mercoledì 16 giugno 2010

Stampelle si dice stamps


Ogni tanto ci divertiamo a tradurre le parole dall’italiano all’inglese in modo forzato un po’ prendendo in giro certi italiani che, pur sapendo di non conoscere l’inglese, sperano di azzeccare il termine giusto e fare bella figura. Ad esempio, uno dei preferiti di sempre, e che ogni tanto tiriamo fuori è ‘figurati!’ che si dice ‘figure yourself!’ in inglese, vero? Sbagliato! Stasera si vede che Zacky aveva voglia di scherzare. Ha esordito dicendo: “Mamma, ‘casa’ in inglese ‘house’” e poi: “'camera’ in inglese ‘bedroom’” Non ero sorpresa che sapesse questo, ma confesso che a sentirgli dire le parole così con tanta sicurezza mi ha fatto sentire orgogliosa. Poi mi ha detto “'stampelle’ si dice ‘stamps’” ridendo a crepa pelle con il viso spiegazzato dall’ilarità; sapeva benissimo che non era vero e stava godendo l’effetto della battuta su di noi.

Ora mi chiedo se qualche mese fa mi prendeva in giro quando mi ha disegnato con stampelle che sembravano due bei tronchi d’albero, e un gesso, in realtà mai avuto, attaccato bello in alto sulla gamba sbagliata!

Stampelle is stamps

Once in a while we get a kick out of making forced translations from Italian to English making fun of certain Italians who, though they are aware that they don’t know English, still think they will hit on the right term and impress everyone. For example one of our all time favourites is ‘figurati!’ which can be translated ‘figure yourself!’ , right? Obviously not! Tonight Zacky clearly wanted to joke around. He began by saying: “Mom, ‘casa’ is ‘house’ in English” and then: “’camera’ is ‘bedroom’ in English”. I was not surprised that he knew those words, but I confess that I was proud all the same to hear him say them so confidently. Then he said: “in English ‘stampelle’ is ‘stamps’” and cracked up laughing with his face all creased up in a cheeky grin; he knew darned well it wasn’t right and was thoroughly enjoying the effect of his cleverness on his audience.

Now I am wondering whether he was making fun of me a few months ago when he drew a picture of me with crutches that look like two big tree trunks, and a cast that I never did have at all, stuck way up high on the wrong leg!

2 commenti:

  1. Does Z know the proper pronunciation and translation for chileggy in pezzi? LOL! I suppose he'd be too young to remember my earliest stabs at translation!

    RispondiElimina
  2. Zacky wouldn't remember but Meli certainly does! Hard to forget such imaginative pronunciation :) LOL!

    RispondiElimina