiter). |
| Friday | dies Veneris -- Venus' Day (Venus = goddess of love) | frīgedæg -- Frigga's day (Frigga = Norse goddess of married love). One source suggested that the goddess Freya was actually closer to Venus, but Frigg is the source of the word for Friday. |
| Saturday | dies Saturni -- Saturn's Day (Saturn = god of the harvest) | saternesdæg -- Saturn's Day -- there was no god in the Norse pantheon to match Saturn, so the Latin name carried over. |
Sources:
http://www.pantheon.org/miscellaneous/or
http://www.essortment.com/all/whatareori
Dictionary.com
- Music:The Rainbow Connection (Sarah McLachlan)
Back from having coffee with one of the guys who answered my C/L ad for other gay Buddhists in town. He was a pleasant enough chap. I think we'll hang out again -- especially since I can practice my French with him :) He visited Ouen and Paris for like 3 weeks last year, I think.
***
Last night, O and I finally watched Soylent Green. It was okay. I think that knowing the "punch line" before hand sort of spoiled the movie a bit.
Of course, after we watched it, I changed the language to French so I could hear Charlton Heston exclaim "Le Soleil Vert, c'est de la chair humaine! (Soylent Green is people!)" lol!
***
Heading out again now to take advantage of the sunlight!
***
Last night, O and I finally watched Soylent Green. It was okay. I think that knowing the "punch line" before hand sort of spoiled the movie a bit.
Of course, after we watched it, I changed the language to French so I could hear Charlton Heston exclaim "Le Soleil Vert, c'est de la chair humaine! (Soylent Green is people!)" lol!
***
Heading out again now to take advantage of the sunlight!
- Music:Honey (Erykah Badu)
I have always liked this song -- Mon Amie La Rose. I ran across these videos on YouTube.
I think I just like it because of the idea of the rose regretting that she had grown old overnight, but had been the most beautiful rose in the garden.
Here's an older version from the '60s --
Chorus 1:
We are truly insignificant
And that's what my friend the rose
Told me this morning
Verse 1:
I was born at dawn
Baptised in dew
I blossomed
In the rays of the sun
Happy and in love
I closed my petals at night
And when I awoke I was old.
Yet I had been beautiful
Yes, I was the most beautiful
Of all the flowers in your garden
Chorus 1
Verse 2
See, the God that made me
Now makes me bow my head
And I feel I'm falling
And I feel I'm falling
My heart is almost bare
I have a foot in my grave
Already I am nothing
You admired me only yesterday
And I shall be dust
Forever, tomorrow
Chorus 2:
We are truly insignificant
And my friend the rose
Died this morning
Verse 3
Last night the moon
Kept vigil over my friend
And in a dream I saw
Her soul, dancing
Dazzling and naked,
Above the heavens,
Smiling on me.
Let those who can, believe
But I need Hope
Or else I am nothing
repeat chorus & verse 2
On est bien peu de choses. Et mon amie la rose me l'a dit ce matin. A l'aurore je suis née, baptisée de rosée. Je me suis épanouie. Heureuse et amoureuse. Au rayon du soleil.
Je me suis fermée la nuit. Me suis reveillée vieillie. Pourtant j'etais trés belle. Oui j'etais la plus belle. Des fleurs de ton jardin.
Ou est bien peu de choses. Et mon amie la rose me l'a dit ce matin. Vois le dieu qui m'a faite. M'a fait courber la tête.
Et je sens que je tombe. Et je sens que je tombe mon coeur est presque nu j'ai le pied dans la tombe. Déjà je ne suis plus. Tu m'admirais que hier et je serais poussière. Pour toujours demain.
On est bien peu de choses. Et mon amie la rose morte ce matin. La lune cette nuit, a veillé mon amie. Moi en rêve j'ai vu. Eblouissant les nuits.
Son âme qui dansait. Bien-au déjà du vu. Et qui me sourait. Croit celui qui peut croire. Moi j'ai besoin d'espoir. Sinon je ne suis rien.
On est bien peu de choses et mon amie la rose me l'a dit ce matin. Vois de dieu qui m'a faite. M'a fait courber la tête. Et je sens que je tombe.
Et je sens que je tombe mon coeur est presque nu. J'ai le pied dans la tombe. Déjà je ne suis plus. Tu m'admirais que hier. Et je serais poussière. Pour toujours demain.
I think I just like it because of the idea of the rose regretting that she had grown old overnight, but had been the most beautiful rose in the garden.
Here's an older version from the '60s --
English translation
http://artists.letssingit.com/natacha-atChorus 1:
We are truly insignificant
And that's what my friend the rose
Told me this morning
Verse 1:
I was born at dawn
Baptised in dew
I blossomed
In the rays of the sun
Happy and in love
I closed my petals at night
And when I awoke I was old.
Yet I had been beautiful
Yes, I was the most beautiful
Of all the flowers in your garden
Chorus 1
Verse 2
See, the God that made me
Now makes me bow my head
And I feel I'm falling
And I feel I'm falling
My heart is almost bare
I have a foot in my grave
Already I am nothing
You admired me only yesterday
And I shall be dust
Forever, tomorrow
Chorus 2:
We are truly insignificant
And my friend the rose
Died this morning
Verse 3
Last night the moon
Kept vigil over my friend
And in a dream I saw
Her soul, dancing
Dazzling and naked,
Above the heavens,
Smiling on me.
Let those who can, believe
But I need Hope
Or else I am nothing
repeat chorus & verse 2
Lyrics
http://www.unc.edu/depts/europe/conferenOn est bien peu de choses. Et mon amie la rose me l'a dit ce matin. A l'aurore je suis née, baptisée de rosée. Je me suis épanouie. Heureuse et amoureuse. Au rayon du soleil.
Je me suis fermée la nuit. Me suis reveillée vieillie. Pourtant j'etais trés belle. Oui j'etais la plus belle. Des fleurs de ton jardin.
Ou est bien peu de choses. Et mon amie la rose me l'a dit ce matin. Vois le dieu qui m'a faite. M'a fait courber la tête.
Et je sens que je tombe. Et je sens que je tombe mon coeur est presque nu j'ai le pied dans la tombe. Déjà je ne suis plus. Tu m'admirais que hier et je serais poussière. Pour toujours demain.
On est bien peu de choses. Et mon amie la rose morte ce matin. La lune cette nuit, a veillé mon amie. Moi en rêve j'ai vu. Eblouissant les nuits.
Son âme qui dansait. Bien-au déjà du vu. Et qui me sourait. Croit celui qui peut croire. Moi j'ai besoin d'espoir. Sinon je ne suis rien.
On est bien peu de choses et mon amie la rose me l'a dit ce matin. Vois de dieu qui m'a faite. M'a fait courber la tête. Et je sens que je tombe.
Et je sens que je tombe mon coeur est presque nu. J'ai le pied dans la tombe. Déjà je ne suis plus. Tu m'admirais que hier. Et je serais poussière. Pour toujours demain.
- Music:Mon Amie La Rose (Natasha Atlas)
So, I was at my doctor's office for my annual appointment earlier this week, and I asked the Nurse Practitioner to look up my weight from last visit, and I added "if you don't mind."
My doctor, who is from New York, laughed in his boisterous way and said "Mind? Why would she mind? You should have just asked for the weight from last time, you sonofabitch!"
I laughed and said "But isn't that what I just said? But I said it in 'Southern.'" Southerners do tend to be more polite, lol!
My doctor, who is from New York, laughed in his boisterous way and said "Mind? Why would she mind? You should have just asked for the weight from last time, you sonofabitch!"
I laughed and said "But isn't that what I just said? But I said it in 'Southern.'" Southerners do tend to be more polite, lol!
- Music:Leviticus: Faggot (Me'Shell NdegéOcello)
Speaking as a former Latin student, I'm glad to hear that enrollment is up. Not only did I enjoy the language and classical learning, it has helped me tremendously in my English and French.
When I took Latin in high school, it wasn't exactly, ahem, trendy...once a nerd always a nerd I suppose, lol! Anyways, what has surprised me as an adult is how many of my friends were little Latin scholars as well. O, K, KC all took Latin in school.
Another thing I have noticed is how few good Latin-English dictionaries are available online. I have sites I regularly go to for French or Italian words -- and they are pretty good -- but the Latin sites don't work very well for me.
When I took Latin in high school, it wasn't exactly, ahem, trendy...once a nerd always a nerd I suppose, lol! Anyways, what has surprised me as an adult is how many of my friends were little Latin scholars as well. O, K, KC all took Latin in school.
Another thing I have noticed is how few good Latin-English dictionaries are available online. I have sites I regularly go to for French or Italian words -- and they are pretty good -- but the Latin sites don't work very well for me.
Enrollment in Latin classes here in this Westchester County suburb has increased by nearly one-third since 2006, to 187 of the district’s 10,500 students, and the two middle schools in town are starting an ancient-cultures club in which students will explore the lives of Romans, Greeks and others.
The resurgence of a language once rejected as outdated and irrelevant is reflected across the country as Latin is embraced by a new generation of students like Xavier who seek to increase SAT scores or stand out from their friends, or simply harbor a fascination for the ancient language after reading Harry Potter’s Latin-based chanting spells.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/07/nyregion/07latin.html?em&exprod=myyahoo
- Music:Points of Authority (Linkin Park)
This article is from a French blogger that I read. I found this interesting on a couple of counts.
First, I found it interesting that black people face some of the same discrimination due to skin color in France as they do here.
In this passage, he saw the police stop and question someone, he believes mostly because of their "sale gueule" -- their dirty face, meaning a face they didn't like. I think in that context, the closest phrase that we have to sale gueule in US English is "Driving While Black."
A second thing that is interesting to me is his use of the word tutoiement -- a word which I didn't realize was in common use. It means to use the "informal you" with someone. He says that it is common for the police to tutoyer (use the informal you with) someone of color.
Tutoyer is a word I learned many years ago when reading a 19th century French novel -- I can't remember which novel, but I remember that some man used the informal you with a woman, and it was supposed to be quite scandalous.
I had thought that the vous/tu distinction might be passing out of common usage by now. But I guess not.
My quick translation (bold is mine) -- From the back, window lowered, a policeman asks "Is that your bike? You bought it where? What did you pay for it?." One will note in the passage that the use of the informal you is obligatory when a policemen speaks to a man of color.
As an aside -- I heard a French newswoman on NPR the other day say that many of the French are fascinated by Barack Obama being a candidate for President of the US-- evidently, France doesn't even have any black members of parliament! Update: A comment was made to my journal that France's parliament does indeed have black members. Therefore, I've struck through the last sentence.
First, I found it interesting that black people face some of the same discrimination due to skin color in France as they do here.
In this passage, he saw the police stop and question someone, he believes mostly because of their "sale gueule" -- their dirty face, meaning a face they didn't like. I think in that context, the closest phrase that we have to sale gueule in US English is "Driving While Black."
A second thing that is interesting to me is his use of the word tutoiement -- a word which I didn't realize was in common use. It means to use the "informal you" with someone. He says that it is common for the police to tutoyer (use the informal you with) someone of color.
Tutoyer is a word I learned many years ago when reading a 19th century French novel -- I can't remember which novel, but I remember that some man used the informal you with a woman, and it was supposed to be quite scandalous.
I had thought that the vous/tu distinction might be passing out of common usage by now. But I guess not.
De l'arrière, vitre baissée, un policier demande "il est à toi ce vélo? tu l'as acheté où? à quel prix?". On notera au passage que le tutoiement est de rigueur quand un policier parle à un homme de couleur.
http://patrickantoine69.blogs.com/chocolat_ou_caf/2008/07/sale-gueule.html
My quick translation (bold is mine) -- From the back, window lowered, a policeman asks "Is that your bike? You bought it where? What did you pay for it?." One will note in the passage that the use of the informal you is obligatory when a policemen speaks to a man of color.
As an aside -- I heard a French newswoman on NPR the other day say that many of the French are fascinated by Barack Obama being a candidate for President of the US
It really is hard to translate from one language to another and avoid colloquial issues.
The image links to a slideshow of some advertising gaffs in translation --
http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2008/fsb/0
This is a company who has made a business model off of helping companies avoid translation issues like that --> http://money.cnn.com/2008/07/07/smallbus
The image links to a slideshow of some advertising gaffs in translation --
http://money.cnn.com/galleries/2008/fsb/0
This is a company who has made a business model off of helping companies avoid translation issues like that --> http://money.cnn.com/2008/07/07/smallbus
I was reading the comments to a post on another site, and it got me thinking back to when I was little, living in the country, before TV had become quite so ubiquitous.
The rural, Southern accent that I grew up listening to from my older relatives was different from what you hear now (even out in the country). It wasn’t just HOW they said the words; it was sometimes actually that the WORDS themselves were different.
If I'm not mistaken, the word was actually "studying," used in the sense of concentrating. So, I'm not "sted-in" about that meant "I'm not spending my time focusing on that."
As I was searching, I found a couple of similar posts here and here
The rural, Southern accent that I grew up listening to from my older relatives was different from what you hear now (even out in the country). It wasn’t just HOW they said the words; it was sometimes actually that the WORDS themselves were different.
Holped
Here’s an example. In modern English, the verb “help” has a past tense of “helped,” right? Not so to my grandmother – she would use “holped” as the past tense, e.g. I "holped" her take the clothes down off the line. If I’m not mistaken, that past tense is related to the archaic past tense form “holpen.”Studying
I also remember the older people saying a word that sounded like "sted-in." An example would be I'm not "sted-in" about him, meaning "I'm not paying attention to him."If I'm not mistaken, the word was actually "studying," used in the sense of concentrating. So, I'm not "sted-in" about that meant "I'm not spending my time focusing on that."
Hoppergrass
My great-uncle would say "hoppergrass," instead of grasshopper.Still in Use
Of course, other country-isms are still spoken (even by me when I visit).- If I come home and see one of my sisters, I might ask Where are Mom and Dad an em? where "an em" is short for "and them." The meaning is "Where are Mom and Dad, our sister and the rest of the family?"
- Of course, people recognize the word "y'all." The only advice I have for a non-Southerner about the word is to know that that the word is plural. It means you + all -- sort of like "youse guys."
- People still say something that sounds sort of like I rayggin, meaning "I reckon," meaning "I think that's true." There's typically a glottal stop between the y and g in "rayggin."
As I was searching, I found a couple of similar posts here and here
- Music:In The Upper Room (Philip Glass Ensemble;Michael Riesman)
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