Mandelson calls protests 'xenophobic'

[Mich the Tester]

kept losing

That’s not very charitable. For the most part, modern Germans are the biggest pacifists in Europe. Of course, there are a few neo-nazi tulip-for-brains, but I can’t think of any country in Europe that’s less likely to start a war then Germany.

[expat]

That’s not very charitable. For the most part, modern Germans are the biggest pacifists in Europe. Of course, there are a few neo-nazi tulip-for-brains, but I can’t think of any country in Europe that’s less likely to start a war then Germany.

Absolutely. They changed wholesale. Nobody else has changed so much. Would that we had.

[Sysman]

The Dutch try this, especially when they write letters to clients. They all think they speak and write excellent English, but they tend to bugger it up completely by translating word for word. Sometimes I actually have to translate their English, word for word, back into Dutch to understand what they’re trying to say. If I had a fiver for every time I’ve found myself suggesting to them that they should let me take a look before sending their correspondence or documents to a client, I’d be a very rich man.

I've come across that. One mate used to be a technical translator (from German to English) at an engineering company and his boss would try to insert his own corrections. Er no, you don't use the word "erection" for a US audience, as there it has one specific meaning.

[Sysman]

An in-depth translation. As they say, the French word for London is not Londres but Paris.

Precisely, and when I used the word "current", it's no good quoting something that was fashionable 20 years ago and has fallen out of favour now.

[Doggy Styles]

That’s not very charitable. For the most part, modern Germans are the biggest pacifists in Europe. Of course, there are a few neo-nazi tulip-for-brains, but I can’t think of any country in Europe that’s less likely to start a war then Germany.

They might be now, yes.

I commented on the original statement that 'the Germans looked back at what they did last time ... and stopped'.

[threaded]

Worth mentioning Izak Dinesen (Karen Blixen) who wrote in Danish and then translated into English; whether that is the same as (re-)writing in English is debatable.

This morning a group of us were chatting about writers and the techniques they use. I'm told there's a famous Spanish writer who initially writes completely in the first person, then goes over it to translate to the third person and throws away the stuff that no longer works. Due to the nature of the language it is now possible to have a program do the translation, then an editor throws away the stuff that no longer works. Result, the writer has upped their productivity.

[Cyberman]

Yes. I got away without German to get a job there, but I soon found I needed German after all because, contrary to everything I'd heard, only a small minority of Germans outside the workplace spoke English - neighbours, people in shops, people in bars, at the footy, etc.

So I packed myself off to German lessons.

I worked in Germany for three years and took the opportunity to do evening classes at advanced level, in Hamburg and Frankfurt. It was well worthwhile and also a good avenue to make a few more friends who I am still in touch with.

Since then, I have been learning Spanish and visited Venezuela and Colombia a couple of years back, and I am now learning Portuguese as I think Brazil will be where I will be spending much time in the future, and I have already been there three times.

Languages open up so many avenues, and it is mad that Latin, which I also learned at grammar school and has many words used in all western languages, is being removed from the curriculum. I also read that it is policy now for the public sector not to use Latin words in communication because it causes confusion.

[snaw]

I worked in Germany for three years and took the opportunity to do evening classes at advanced level, in Hamburg and Frankfurt. It was well worthwhile and also a good avenue to make a few more friends who I am still in touch with.

Since then, I have been learning Spanish and visited Venezuela and Colombia a couple of years back, and I am now learning Portuguese as I think Brazil will be where I will be spending much time in the future, and I have already been there three times.

Languages open up so many avenues, and it is mad that Latin, which I also learned at grammar school and has many words used in all western languages, is being removed from the curriculum. I also read that it is policy now for the public sector not to use Latin words in communication because it causes confusion.

For someone who apparently has learned a few languages, you don't half talk a load of bollocks.

[BrowneIssue]

For someone who apparently has learned a few languages, you don't half talk a load of bollocks.

bollockii or bollocken





sorry.

[xoggoth]

Re some comments above. The issue is about Tory/Labour or more specifically about left vs right.

While you can argue until doomsday about what left/right mean, I have little doubt the fundamental difference is that the left wish to eradicate national borders while the right believe in the natural human concept of nationalism. What Labour is doing is entirely in keeping with the global leftist philosophy of destroying any concept of a UK identity.

Another fallacy is that the left speak for the working class, they do not. Their concept of a working class is a mythical creature that will one day exist in the perfect socialist world, their contempt for the real working class is total.