Sunday, January 11, 2009

When translating is an inevitable part of the game

During the Christmas break we visited with family in Italy and Belgium. Milo brought along his kindergarden school book, a scrap book where his teacher keeps his drawings, classroom work and text of songs and poetry he learns. He was eager to show it off to his grandparents and, although rather shy when asked by me to sing these songs, he gave a full show to the Italian side of the family. What was truly impressive was that, while singing in French, he was also simultaneously translating the lyrics in Italian for his audience, adding also some explanation remarks! It would have been an exhausting exercise for any adult, but he seamlessly sang his way though dozens of French Christmas carrols!

* * *

Last night we were playing a game at the dinner table: Milo and I prepared a veggie soup and the Belgianite was to guess the secret ingredient, which was 'white beans' (fagioli in Italian and witte bonen in Dutch); we often play these type of games, where we both give the respective version of an item, plus the English version. the conversation went something like this:

Me (in English to the B.): "So, what do you think is in the soup, papa?!"
Belgianite: "Broccoli...potatoes?"
Milo (in Dutch to the B.): "Nen Papa, daar arent potatos in de soep!"
Me (in It. to Milo): "No, no, niente patate!"
Belgianite: "Wortelenjes?"
Milo: "Ja, ja!"
Me (in English to the B.): "And what else?!"
Belgianite (in Dutch to Milo): "Uien... knoflook..."
Milo: "Nen!"
Me (in It. to Milo): "Si Milo! Ti ricordi? All' inizio abbiamo messo le cipolle e l'aglio..."
Milo (in It. to me): "Ah si, mi ero dimenticato!"
Belgianite: "Green beens?"
Me (in English to the B.):"No! By the way, how do you say green beens in Dutch?"
Belgianite (In English, to me): "Groenen bonen. There is also a type called princes bonen"
Milo (in It. to me): "Cosa sono?"
Me (in It. to Milo): "I fagiolini, quelli verdi e lunghi..."

Milo was dying to suggest his dad what was the missing ingridient, and so I defyied him:

Me (in It. to Milo): "Puoi solo dirlo se lo sai in Olandese!" (You can only say it in Dutch!)
Milo hestated a little than said: "Dat is the kleine fagiolini!"

Me: "I fagioli! Sono i fagioli!"
Belgianite: "Ah, Milo, dat is the witte bonen!"

* * *

Recently Milo has asked me to watch a DVD ( which he has seen a half a dozen times in English or Dutch) in the...Spanish version. He was amused to recognize quite a few words from a CD we used to play last year with Spanish children songs...but especially, at the crucial points of the story, he would turn to me and say: "Perchè, mamma, in Inglese dicono Santa Claus e in Olandese de Kerstman !" (In English it's Santa Claus and in Dutch it's de Kerstman), somehow feeling I needed to be filled in on the plot!

4 comments:

Hanna said...

Hi Clo

it's so cool to read your blog- it's good to know someone to talk to when my time comes to raise trilingual kids :) We're putting Elsa in a Flemish daycare actually, so she'll have Swedish, French, English and Dutch. Do you have any books that you recommened for us to read? Thanks for the comment on my new hair- I finally left the role as tired new mum and I now feel as a hot young one ;) Take care and talk to you later. /Hanna

giovanni said...

I like the soup game. Did Milo say: "Nee, papa, er zitten (zijn) geen aardappels in de soep!" ?
In the Netherlands we say "worteltjes" but "wortelenjes" (carrots) may be Flemish.
No is "nee" in Dutch, and maybe "neen" in Flemish?

So Milo is also becoming familiar with Spanish... He will be a true mediterranean! (with a Dutch/Belgian flavour?)

Clo said...

Hanna, lovely hooking up again! Do keep me posted with Elsa's progress as she grows up! you still have a little while before she will speak, but it goes by so fast!
As for the books, I'll post soon with a few titles that helped me in terms of picking a strategy. But Apart from the rule of not mixing all of the languages, the rest is very much a matter of gut feeling and being comfortable. and setting reasonable goals!

Giovanni, thanks for your corrections in dutch! I admit that I use an online translator...I mentally record the meaning during the conversation, but when it comes to writing about it, the Belgianite is not around and so I end up with these probably wird sentences. You might be very right about the carrots business, but I'm pretty sure on "nen", it must be Flemish, indeed!

Clo said...

Hanna, lovely hooking up again! Do keep me posted with Elsa's progress as she grows up! you still have a little while before she will speak, but it goes by so fast!
As for the books, I'll post soon with a few titles that helped me in terms of picking a strategy. But Apart from the rule of not mixing all of the languages, the rest is very much a matter of gut feeling and being comfortable. and setting reasonable goals!

Giovanni, thanks for your corrections in Dutch! I admit that I use an online translator...I mentally record the meaning during the conversation, but when it comes to writing about it, the Belgianite is not around and so I end up with these probably wird sentences. You might be very right about the carrots business, but I'm pretty sure on "nen", it must be Flemish, indeed!