Comments on: The Tower of Ryan Babel: Football, Language, and Translation http://pitchinvasion.net/blog/2007/12/20/the-tower-of-ryan-babel-football-language-and-translation/ Exploring football culture around the world. Sat, 11 Oct 2008 23:55:37 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.6.2 By: Linda http://pitchinvasion.net/blog/2007/12/20/the-tower-of-ryan-babel-football-language-and-translation/#comment-1840 Linda Fri, 21 Dec 2007 23:37:09 +0000 http://pitchinvasion.net/blog/2007/12/20/the-tower-of-ryan-babel-football-language-and-translation/#comment-1840 I suppose this is one reason so many continental coaches are multi-lingual these days. And another thing - club squads seem to divide themselves socially along language lines, as well. I suppose this is one reason so many continental coaches are multi-lingual these days.

And another thing - club squads seem to divide themselves socially along language lines, as well.

]]> By: SpanglyPrincess http://pitchinvasion.net/blog/2007/12/20/the-tower-of-ryan-babel-football-language-and-translation/#comment-1838 SpanglyPrincess Fri, 21 Dec 2007 19:33:07 +0000 http://pitchinvasion.net/blog/2007/12/20/the-tower-of-ryan-babel-football-language-and-translation/#comment-1838 Roswitha... apart from the absent subject in your sentence, googlish has done just fine ;-) In Italian many football terms are directly pinched from English - il dribbling, for instance, which can also be turned into a verb and then conjugated normally - sta dribblando, ha dribblato. Roswitha… apart from the absent subject in your sentence, googlish has done just fine ;-)

In Italian many football terms are directly pinched from English - il dribbling, for instance, which can also be turned into a verb and then conjugated normally - sta dribblando, ha dribblato.

]]> By: Brian http://pitchinvasion.net/blog/2007/12/20/the-tower-of-ryan-babel-football-language-and-translation/#comment-1836 Brian Fri, 21 Dec 2007 18:36:15 +0000 http://pitchinvasion.net/blog/2007/12/20/the-tower-of-ryan-babel-football-language-and-translation/#comment-1836 <strong>Other Brian</strong> --- I agree, and how weird/neat/funny is it that we've reached a point at which language skills are tradeable assets in football? "Can he dribble?" "No, but he speaks Walloon." "Sign him." <strong>Alejandro & Em</strong> --- This is where I'm grateful for my inadequate education. Anything beyond standard English reduces me to childish incomprehension. Although sadly, Em, Jamie Carragher could probably take me apart in a game of chess. <strong>Roswitha</strong> --- My reading knowledge of Googlish is just advanced enough for me to say that I know what you mean. When it comes to football journalism, I think the talking dog in Cervantes was onto something when he said that there are some who are no less fools for knowing Latin. But it certainly does sound profonda. Other Brian — I agree, and how weird/neat/funny is it that we’ve reached a point at which language skills are tradeable assets in football? “Can he dribble?” “No, but he speaks Walloon.” “Sign him.”

Alejandro & Em — This is where I’m grateful for my inadequate education. Anything beyond standard English reduces me to childish incomprehension. Although sadly, Em, Jamie Carragher could probably take me apart in a game of chess.

Roswitha — My reading knowledge of Googlish is just advanced enough for me to say that I know what you mean. When it comes to football journalism, I think the talking dog in Cervantes was onto something when he said that there are some who are no less fools for knowing Latin. But it certainly does sound profonda.

]]> By: roswitha http://pitchinvasion.net/blog/2007/12/20/the-tower-of-ryan-babel-football-language-and-translation/#comment-1829 roswitha Fri, 21 Dec 2007 05:06:00 +0000 http://pitchinvasion.net/blog/2007/12/20/the-tower-of-ryan-babel-football-language-and-translation/#comment-1829 Brian, You elucidate in clear and confident terms exactly why I have taken to reading La Gazzetta dello Sport of a morning without the benefit of translation. The saying goes that anything said in Latin will sound profound; for me, the best way to keep up my admiration of Italian football and its practitioners is to admire how very well they acquit themselves in a language I don't understand. To coin a phrase, tutto ciò che ha detto in italiano è profonda. [Perhaps I have really coined a phrase, since I ran that through the Googlish machine.] Brian,

You elucidate in clear and confident terms exactly why I have taken to reading La Gazzetta dello Sport of a morning without the benefit of translation. The saying goes that anything said in Latin will sound profound; for me, the best way to keep up my admiration of Italian football and its practitioners is to admire how very well they acquit themselves in a language I don’t understand. To coin a phrase, tutto ciò che ha detto in italiano è profonda.

[Perhaps I have really coined a phrase, since I ran that through the Googlish machine.]

]]> By: Em http://pitchinvasion.net/blog/2007/12/20/the-tower-of-ryan-babel-football-language-and-translation/#comment-1826 Em Fri, 21 Dec 2007 03:09:41 +0000 http://pitchinvasion.net/blog/2007/12/20/the-tower-of-ryan-babel-football-language-and-translation/#comment-1826 Apparently Xabi Alonso listened to BBC English-language tapes when he first arrived in Liverpool to acclimate himself to the language. Then again, he's sort of a literati type, isn't he! Also plays chess with Carragher -- another sort of "language," I suppose. And of course, football itself is a language. To be able to communicate out loud with one another helps, but if the on-pitch understanding is there, what's to say the players haven't already succeeded? About the commentary -- I agree completely, but it's difficult, because I've watched enough La Liga to get the gist of most of what they're saying, plus I'm fluent in Chinese, so unfortunately, there's not much left for me, unless I were to develop a sudden interest in Serie A. Which will never happen. Le sigh! Apparently Xabi Alonso listened to BBC English-language tapes when he first arrived in Liverpool to acclimate himself to the language. Then again, he’s sort of a literati type, isn’t he! Also plays chess with Carragher — another sort of “language,” I suppose. And of course, football itself is a language. To be able to communicate out loud with one another helps, but if the on-pitch understanding is there, what’s to say the players haven’t already succeeded?

About the commentary — I agree completely, but it’s difficult, because I’ve watched enough La Liga to get the gist of most of what they’re saying, plus I’m fluent in Chinese, so unfortunately, there’s not much left for me, unless I were to develop a sudden interest in Serie A. Which will never happen. Le sigh!

]]> By: Alejandro Ruiz http://pitchinvasion.net/blog/2007/12/20/the-tower-of-ryan-babel-football-language-and-translation/#comment-1825 Alejandro Ruiz Fri, 21 Dec 2007 00:31:45 +0000 http://pitchinvasion.net/blog/2007/12/20/the-tower-of-ryan-babel-football-language-and-translation/#comment-1825 "After a day of watching the Premier League, switching over to La Liga can feel like the sudden lifting of a burden; you don’t have to swim against the current of the announcers’ interpretations, you don’t have to contend with them as a dimension of the game, you can just watch and go with the flow. Sometimes the easiest way to understand football is not to understand at all." Unless...you speak spanish fluently. I have to turn to the Bundesliga for the same kick. “After a day of watching the Premier League, switching over to La Liga can feel like the sudden lifting of a burden; you don’t have to swim against the current of the announcers’ interpretations, you don’t have to contend with them as a dimension of the game, you can just watch and go with the flow. Sometimes the easiest way to understand football is not to understand at all.”

Unless…you speak spanish fluently.
I have to turn to the Bundesliga for the same kick.

]]> By: Brian http://pitchinvasion.net/blog/2007/12/20/the-tower-of-ryan-babel-football-language-and-translation/#comment-1823 Brian Thu, 20 Dec 2007 20:50:06 +0000 http://pitchinvasion.net/blog/2007/12/20/the-tower-of-ryan-babel-football-language-and-translation/#comment-1823 A good way to overcome the language barrier in a squad is to sign a player like Bolo Zenden, who speaks a plethora of dialects. I honestly think having players of a side like Liverpool taking either Spanish or English comprehension courses, depending on what their primary language is, would be beneficial in more than just communication issues. It would also keep the cogs from in their brains from getting rusty, so to speak. A good way to overcome the language barrier in a squad is to sign a player like Bolo Zenden, who speaks a plethora of dialects. I honestly think having players of a side like Liverpool taking either Spanish or English comprehension courses, depending on what their primary language is, would be beneficial in more than just communication issues. It would also keep the cogs from in their brains from getting rusty, so to speak.

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