The Amurkin in Russia waited after people spoke to him in English, looking brightly at me all the while, expecting me to translate what they said. IN ENGLISH. This is for a coworker at REI…”awwwkkkwaaarrrdddd…”
Nope, I’ve never translated English to English before. Not even in Scotland. In Scotland I just didn’t f*@cking understand. Let’s just say this was embarrassing for me and for him in many different ways. Every time he did it I was mortified. MORTIFIED.
But wait, folks, there’s still so much more to come.
So you still ended up being “the translator“….
I’ve had to translate English to English before. At work, here in San Antonio…as in Texas…AS IN THE USA! And no, it had nothing to do with a Texas drawl.
A case of pure ignorance…I know…pathetic.
I forgot to add that the Russians looked at me as if to say, “why is he looking at you?” I knew that they didn’t understand why he didn’t understand. It was so uncomfortable. After a while, one of the students came up to me and said he had a secret to tell me. He said that all of the group leaders had told him that “my accent” (the way I speak English) was much better than Kevin’s. I told him that it was and they were not kidding. HORRIFYING!
Toots, it had to be white people expecting you to translate the “brown people talk.” It’s okay to say it. No, really. I GET IT!!!!!
I beg to differ. Texas is NOT the USA. Yeah…part of, currently, but it is differnt there.
Listen, I never said Tejas was THE USA; however, yes, I must agree…it is a bit differnt here.
Touché. (thanks The Sally for ALT+130)