Category: Cross Cultural Comments
Howards End
Something you may enjoy!
A. O. Scott reviews James Ivory and Ismail Merchant’s adaptation of E.M. Forster’s novel starring Emma Thompson and Anthony Hopkins.
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What the British say on Sunday mornings …
Thank you, Gisela!
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October 9, 1779 – The French, supporting American Independance, attempt to defeat the British in Savannah.
Chase Anderson and Christine Tudor kindly contributed this article. A bit of Franco-American history!
Savannah, Georgia —
Before dawn. October 9th, 1779 — Thousands of French, American and Haitian troops assemble under cover of darkness for what is to be a surprise attack on British forces who had captured Savannah one year earlier. Little do the Allies know – spies have already warned the British. Before dawn the eerie wail of bagpipes drift toward the Allies through the fog. The British had brought in their fiercest troops — the 71st Highlanders.
At the first light of dawn — Admiral Comte d’Estaing, against the advice of his top officers, launches the assault. The drummers beat the command to charge bayonets. They emerge from the fog. The French vanguard surges forward toward Spring Hill redoubt. The British spray them with musket fire and grapeshot–pieces of scrap iron, nails, bolts, steel blades, and chain. One French officer writes — “we were shoved back into the swampy ground on our left — Half of us were killed or left stuck in the mud.The Allied troops, helpless and exposed to deadly musket and artillery cross-fire, are butchered in the ditch. The moment of retreat, another officer writes later, “with the cries of our dying comrades piercing my heart is the bitterest of my life.”
The two sides observe a four-hour truce to collect and bury the dead and to retrieve the wounded. 151 French are killed and 370 wounded, 231 Americans killed and wounded. The British lose only 18 killed and 39 wounded. For the Allies, Savannah is the bloodiest battle of the war, a Bunker Hill in reverse. d’Estaing prepares the retreat, marches his troops back to the French ships, leaving many unmarked French graves behind, loads his guns and equipment aboard, and sets sail for the West Indies and France.
The Battle for Savannah was considered to be a major defeat for the Franco-American Alliance but the French sacrifice in blood for American liberty will never be forgotten by Americans who still breathe the air of freedom and remember those French who purchased it in blood and money. This Saturday, a public march honoring the Franco-American troops at Spring Hill will commence at dawn near Spring Hill in Savannah — an annual event hosted by Savannah’s Coastal Heritage Society. (http://www.chsgeorgia.org/home.cfm/page/Calendar/Date/10.09.10/Event/324.html)
A Savannah-French walking tour, honoring the historic French presence in and influence upon Savannah is in the final planning stages. The tour will be led by Parisian born, Christine Tudor. Christine also conducts Savannah history tours in French for visitors seeking a tour in their native language.
Contact: Chase Anderson
Savannah Cultural Heritage Tours
savannahpathways@gmail.com
(1-912-508-1234)
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Answers to the Listening Bee: October 8, 2010
- “You scratch my back, I’ll scratch yours.”
- “Nothing hurts like the truth.”
- “Let’s get down to business“
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“Singin’ in the Rain”
If you need to get out of a rainy mood, or if you just happen to like movies, take a 4 minute refresher by watching this!
A. 0. Scott takes a look at the 1952 musical:
Singin’ in the rain !
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It takes a thief … to catch a thief.
It takes a thief to catch a thief …
A few years back, I needed to replace a “burglar-proof” door. There were different models: some were 3-point systems, others were 5-point… and then there were others that had even more. When I asked how long it would take a professional burglar to get through … the answer was …
“a minute a point …
Apparently the best locksmiths … like those who can put a rubik’s Cube back to its original state in a few minutes … are those who’ve cracked the code … who have learnt the secrets.
There’s an old Eastern European proverb which says:
“Old highwaymen make the best police…
but … there are not only men on the road …
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James Dyson, and building a better vacuum: newyorker.com
Bristish engineer and inventor James Dyson wasn’t so happy about his own vacuum cleaner … so he designed a better one. And opened up an entirely new market.
Knighted by the Queen … Engineer James became … Sir James!
A story worth reading:
James Dyson, and building a better vacuum: newyorker.com.
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Newsletter: 27 September 2010
When I first began teaching English in France, I heard an expression I had never encounterd before: False Friends. What in the world could that mean? Only a Frenchman studying English would know … that he meant word look-alikes or even worse, imposters or traitors!
There are quite a few words which, in French and in English, have the same or similar spellings, maybe the same roots, maybe even similar pronunciations but which are not used in the same ways in the two languages. As with wild mushrooms … some look-alikes … are dangerous.
If you hear a Frenchman say “actually” in English … you can be suspicious. The word slips into a sentence easily and isn’t illogical in most cases. If the Frenchman knows that the word means “in fact” and he uses it that way … that’s fine. BUT if he thinks that “actually” is the faithful translation of the French word “actuellement” … we’re mistaken and into … look-alikes: A fair translation of the idea of “actuellement” would be “now, at the present time.”
Not just two words but two different concepts.
The French word, actuel, expresses a concept in TIME; the English word actual expresses the concept of fact, of ACCURACY.
The same is true of the look-alike “eventuel” and the English “eventual.” The French word means … perhaps, maybe, possibly, could be, might be … The concept behind the word: what about … non-committment ?
And the English word “eventual” ? Sooner or later we’ll get to that one … when we’re into the concept of time … we’ll get there …. gradually.
Misunderstandings are born of … assumptions. Beware of look-alikes!
Tip of the day: In order to avoid misunderstandings, ask questions! Just to confirm what you think you understood. It’s very … economical.
Fortunately … “false” friends aren’t the only kind … There are real and sincere friendships too, with long and deep roots, including one that is called Franco-American.
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Traitors: Les Faux Amis (in French, False Friends :)
When I first began teaching English in France, I heard an expression I had never encounterd before: False Friends. What in the world could that mean? Only a Frenchman would know … that he meant look-alikes or even worse, imposters or traitors!
There are quite a few words which, in French and in English, have the same or similar spellings, maybe the same roots but which are not used in the same ways in the two languages. As with wild mushrooms … some look-alikes … are dangerous.
If you hear a Frenchman say “actually” in English … you can be suspicious. The word slips into a sentence easily and isn’t illogical in most cases. If the Frenchman knows that the word means “in fact” and he uses it that way … that’s fine. BUT if he thinks that “actually” is the faithful translation of the French word “actuellement” … we’re mistaken and into … look-alikes: A fair translation of the idea of “actuellement” would be “now, at the present time.”
We are thus facing not just two words but two different concepts.
The French word, actuel, expresses a concept in TIME; the English word actual expresses the concept of fact, of ACCURACY.
Misunderstandings are born of … assumptions. Beware of look-alikes!
Fortunately … “false” friends aren’t the only kind … There are thousands of real ones, those you can count on, including the TV series …
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