Thursday, December 07, 2006

translation lost




when you speak in italian and you add some english words is like showing off:
"guarda, sono appena stato a un briefing"

sometimes it is simply, plain stupid:
"arrivo or ora da una sessione di inside trading"

If I had to show off in italian, I'd say: "L'altra sera ho visto i tool", and I'd get some appreciation for the ultra-metal band. But saying "yesterday i went to see the tool" is making sense only for a subset of people here, the others maybe thinking about some naughty erotic show.
Only when you're in an english-speaking country, you get to realise how silly some band-names are:

- city names: Berlin, Boston, Turin Brakes, Chicago, ... If i called my group "poirino" nobody would come and see me

- animal related: Animals, Bug, Cows, Cranes, Eels (what about "The Passero Solitario"?)

- my favourite category, objects: Cake, Can, Tool, Helmet, Alarm, Coil, Cream, Doors, Elbow, Shoes, Sky, Smile, Smog (wjat about "saracinesca" or the already existing "cerchi in lega"?)

- the out-of-context category: A House, All, The Band, Cleaners From Venus, Dinner Is Ruined, Handsome

any others?