Jimmu
3 Dec 2011
USA, Canada / Moved back from Canada to Poland:). Here are the reasons why. [868]
"It's quiet out there."
"Yeah, too quiet."
"It's quiet out there."
"Yeah, too quiet."
Jimmu
23 Nov 2011
News / Priests are paid by the Gov't in Poland. [86]
re·li·gion (r-ljn)
n.
1.
a. Belief in and reverence for a supernatural power or powers regarded as creator and governor of the universe.
b. A personal or institutionalized system grounded in such belief and worship.
2. The life or condition of a person in a religious order.
3. A set of beliefs, values, and practices based on the teachings of a spiritual leader.
4. A cause, principle, or activity pursued with zeal or conscientious devotion.
Seems like they would qualify under 2, 3, and 4...
Atheism and agnosticism aren`t religion.
re·li·gion (r-ljn)
n.
1.
a. Belief in and reverence for a supernatural power or powers regarded as creator and governor of the universe.
b. A personal or institutionalized system grounded in such belief and worship.
2. The life or condition of a person in a religious order.
3. A set of beliefs, values, and practices based on the teachings of a spiritual leader.
4. A cause, principle, or activity pursued with zeal or conscientious devotion.
Seems like they would qualify under 2, 3, and 4...
Jimmu
17 Nov 2011
Life / Polish dubbing in movies; why is it so that on polish television all the films are dubbed? [135]
It's not like you have to choose one way or another. Cable and sat TV have the technology to carry the original sound track, lektor and dubbing and subtitles in several languages. Then the client can choose how they want to view the show. I guess it's a case of the powers that be having learned their craft back in the old days. One of the best features of retirement is that I no longer have to hear management types saying "But that's the way we've always done it!".
It's not like you have to choose one way or another. Cable and sat TV have the technology to carry the original sound track, lektor and dubbing and subtitles in several languages. Then the client can choose how they want to view the show. I guess it's a case of the powers that be having learned their craft back in the old days. One of the best features of retirement is that I no longer have to hear management types saying "But that's the way we've always done it!".
Jimmu
17 Nov 2011
Jimmu
17 Nov 2011
Life / Polish dubbing in movies; why is it so that on polish television all the films are dubbed? [135]
I hadn't thought of that, but it makes sense. Especially black or white text on a black and white TV as opposed to color films.
Which leads me to believe that the original reason for introducing the lektor was actually small screens and poor vision quality of the old black-and-white TV sets.
I hadn't thought of that, but it makes sense. Especially black or white text on a black and white TV as opposed to color films.
Jimmu
15 Nov 2011
History / WWII in Europe could be also understand as Civil War of Slavic world? [11]
Funny, I seem to remember hearing about some Asians, Africans, Australians, and Americans being involved.
It was not civil war between Slavs it was Slavs vs Germanics
Funny, I seem to remember hearing about some Asians, Africans, Australians, and Americans being involved.
Jimmu
15 Nov 2011
USA, Canada / Going back to the Old Country of Poland after more than 25 years! (from USA) [249]
I think he might have been referring to the fact that you can buy bananas in Poland nowadays??
the billboard craze started around 1991-92
I think he might have been referring to the fact that you can buy bananas in Poland nowadays??
Jimmu
15 Nov 2011
Language / How hard is it to learn Polish? [178]
Dubyuh was Ivy League. I think that eliminates your exception. :->
excepting certain of the traditional Ivy Leagues, of course
Dubyuh was Ivy League. I think that eliminates your exception. :->
Jimmu
15 Nov 2011
Jimmu
15 Nov 2011
Language / How hard is it to learn Polish? [178]
"The children now love luxury; they have bad manners, contempt for
authority; they show disrespect for elders and love chatter in place
of exercise. Children are now tyrants, not the servants of their
households. They no longer rise when elders enter the room. They
contradict their parents, chatter before company, gobble up dainties
at the table, cross their legs, and tyrannize their teachers."
Attributed to SOCRATES by Plato, according to William L.
Patty and Louise S. Johnson, Personality and Adjustment, p. 277
(1953).
"The children now love luxury; they have bad manners, contempt for
authority; they show disrespect for elders and love chatter in place
of exercise. Children are now tyrants, not the servants of their
households. They no longer rise when elders enter the room. They
contradict their parents, chatter before company, gobble up dainties
at the table, cross their legs, and tyrannize their teachers."
Attributed to SOCRATES by Plato, according to William L.
Patty and Louise S. Johnson, Personality and Adjustment, p. 277
(1953).
Jimmu
13 Nov 2011
Language / How hard is it to learn Polish? [178]
Nah. While her English is good, she retains a hint of Natasha Fatale in her accent that would be a dead giveaway.
As far as declining standards, I remember hearing the same thing back in the 60s. Seems like standards are always declining, and yet 150 years ago most people couldn't write their own name.
so American in fact that she might even be mistaken for a spy
Nah. While her English is good, she retains a hint of Natasha Fatale in her accent that would be a dead giveaway.
As far as declining standards, I remember hearing the same thing back in the 60s. Seems like standards are always declining, and yet 150 years ago most people couldn't write their own name.
Jimmu
13 Nov 2011
Language / Polish language diary and language skills [5]
When you return to Ireland I would be willing to send you a Polish diary in exchange for almost anything written in English! Ok, maybe not religious tracts or Harlequin romances........
When you return to Ireland I would be willing to send you a Polish diary in exchange for almost anything written in English! Ok, maybe not religious tracts or Harlequin romances........
Jimmu
13 Nov 2011
Language / Need Advice On Polish-English language barrier (my Polish boyfriend and his family) [59]
Why do I keep seeing things like this on PF? I get the impression that at least half of the more prominent posters are professional or semi-professional language teachers. And yet the "get your gf/bf/in-laws to teach you Polish" comments go unchallenged! I am an educated, well read and fluent native speaker of English, but I suffer no illusions that I would be a good English teacher. Teaching requires skills, knowledge, and education that I and most bf/gf/in-laws do not have. I can, and have served as a tutor or maybe sparring partner for people learning English as a second language. I can answer some specific questions and help people get comfortable with speaking English but I would hate to be a student with me as the teacher!
When somebody asks "How do I learn to speak Polish?" the answers should be either "Find a good teacher." or "Learn the way Poles do. Trial and error and endless repetition." keeping in mind that being older it may take you 3 or 4 times as long as the 5 years or so it takes them to achieve basic competence.
Quoting myself:"Teaching requires skills, knowledge, and education.." and I forgot the most important thing. PATIENCE!
Why do I keep seeing things like this on PF? I get the impression that at least half of the more prominent posters are professional or semi-professional language teachers. And yet the "get your gf/bf/in-laws to teach you Polish" comments go unchallenged! I am an educated, well read and fluent native speaker of English, but I suffer no illusions that I would be a good English teacher. Teaching requires skills, knowledge, and education that I and most bf/gf/in-laws do not have. I can, and have served as a tutor or maybe sparring partner for people learning English as a second language. I can answer some specific questions and help people get comfortable with speaking English but I would hate to be a student with me as the teacher!
When somebody asks "How do I learn to speak Polish?" the answers should be either "Find a good teacher." or "Learn the way Poles do. Trial and error and endless repetition." keeping in mind that being older it may take you 3 or 4 times as long as the 5 years or so it takes them to achieve basic competence.
Quoting myself:"Teaching requires skills, knowledge, and education.." and I forgot the most important thing. PATIENCE!
Jimmu
13 Nov 2011
Language / How hard is it to learn Polish? [178]
Well, in 10 years living in the US (which, despite what some of the yank bashers may say has quite a few native English speakers) the general consensus was that her English was excellent. And as far as "educated" goes, I worked for 30 years at a college where doctorates were pretty run of the mill. What I was asking her to do was the simplest word-for-word translation, and she insisted on giving me idiomatic interpretation. Your argument might be valid if she insisted on the opposite.
"This is the type of arrant pedantry up with which I will not put."
WC (more or less a quote)
Jimmu, as she's your wife, for cryin' out loud, of course her English is going to sound bloody "excellent".
Well, in 10 years living in the US (which, despite what some of the yank bashers may say has quite a few native English speakers) the general consensus was that her English was excellent. And as far as "educated" goes, I worked for 30 years at a college where doctorates were pretty run of the mill. What I was asking her to do was the simplest word-for-word translation, and she insisted on giving me idiomatic interpretation. Your argument might be valid if she insisted on the opposite.
Poles often do not properly differentiate between phrasal verbs, colloquialisms, slang and idioms
"This is the type of arrant pedantry up with which I will not put."
WC (more or less a quote)
Jimmu
13 Nov 2011
Life / Polish dubbing in movies; why is it so that on polish television all the films are dubbed? [135]
Maybe I should organize a march on ul. Wolności.
Maybe I should organize a march on ul. Wolności.
Jimmu
11 Nov 2011
Life / Polish dubbing in movies; why is it so that on polish television all the films are dubbed? [135]
In a year and a half here I don't think I've watched any broadcast TV. All cable or satellite. The smarts for choosing sound and subtitles are all in the decoder as far as I know.
do you know how to achieve that technically on a regular TV
In a year and a half here I don't think I've watched any broadcast TV. All cable or satellite. The smarts for choosing sound and subtitles are all in the decoder as far as I know.
Jimmu
11 Nov 2011
Language / How hard is it to learn Polish? [178]
This is not the case with my wife. There are some gaps in her knowledge (British and other regional slang drives her up the wall!) but overall her English is excellent with just enough accent to give her speech a hint of the exotic. It isn't that she can't, it's that she won't. She thinks it's a method with no value. End of story.
This is not the case with my wife. There are some gaps in her knowledge (British and other regional slang drives her up the wall!) but overall her English is excellent with just enough accent to give her speech a hint of the exotic. It isn't that she can't, it's that she won't. She thinks it's a method with no value. End of story.
Jimmu
11 Nov 2011
Life / Polish dubbing in movies; why is it so that on polish television all the films are dubbed? [135]
So what's wrong with at least giving me the option of turning the demned thing off? On cyfra+ Discovery Science gives you the option, but the Discovery channel doesn't. Go figger.
Oh, and according to my wife "having a cat" is an idiom for being stupid or crazy. (Not sure which) Maybe like in American English "having a cow"?
most of the material you see on the likes of Discovery or National Geographic are originally English language
So what's wrong with at least giving me the option of turning the demned thing off? On cyfra+ Discovery Science gives you the option, but the Discovery channel doesn't. Go figger.
Oh, and according to my wife "having a cat" is an idiom for being stupid or crazy. (Not sure which) Maybe like in American English "having a cow"?
Jimmu
10 Nov 2011
Jimmu
10 Nov 2011
Life / Polish dubbing in movies; why is it so that on polish television all the films are dubbed? [135]
I think Shakespeare requires subtitles even for most native speakers these days. Or maybe we could do modern English lektor on top of the original.
Romeo: What light through yon window breaks?
Lektor: Who threw the lamp through the window?
btw, is it lektor or lector?
I think Shakespeare requires subtitles even for most native speakers these days. Or maybe we could do modern English lektor on top of the original.
Romeo: What light through yon window breaks?
Lektor: Who threw the lamp through the window?
btw, is it lektor or lector?
Jimmu
9 Nov 2011
Language / How hard is it to learn Polish? [178]
I ask my wife to give me literal word for word translations of Polish phrases into English so that I can get a sense of how Poles put words together. She refuses. Maybe she's too proud to speak English poorly.
I ask my wife to give me literal word for word translations of Polish phrases into English so that I can get a sense of how Poles put words together. She refuses. Maybe she's too proud to speak English poorly.
Jimmu
9 Nov 2011
Life / Polish dubbing in movies; why is it so that on polish television all the films are dubbed? [135]
No worse than when the joke doesn't come across at all. I saw a magazine with a picture of a dog sniffing at Kaczinsky's feet and a balloon in Polish that I could actually figure out said "This guy has a cat!" I had to ask my wife later why that was funny.
No worse than when the joke doesn't come across at all. I saw a magazine with a picture of a dog sniffing at Kaczinsky's feet and a balloon in Polish that I could actually figure out said "This guy has a cat!" I had to ask my wife later why that was funny.
Jimmu
9 Nov 2011
Life / Polish dubbing in movies; why is it so that on polish television all the films are dubbed? [135]
You get paid more writing a script for a lektor than you do for writing the same dialogue as subtitles?
But there was a movie theater or two. But then the American movies I've seen in Polish theaters have all been subtitled, not dubbed. Is that the general rule, or have I just not seen enough movies here for a fair representation?
And we translators need to feed our kids somehow ;)
You get paid more writing a script for a lektor than you do for writing the same dialogue as subtitles?
I don't think there was any TV before the WW II.
But there was a movie theater or two. But then the American movies I've seen in Polish theaters have all been subtitled, not dubbed. Is that the general rule, or have I just not seen enough movies here for a fair representation?
Jimmu
7 Nov 2011
Language / Kurwa? at end of every sentence [51]
I almost never heard the word in Chorzów. But here in the country.....
One bright light is that I can now understand about half of what the neighbor says. Every other word.
I almost never heard the word in Chorzów. But here in the country.....
One bright light is that I can now understand about half of what the neighbor says. Every other word.
Jimmu
7 Nov 2011
Life / Polish dubbing in movies; why is it so that on polish television all the films are dubbed? [135]
I HATE it!
With subtitles I might learn something, but lektor obfuscates the English to the point that I have no clue what's being said. And the English peeks through just often enough to distract me from trying to figure out the Polish. But I guess if my Polish was good and my English wasn't I might like it. :-<
I did see a funny kabaret skit about lektor for a scene with lots of foul language. Everything came out as "terra ferra"(sp?)
I HATE it!
With subtitles I might learn something, but lektor obfuscates the English to the point that I have no clue what's being said. And the English peeks through just often enough to distract me from trying to figure out the Polish. But I guess if my Polish was good and my English wasn't I might like it. :-<
I did see a funny kabaret skit about lektor for a scene with lots of foul language. Everything came out as "terra ferra"(sp?)
Jimmu
2 Nov 2011
News / Polish hero pilot lands 767 without wheels. (Warsaw) [191]
There aren't many things for an engine to snag on right beside the runway. They like to design them that way. :->
More likely would be if he came in rolled to one side and only one engine scraped. He seemed to bring the plane down with equal weight on each engine. While watching the recording I kept thinking "This is how it's supposed to be done, but 'this is reality!'"
There aren't many things for an engine to snag on right beside the runway. They like to design them that way. :->
More likely would be if he came in rolled to one side and only one engine scraped. He seemed to bring the plane down with equal weight on each engine. While watching the recording I kept thinking "This is how it's supposed to be done, but 'this is reality!'"
Jimmu
2 Nov 2011
News / Polish hero pilot lands 767 without wheels. (Warsaw) [191]
The problem wasn't staying up in the air, the problem was landing. I don't know if 767s can dump fuel or can only burn it off, but even if dumping was possible the citizens of Warsaw might not appreciate having an hours worth of fuel dumped on them.
I wouldn't stay up in the air for longer than necessary unless I was aware of a problem.
The problem wasn't staying up in the air, the problem was landing. I don't know if 767s can dump fuel or can only burn it off, but even if dumping was possible the citizens of Warsaw might not appreciate having an hours worth of fuel dumped on them.
Jimmu
1 Nov 2011
Jimmu
1 Nov 2011
Classifieds / English cuisine week in Lidl shops in Poland [203]
Wiki says: "The English word scampi is the plural of Italian scampo," and we know Wiki is never wrong!
Ok, I'll check a few more places...
I think this may be a case of British/American false friends.
To me, scampi is a style of preparation (butter, garlic, white wine...) and it seems like to Brits it's a kind of fish.
Wiki says: "The English word scampi is the plural of Italian scampo," and we know Wiki is never wrong!
Ok, I'll check a few more places...
I think this may be a case of British/American false friends.
To me, scampi is a style of preparation (butter, garlic, white wine...) and it seems like to Brits it's a kind of fish.
Jimmu
1 Nov 2011
Classifieds / English cuisine week in Lidl shops in Poland [203]
Errr, uhhhhh, Maybe Italian??????
Scampi is Norwegian if anything,
Errr, uhhhhh, Maybe Italian??????