Mayor Bloombergs' Snow Update in Spanish

[Via Garibaldi 8]

He's on the news now speaking in Spanish about the storm. He should really stop. It's just awful hearing him in Spanish and I could imagine other Spanish speakers being just as baffled after he's finished. I should offer him free lessons to improve his accent. lol

[GojiMet86]

He actually used to be a lot worse than he is now. It's a small improvement, though.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

He actually used to be a lot worse than he is now. It's a small improvement, though.

 

It's just painful to hear him though. It's good Spanish though whoever translates for him.

[lilbluefoxie]

i didnt know he could speak spanish

[East New York]

Sometimes it really annoys me to hear non-native people speak Spanish, but most of the time it's hilarious!

[QM1to6Ave]

i didnt know he could speak spanish

 

He has taken lessons and I believe had a private tutor for quite a while. I guess the teacher did not feel like trying to fix his horrible accent, lol.

[Forest Glen]

There's a difference between a person who takes a spanish class and a native spanish speaker. I've taken spanish classes in high school and college. I know how to ask for directions and buy items at a supermarket in spanish. However, I don't understand anything said by the guys at a bodega.

[SubwayGuy]

Bloomberg...yet again trying to fit in with and relate to a group to which HE DOES NOT BELONG!

 

Hey he's not a New Yorker either!!

 

...Look it up!!!

[SoSpectacular]

Different cultures put their own twists on the language when it comes to Spanish, hence why you may not understand the guys at a bodega and all that

[Urbanfortitude]

Bloomberg...yet again trying to fit in with and relate to a group to which HE DOES NOT BELONG!

 

Hey he's not a New Yorker either!!

 

...Look it up!!!

 

Meh let him continue on. It will make it that much more satisfying when we finally tell him "hit the ditch, b1tch!"

[checkmatechamp13]

Different cultures put their own twists on the language when it comes to Spanish, hence why you may not understand the guys at a bodega and all that

 

What happens with me is that I can understand Spanish when it is spoken by somebody I'm familiar with (my mother or grandmother), but when somebody else speaks it (other than basic Spanish), I'll have a harder time (especially if they speak fast)

[Via Garibaldi 8]

What happens with me is that I can understand Spanish when it is spoken by somebody I'm familiar with (my mother or grandmother), but when somebody else speaks it (other than basic Spanish), I'll have a harder time (especially if they speak fast)

 

Your ear becomes accustomed to certain accents over time and you'll even understand when they speak fast. A few of my Italian friends are from the Abruzzo region and they speak in a very muffled way when they speak in Italian or in English even. Most people have a hard time understanding them, but since I'm used to being around them, I have no problem.

 

I work for a European based language company and we get tons of Europeans from all over and of course a lot of Spanish speakers from everywhere. Oddly enough I'm the only employee on the staff who speaks Spanish in my office amongst other languages, so I'm usually the one that has to deal w/them and translate and such. The weird thing is that I'm usually not able to pick up on Colombian accents immediately for some reason even though several of my friends are Colombian. :confused:

 

However, I usually figure that they're Colombian by some phrases that they'll use. Many of the South American accents are very noticeable (i.e. Argentina, Paraguay, Uruguay and Chile). For some reason when I speak with Argentinians I get the urge to want to say things in Italian though just because of the way in which they speak and perhaps the fact that many of them have Italian heritage like myself.

 

A few days ago an Argentinian lady came into the office from the Spanish consulate and I had to keep catching myself not to use Italian with her. lol

[Via Garibaldi 8]

Different cultures put their own twists on the language when it comes to Spanish, hence why you may not understand the guys at a bodega and all that

 

It's also that the guys in the bodega are probably speaking in slang anyway or street Spanish. For someone studying Spanish in school they probably won't understand.

 

When I used to teach Spanish and Italian I would make the extra effort to speak a bit slower and try to make sure that my accent was as clear as possible. In the streets however it's a different story. You'll notice that folks will switch into their native language when they want to talk about someone or something that they don't want others knowing and depending on who is around, they may go even further by speaking in dialect or using words that they know only the folks they're speaking to will probably know.

 

I was eavsdropping on a convo once when I was paying for some items at the Garden of Eden there by Union Square. The cashier was a Dominican and she was just gossiping away. I pretended not to understand and then after having paid for my things, I said something to her in Spanish and she was so embarassed that she could nothing but crack up laughing because she knew I had been listening to the entire conversation. lol

[Xentor]

Most of the native Spanish speakers I come in contact with sound like pure crap. They don't necessarily master their own language, they butcher the language into a sort of distinct dialect, write the way they speak and thus never learn proper grammar. That's whats really annoying. At least the Mayor tries, give him credit.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

Most of the native Spanish speakers I come in contact with sound like pure crap. They don't necessarily master their own language, they butcher the language into a sort of distinct dialect, write the way they speak and thus never learn proper grammar. That's whats really annoying. At least the Mayor tries, give him credit.

 

Some of the Spanish speakers you're coming in contact with have poor education levels and are forced to start working at young ages and give up schooling. It's not that they don't want to learn. It's that they have to support their families. Often times they will migrate from the same regions, so people draw conclusions that they all speak the same which isn't true.

 

Case in point are Mexicans...

 

Many of the Mexicans that you see here are from the countryside and in addition to low education levels they also have their own native language outside of Spanish, so their Spanish is actually pretty good when you think about it. However you will notice a distinct difference between an educated Mexican from Mexico City and one from the countryside in areas like Oaxaca. However I know what you're getting at.

 

There are some groups of Spanish speakers that speak poorly and some of that is culturally related, but you can argue that there are many Americans that speak and write poor English as well. It all stems from education and cultural upbringing.

 

Also here in the States it can be difficult to maintain your culture and language. Most Italian-Americans around my age for example don't speak Italian because there is the pressure to be American and fit in and fitting in means speaking English and not Italian. I'm fortunate however that my field requires me to use my linguistic skills daily and I also have my Italian friends and family here and abroad which I keep in contact with to keep up my language and culture, as well my Spanish w/my Hispanic friends.

[East New York]

It's also that the guys in the bodega are probably speaking in slang anyway or street Spanish. For someone studying Spanish in school they probably won't understand.

 

You'll notice that folks will switch into their native language when they want to talk about someone or something that they don't want others knowing and depending on who is around, they may go even further by speaking in dialect or using words that they know only the folks they're speaking to will probably know.

 

I do that ALL the time!!! I really love it when people speak Spanish thinking I don't know what they are talking about. But this only happens to me outside of New York. I can walk into a bodega, and they will instantly start speaking Spanish to me in most cases. If I have to show my license to someone, they usually start speaking Spanish if they are native and they see my 4 names!

 

Most of the native Spanish speakers I come in contact with sound like pure crap. They don't necessarily master their own language, they butcher the language into a sort of distinct dialect, write the way they speak and thus never learn proper grammar. That's whats really annoying. At least the Mayor tries, give him credit.

 

Are you a native Spanish speaker?? I know tons and tons of native speakers who can't read or write, and I understand why that is for most. What native speaker wants to take a Spanish class taught by an American? I know I sure didn't but my mother forced me too! She said I needed to learn how to read and write it properly, although I almost NEVER speak anything other than Puerto Rican slang, unless I am talking to one of my elders. Then you have a lot of instructors who teach Spain Spanish, (Castilian) which isn't spoken anywhere other than Spain. I can understand pretty much every dialect of Spanish other than Castilian. And they sound really funny too, and use words I've never heard of.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

I do that ALL the time!!! I really love it when people speak Spanish thinking I don't know what they are talking about. But this only happens to me outside of New York. I can walk into a bodega, and they will instantly start speaking Spanish to me in most cases. If I have to show my license to someone, they usually start speaking Spanish if they are native and they see my 4 names!

 

 

 

Are you a native Spanish speaker?? I know tons and tons of native speakers who can't read or write, and I understand why that is for most. What native speaker wants to take a Spanish class taught by an American? I know I sure didn't but my mother forced me too! She said I needed to learn how to read and write it properly, although I almost NEVER speak anything other than Puerto Rican slang, unless I am talking to one of my elders. Then you have a lot of instructors who teach Spain Spanish, (Castilian) which isn't spoken anywhere other than Spain. I can understand pretty much every dialect of Spanish other than Castilian. And they sound really funny too, and use words I've never heard of.[/QUOTE]

 

lol... That's because in Spain like in Italy, just about every region has their own dialect. The Spaniards write in a very poetic way very much the way we do in Italy. When working on translation projects from Spain (i.e. technical things like financial stuff) it's a real b*tch to translate into English. Most of the sentences have to be completely gutted and re-worded in English.

[East New York]

Now if it's written, I don't have any problem at all. And yes, Castilian is very poetic. I absolutely love the way they talk. I used to work with a Spaniard, and I would engage in conversation with her just to hear her speak! Her name was Alicia, but they pronounce it Alithia. Castilian C's and S's make a "Th" sound. Her brothers name was Ismael, which is pronounced Ithmael.

[Fresh Pond]

Wirelessly posted via (BlackBerry8520/5.0.0.900 Profile/MIDP-2.1 Configuration/CLDC-1.1 VendorID/100)

 

Bloomberg speaking spanoish? Qué? Lol

 

But seriously most people don't really speak true spanish in bodegas (corner stores as I call it) but more like Spanglish, where they mix both spanish & english

[Via Garibaldi 8]

Now if it's written, I don't have any problem at all. And yes, Castilian is very poetic. I absolutely love the way they talk. I used to work with a Spaniard, and I would engage in conversation with her just to hear her speak! Her name was Alicia, but they pronounce it Alithia. Castilian C's and S's make a "Th" sound. Her brothers name was Ismael, which is pronounced Ithmael.

 

Well it's always fun to hear them swallow the "g"s... We'd have a lot of Spaniards visit Italy. I remember being in Assisi and a group of Spaniards were traveling together... One lady (perhaps a nun) was yelling Jorge to the group of teenagers!! I was thinking how tough on the throat that must've been as... :eek:

[Queens Surface]

Now this is what Bloomberg should do, fire one of those 4 or 5 bodyguards he has during his subway runs. Then hire a fine spanish woman to do the translating of his snow update to spanish. Maybe use her as a bodyguard as well but this is just an opinion!

[Via Garibaldi 8]

Now this is what Bloomberg should do, fire one of those 4 or 5 bodyguards he has during his subway runs. Then hire a fine spanish woman to do the translating of his snow update to spanish. Maybe use her as a bodyguard as well but this is just an opinion!

 

I so agreee! Kill two birds with one stone...

[Grand Concourse]

 

Now this is what Bloomberg should do, fire one of those 4 or 5 bodyguards he has during his subway runs. Then hire a fine spanish woman to do the translating of his snow update to spanish. Maybe use her as a bodyguard as well but this is just an opinion!

Yeah, he can afford to buy a translator. I mean is the SAP thing broken? If his message is on tv, why does he need to speak in spanish for? Let the SAP take care of that.

[Via Garibaldi 8]

Yeah, he can afford to buy a translator. I mean is the SAP thing broken? If his message is on tv, why does he need to speak in spanish for? Let the SAP take care of that.

 

He just does that BS to try to show that he's w/the Latino community... The old I speak your language, we're all the same BS routine.

[IRT Bronx Express]

 

Yeah, he can afford to buy a translator. I mean is the SAP thing broken? If his message is on tv, why does he need to speak in spanish for? Let the SAP take care of that.

I agree with you. Whenever Obama's speech is transmitted to Univision (Spanish channel), the translator automatically translates, whatever Obama says, in Spanish.