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Italian for "fiasco"?

  Tags: Italian
 Language Learning Forum : Language Learning Log Post Reply
24 messages over 3 pages: 13  Next >>
Spanky
Senior Member
Canada
Joined 5948 days ago

1021 posts - 1714 votes 
Studies: French

 
 Message 9 of 24
21 November 2014 at 2:01am | IP Logged 
Thanks Xenops for your comments, although considering what a menace my in-laws can be, my safety concerns are more directed toward protecting the Italian residents from us rather than vice versa! I am of the view that pretty much everywhere presents its own quirky challenges; where I live cow-tipping is more prevalent than the pickpocketing concerns you reference, and to be perfectly honest, I would not mind the change.

I'm starting to become more interested in the travel opportunity, now that we are thinking of actual things to do.


Edited by Spanky on 21 November 2014 at 3:58am

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Spanky
Senior Member
Canada
Joined 5948 days ago

1021 posts - 1714 votes 
Studies: French

 
 Message 10 of 24
21 November 2014 at 2:11am | IP Logged 
I have so far worked through the first few levels of Duolingo, the first couple of units in PMP (Practice Makes Perfect) Basic Italian and the first four beginner level podcasts from learnitalianpod.com, all of which have been very helpful.

Also, I had an opportunity of viewing a language class episode involving some eccentric fellows, which was more fun but less helpful:

Italian class
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Sarnek
Diglot
Senior Member
Italy
Joined 4207 days ago

308 posts - 414 votes 
Speaks: Italian*, English
Studies: German, Swedish

 
 Message 11 of 24
21 November 2014 at 1:15pm | IP Logged 
If I may give my two cents, I suggest you go visit Southern Italy. There are hundreds of beautiful cities/villages which most Italians never visit themselves. These aren't
particularly suitable for tourists but I think that's excatly what makes them more beautiful. A wonderful journey plan would be to start from Campania and go down towards the
tip of Sicily, including a visit to the isles and (especially!) the small cities/villages. Of course I could suggest visiting Florence and its countryside, but those places
tend to get particularly expensive during high season.

And don't believe in the pick-pocket bs, I've been to Rome and Naples and other southern Italian cities several dozens of times, both as a tourist and for other reasons, and
even without taking any particular precaution I have never been robbed of one single penny.


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Spanky
Senior Member
Canada
Joined 5948 days ago

1021 posts - 1714 votes 
Studies: French

 
 Message 12 of 24
23 November 2014 at 6:04am | IP Logged 
Much appreciated Sarnek, thanks. I took a quick look at some websites concerning the
Campania region - looks very nice, and Pompeii is on my tick list so I will continue to
investigate the suggestion. My guess is that the trip you describe may be perfect for
our second trip to Italy, once we have covered some of the more traditional
things to do on our first.
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Spanky
Senior Member
Canada
Joined 5948 days ago

1021 posts - 1714 votes 
Studies: French

 
 Message 13 of 24
23 November 2014 at 6:29am | IP Logged 
Chi è di voi due che puzza così?*

I located an internet version of a side-by-side English-Italian presentation of En
attendant Godot (English= Waiting for Godot; Italian= Aspettando Godot). No idea
whether the Italian translation is authoritative or not. I noticed a couple
of small errors in the English text

godot - English
& Italian


I’m a big Samuel Beckett fan, so this is a major score. Working with the original
French version of Waiting for Godot together with Beckett’s own translation
into English was a fun way to study French, so I will give this text a try from time
to time. Pretty much all of it is way, way beyond me presently, but there are some
simpler passages that may be appropriate for my level.

* Which of you smells so bad?

Edited by Spanky on 23 November 2014 at 6:30am

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Spanky
Senior Member
Canada
Joined 5948 days ago

1021 posts - 1714 votes 
Studies: French

 
 Message 14 of 24
24 November 2014 at 4:50am | IP Logged 
There, I knew I could find something relatively straightforward from Beckett:

Estragon:   (sottovoce) E' lui?
Vladamir:   Chi?
Estragon:   (cercando di ricordare il nome) Beh....
Vladimir:    Godot?
Estragon:   Sì!
Pozzo:       Mi presento ... Pozzo
Estragon:   (timidamente, a Pozzo) Lei non è il signor Godot?
Pozzo:       (con voce terribile) Io sono Pozzo! (Silenzio). Pozzo!


Is that him?
Who?
(trying to remember the name) Er..
Godot?
Yes!
I present myself… Pozzo
(timidly, to Pozzo) Are you not Godot
(in a terrible voice) I am Pozzo! (Silence) Pozzo!


Edited by Spanky on 24 November 2014 at 4:56am

1 person has voted this message useful



Spanky
Senior Member
Canada
Joined 5948 days ago

1021 posts - 1714 votes 
Studies: French

 
 Message 15 of 24
24 November 2014 at 6:50pm | IP Logged 
I enrolled in a seven day free trial of Italianpod101.com, comparing it to learnitalianpod.com (the latter of which I have already subscribed to for one month).

I have started self-dialogues on the bus, trying to incorporate the limited Italian I have learned so far:

Spanky 1:   Buonasera, come stai?

Spanky 2:   Bene, grazie. Et tu, come stai?

Spanky 1:   Cosi e cosi. Come ti chiami?

Spanky 2:   Io mi chiamo Spanky

Spanky 1:   Come si scrive "Spanky"?

Spanky 2:   "esse - pee - a - enne - kappa - ipsilon"

Spanky 1:   Grazie.

Spanky 2:   Prego. Et tu, come ti chiami?

Spanky 1:   Mi chiamo Spanky!
1 person has voted this message useful



garyb
Triglot
Senior Member
ScotlandRegistered users can see my Skype Name
Joined 5199 days ago

1468 posts - 2413 votes 
Speaks: English*, Italian, French
Studies: Spanish

 
 Message 16 of 24
25 November 2014 at 12:25pm | IP Logged 
I've been to Rome, Tuscany, and the North (Bologna, Milan, Turin, etc.). Never been to the South but I'm quite keen to go; maybe for my next trip to Italy! From what I hear it sounds ideal: great food, friendly people, beautiful landscapes, and lower English knowledge.

You have to see Rome once, but I'm hesitant to recommend it, especially to an Italian learner. It's the place where you're most likely to get people insisting on English, and it's by far the least friendly Italian city I've visited, perhaps because it's so touristy. Tuscany is obviously also touristy, but in a more relaxed and less annoying way if you know what I mean. I think it's a good choice for a trip as there are lots of nice places close to each other.


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