LAS LENGUAS INGLESA Y ESPAÑOLA de Delfín Carbonell

  Porky Pig asks Daffy Duck, “Are you ready?” and Daffy retorts, “I was born ready.” If Daffy Duck had been born Hispanic, he would have answered: “Almost. But wait, I have to get my hat, or make a call, or get some papers, or grab a bite to eat…” to delay going, working, finishing something off, or whatever. Spaniards were not born ready; they are never prepared, especially in language learning, their "asignatura pendiente." Spanish indeed has a proverb, a  refrán , that says, “No dejes para mañana lo que puedas hacer hoy”—do not put off until tomorrow what you can do today. Alas, this proverb is a carryover from the Romans, who had it in Latin as  ne in cranium, quod possis hodie , long before the Spanish language came into being. It did not affect the minds of the inhabitants of the Peninsula, who developed contrary attitudes. “Ya lo sé” is a ready-made expression or phrase that you will hear from the mouths of Spaniards constantly. Their self-confidence knows no limit...

The American poet Billy Collins (I love his poetry) says that Bugs Bunny is his hero and his source of inspiration. In my case, my hero and my fountainhead of inspiration is Daffy Duck.  My favorite quote from him is when Porky Pig asks him whether he is ready to go, and Daffy Duck says: "I was born ready!" Few can say that in earnest. His appearances in Looney Tunes are short and can be found in YouTube . A lot can be learnt about the English language from him, and it is a great training of the ear to capture the sounds of the language. I urge you to listen to his wisdom and his English.