LAS LENGUAS INGLESA Y ESPAÑOLA de Delfín Carbonell

The cruelty of human nature is well known. The cruelty directed at people with physical disabilities has a long and ugly history. Today, we congratulate ourselves on showing a certain degree of humanity in the way we refer to someone who limps or is missing a leg. Spanish has a particularly rich, and sometimes brutal, repertoire of colloquial expressions for such people. The following are examples: Patapalo Patachula Cojo Cojitranca Pataescombro Cojo de mierda Patituerto Patamula Today, euphemisms and more respectful expressions are increasingly the norm: persona con discapacidad motriz, persona con movilidad reducida, persona con cojera . We are now expected to say that David tiene movilidad reducida rather than call David a patachula or a cojitranca . Language changes, and so do our ideas of what is acceptable. Whether this change reflects greater humanity, greater sensitivity, or simply a different set of social conventions is another question.

I have made it a habit to watch the Princess of Asturias Awards on television every year, straight from Oviedo, Asturias. I enjoy the pomp and ceremony, the Asturian bagpipes, the Royal Family, the fanfare, and listening to the speeches delivered by some of the awardees. I also appreciate the fact that people’s efforts in the humanities, science, sports, and other fields, as well as the work of certain institutions, are recognised, publicised, and discussed in the media. And I am all for indulging another of my habits: learning, discovering new people and institutions, and finding out about the progress they are making. Yesterday, I discovered Patti Smith, the singer and writer. Imagine that, at this stage of my life! Timothy Garton Ash was also new to me, and I intend to read his work. His speech made me want to do so, which is surely one of the best things a speaker can achieve. Julian Barnes was not exactly brilliant in his short speech but, truth be told, I was listening to the dub...

 These days I am irritable and touchy. I feel like everyone is trying to push my buttons to see which way I'll jump. And I jump sky-high, lose my cool, and watch my blood pressure rocket up. As I live in Spain, what people are doing to me would be called hacer rabiar or buscarle las cosquillas . Of course, English has plenty of ways to describe people who are easy to provoke, and I am apparently one of them. I turn vicious when someone pushes my buttons. Whatever the case, learn this idiom and try not to rise to the bait.

 Hay expresiones que nacen en los tribunales y terminan en la calle, donde adquieren una vida mucho más amplia que la que les dieron los legisladores. Con premeditación y alevosía es una de ellas. En el uso corriente, viene a significar que algo se hace con malas artes, con intención deliberada y sin dar al otro la menor oportunidad de defenderse. No es poca cosa. El artículo 22 del Código Penal español, aprobado por la Ley Orgánica 10/1995, define la alevosía en estos términos: «Hay alevosía cuando el culpable comete cualquiera de los delitos contra las personas empleando en la ejecución medios, modos o formas que tiendan directa o especialmente a asegurarla, sin el riesgo que para su persona pudiera proceder de la defensa por parte del ofendido». Una definición que, dicho sea de paso, no se distingue precisamente por su ligereza. La premeditación, que figuraba en textos legales anteriores, desapareció como circunstancia agravante autónoma del Código Penal de 1995. La alevosía, s...

 The more I hear people express their thoughts in English and Spanish in everyday life, the more convinced I become that we need speech training. I have mentioned reading aloud before as an excellent exercise. Actors constantly practice and train their speech, and I believe we should also train ourselves to speak well every day. After all, the way we speak says a great deal about who we are and how we present ourselves to others. My recommendation is simple and easy to follow: read aloud for five to ten minutes a day. Read slowly; savor the sounds, pay attention to points of articulation, how you articulate each sound, and experiment with stressing sentences in different ways. Do not rush or stumble over your words. Easy does it. You may notice the results in a few weeks, perhaps even sooner. Your interlocutors will appreciate the difference. Try it. You have little to lose and much to gain. 

¿A dónde vamos a ir a parar? / What Is the World Coming To?   It’s the all-purpose sigh. Nobody expects an answer. You say it when the news is grim, when a scandal breaks, or when the kids do something that surely signals the end of civilization: Wars, wars … what is the world coming to? Or, if you’re reaching for the Spanish: Guerras, guerras… ¿a dónde vamos a ir a parar?   Examples: --“No sé a dónde vamos a ir a parar.” — Rosario Ferré, La batalla de las vírgenes (1993, Puerto Rico) --“No sé dónde vamos a ir a parar.” — Manuel Martínez Mediero, Las largas vacaciones de Oliveira Salazar (1991, Spain) --“Alice watched the little girl leave and muttered: What is the world coming to?” — Charles Martin, Thunder and Rain (2012, US) --“… Lord, have mercy! What is this world coming to?” — Mary Monroe, Bad Blood (2016, US)