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Understanding Catalonia

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By accident, I came across an article about Catalonia written by a Scot. Most articles about Catalonia either have a political bias or are not based on fact. But the article I came across today I found to be extremely well balanced and well researched. You can read it here (link is no longer accessible).

The only things I would disagree with the author on are:

  • He shouldn’t really say that Catalans call the Spanish language castellano. Just say Castilian. Many Catalans actually call it castellà (the cognate of castellano in Catalan).
  • He says that “written Catalan is now so dominant in Catalonia”. A trip to any bookshop or newspaper stand would show that, while Catalan is very much alive, it is not dominant.
  • He claims that the word nationality “is deployed not just by political nationalists but by unionists who argue that a State with solid historical foundations can combine different but over-lapping patriotisms.” While this may be true in the UK, this is not true in Spain: the Catalan parliament recently approved a new Statute of Autonomy stating that “Catalonia is a nation”, but when the Statute passed through the Spanish parliament, the “unionists” had it removed. This is in stark contrast to the British Conservative and Unionist Party (the official name of the British Conservative Party), which has no issue with referring to the constituent countries of the United Kingdom as nations.

    • Nevertheless, overall this is a good analysis, and I recommend it to any British readers interested in understanding a little bit more about Catalonia.

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    Habitació disponsible / Room available / Habitación disponible / Chambre disponible

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    Aquest anunci ja és antic. Consulteu l’anunci més actualitzat, fent clic aquí.
    This notice is no longer valid. Please consult the up-to-date ad by clicking here.
    Este anuncio ya es antiguo. Consulte el anuncio más actualizado, haciendo clic aquí.
    Cette annonce n’est plus valide. Merci de consulter l’annonce actualisée en cliquant ici.

    Lounge
    Bathroom
    Kitchen
    Washing machine
    Terrace
    Bedroom

    To read this in English, scroll down.

    Más abajo, puedes leer este mensaje en español.

    En bas, vous pouvez lire cette annonce en français.

    Tindrem una habitació lliura a partir de mitjan febrer. També hi ha la possibilitat d’entrar més aviat si cal. Si t’interessa, em pots contactar per correu electrònic a timtranslates@gmail.com o per telèfon al 93 535 7377 o al 616 149 042. Busquem una persona no fumadora. La informació del pis:

    Habitació: individual, interior i amb finestra. Llit amb matalàs i llençols, armari, escriptori.

    Direcció: Passeig de Valldaura, 246, escala esquerra, 3r 1a. Metro: Llucmajor, línia 4. També a prop de les línies 1, 3 i 5 i la línia de la RENFE que va cap a Sabadell, Terrassa, la UAB etc… Per arribar al pis des del metro Llucmajor, quan surtis del metro, ves cap a la plaça i gira cap a la dreta. El pis es troba a la dreta.

    Zona: tranquil, però amb bones connexions amb el centre. Tenim al costat l’Heron City (cinemes, restaurants i botigues de roba molt barates), el Corte Inglés, i una oferta àmplia de supermercats.

    Pis: 65m2. Modern i moblat. Tenim televisió per cable (amb diversos canals internacionals com BBC World, CNN, RTP, Eurosport, etc…), connexió Internet ADSL 4 Mb, línia fixa de telèfon, planxa, rentaplats, rentadora, forn, microones, taula de menjar amb 4 cadires (taula desplegable per a més persones) etc…

    Amb qui viuràs?: Jo em dic Tim. Sóc anglès, de 26 anys. Sóc traductor. Visc amb la Martina, una gallega de 26 anys, estudiant de geografia. En total serem tres. Porto quasi dos anys i mig compartint amb la Martina i mai no he tingut problemes. És un pis tranquil, ideal per estudiar o treballar-hi.

    El cost de l’habitació:

    Lloguer: 250€/mes.

    Fiança: 2 mesos de lloguer = 500€

    Llum, gas i aigua: 22€/mes.

    Tenim televisió per cable, internet i telèfon amb la mateixa companyia. Pels tres serveis, són uns 27,50€/mes/persona. Totes les trucades a fixos de l’Estat espanyol són gratuïtes.

    English

    We will have a room free from mid-February. We can discuss the possibility of you moving in beforehand if necessary. If you are interested, please send me an e-mail to timtranslates@gmail.com or call me on +34 93 535 7377 or +34 616 149 042. We are looking for a non smoker. About the flat:

    Room: individual, with an interior window. Bed with mattress and sheets, wardrobe and desk.

    Address: Passeig de Valldaura, 246, Escala Esquerra, 3r 1a Metro: Llucmajor, line 4. Also close to lines 1, 3 and 5 and the RENFE line towards Sabadell, Terrassa, the UAB, etc. To get to the flat from Llucmajor metro station, as you leave the station walk to the large roundabout and turn right. The flat is on the right-hand side.

    Area: quiet, but with good links to the city centre. Heron City (cinemas, restaurants and cheap clothes stores), Corte Inglés and various supermarkets near by.

    Flat: 65m2. Modern and furnished. Cable television (with various international channels, including BBC World, CNN, RTP, Eurosport, etc…), 4MB ADSL Internet connection, telephone landline, iron, dishwasher, washing machine, oven, microwave, dining table and four chairs (folding table for more people) etc.

    Who will you live with?: I’m Tim, 26 years old from England. I work as a translator. I live with Martina, a 26-year-old girl from Galicia studying Geography. There will be three of us in the flat. I have been sharing with Martina for nearly two and a half years and have had no problems. The flat is quiet, ideal for studying or working.

    Cost:

    Rent: €250/month.

    Deposit: Two months’ rent = €500

    Electric, gas and water: €22/month.

    We have cable television, Internet and telephone with the same company, and we pay €27.50 per month per person. All calls to Spanish landlines are free.

    Spanish

    Tendremos una habitación libre a partir de mediados de febrero. También hay la posibilidad de entrar antes si lo necesitas. Si te interesa, me puedes contactar por correo electrónico a timtranslates@gmail.com o por teléfono en el 93 535 7377 o el 616 149 042. Buscamos una persona no fumadora. La información del piso:

    Habitación: individual, interior y con ventana. Cama con colchón y sábanas, armario, escritorio.

    Dirección: Passeig de Valldaura, 246, escala esquerra, 3r 1a. Metro: Llucmajor, línea 4. También cerca de las líneas 1, 3 y 5 y la línea de la RENFE que va hacia a Sabadell, Terrassa, la UAB etc… Para llegar en el piso desde el metro de Llucmajor, al salir del metro, vas hacia la plaza y gira a la derecha. El piso está a la derecha.

    Zona: tranquilo, pero con buenas conexiones con el centro. Tenemos al lado el Heron City (cine, restaurantes y tiendas de ropa muy baratas), el Corte Inglés, y una amplia oferta de supermercados.

    Piso: 65m2. Moderno y mueblado. Tenemos televisión por cable (con varios canales internacionales como BBC World, CNN, RTP, Eurosport, etc…), conexión Internet ADSL de 4 Mb, línea fija de teléfono, plancha, lavavajillas, lavadora, horno, microondas, mesa de comer con 4 sillas (mesa desplegable para más personas) etc…

    Con quien vivirás?: Yo me llamo Tim. Soy inglés, de 26 años. Soy traductor. Vivo con Martina, una gallega de 26 años, estudiante en geografía. En total seremos tres. Llevo dos años y media compartiendo piso con Martina y nunca he tenido problemas. Es un piso tranquilo, ideal para estudiar o trabajar.

    El coste de la habitación:

    Alquiler: 250€/mes.

    Fianza: 2 meses de alquiler = 500€

    Luz, gas y agua: 22€/mes.

    Tenemos televisión por cable, internet y teléfono con la misma compañía. Por los tres servicios, son unos 27,50€/mes/persona. Todas las llamadas a fijos de España son gratis.

    French

    Nous aurons une chambre disponible à partir de mi-février. Il y a aussi la possibilité d’entrer avant si vous en avez besoin. Si la chambre vous intéresse, vous pouvez me contacter par courriel à timtranslates@gmail.com ou par téléphone au 93 535 7377 ou au 616 149 042. Nous cherchons un non fumeur. Informations sur l’appartement :

    Chambre : individuel, intérieur avec fenêtre. Lit avec matelas et draps, armoire et bureau.

    Adresse : Passeig de Valldaura, 246, escala esquerra, 3r 1a. Métro : Llucmajor, ligne 4. Aussi près des lignes 1, 3 et 5 et de la ligne de train pour Sabadell, Terrassa, l’UAB, etc… Pour arriver à l’appartement depuis le métro Llucmajor, quand vous sortez du métro, allez vers la place et tournez à droite. L’appartement se trouve du côté droit de la rue.

    Quartier : tranquille, mais avec de bonnes connexions avec le centre-ville. À côté, nous avons Heron City (cinéma, restaurant et magasin de vêtements pas chers), le Corte Inglés, et plusieurs supermarchés.

    L’appartement : 65m2. Moderne et meublée. Nous avons télévision par câble (avec plusieurs chaînes internationales, comme BBC World, CNN, RTP, Eurosport, etc…), connexion Internet ADSL 4Mb, ligne fixe de téléphone, planche à fer, lave-vaisselle, machines à laver, four, micro-ondes, table à manger avec quatre chaises (table dépliante pour plus de personnes) etc…

    Avec qui vivrai-je ? : Je m’appelle Tim, je suis anglais, j’ai 26 ans. Je suis traducteur. J’habite avec Martina, 26 ans, étudiante en géographie, de la Galice. Au total on sera trois personnes. Je partage l’appartement avec Martina depuis deux ans et demi, et je n’ai jamais eu de problèmes. L’appartement est tranquille, idéal pour étudier ou travailler.

    Le prix de la chambre :

    Loyer : 250€/mois.

    Dépôt de garantie : Deux mois de loyer = 500€

    Électricité, gaz et eau : 22€/mois.

    Nous avons télévision par câble, Internet et de téléphone avec la même compagnie. Pour les trois services, nous payons 27,50€/mois/personne. Tous les appels à des numéros fixes en Espagne sont gratuits.

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    A little word game

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    If you type =rnd() into a Microsoft Word document then press enter, then on your screen will appear a sentence containing all the letters of the alphabet once and only once. The The exact sentence depends on what language you have Microsoft Word in. In English, the sentence is The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog. You can see what sentences are used in other languages here.

    Now here’s my challenge for you. I would like to see who can come up with the shortest text containing all the letters of the alphabet in the correct order. Obviously in this case letters may be repeated. What you write must be grammatically coherent and spelt correctly. For the sake of clarity, each time you write the next letter of the alphabet, please use a capital letter. So, your sentence could begin like this:

    ABraham Can DancE FriGHtenIngly quickly. James can maKe LeMoNade…

    Complete gibberish, but grammatically correct. There will be a winner for each language: the person whose text has the least number of characters, including space bars and punctuation (but you cannot leave out punctuation if it makes your text grammatically incorrect).

    For French, Catalan and Spanish, use the following alphabets:

    French: abcçdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyz
    Catalan: abcçdefghijkl l·l mnopqrstuvwxyz
    Spanish: abc ch defghijkl ll mnñopqrstuvwxyz

    When you post your answer, please enter an e-mail address you haven’t used on here before (make one up if you like). That way, your answer will not be visible to others until I’ve moderated it.

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    What a palaver!

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    The other day my website and blog were both down. I wrote to the guys at Kazix (who have very English names when they write back, but who are clearly not native English speakers, and obviously use false names), and they got my website up and running again.

    There were still problems with my blog, however. To cut a long story short, I eventually — after about a whole day of trying to sort it out — managed to get it up and running again by reinstalling WordPress and importing a backup copy.

    Two problems: my most recent posts had disappeared, and all accented characters were in bizarre code. After at least an hour reading about all sorts of very complicated solutions, I eventually found this wonderful, easy-to-use plugin, which sorted everything out except the names of my categories, which was quick enough to sort out manually.

    My only remaining problem were the missing posts, but I managed to sort this out by finding the posts in Google’s cache, which meant I was even able to recover all the comments made.

    Hopefully my blog is now back in order. If anyone spots any remaining anomalies, please let me know, and I’ll try and sort them out.

    Finally, I would love to hear proposed translations of “palaver”. Off the cuff, the best I can come up with in Catalan and Spanish are “embolic” and “rollo” respectively, though I’m sure some natives can come up with something better. Also, according to my dictionary, it means something completely different in American English (see below), so what would you say in America?

    OALD
    pa•la•ver noun (informal)
    1 [U, sing.] (BrE) a lot of unnecessary activity, excitement or trouble, especially caused by sth that is unimportant. Syn: fuss. What’s all the palaver about? What a palaver it is, trying to get a new visa!
    2 [U] (NAmE) talk that does not have any meaning; nonsense: He’s talking palaver.

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    Pre-fetching with Fasterfox

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    A great tool I discovered for Firefox quite a long time ago was Fasterfox. It basically tweaks browser settings to speed up browsing.

    It now includes a pre-fetching tool. This means that when you’re on a certain page, it saves all the links on that page into a cache, so that when you want to click on it, the page loads up almost instantaneously.

    It is great to browse with it activated, seeing the pages load up so quickly. But I have a kind of moral dilemma as to whether to use it. Some of the problems are:

    • It uses up more bandwidth, costing webmasters money
    • It may cost money to pay-by-click advertisers
    • It will give false results to website statistics
    • It may slow the Internet down for my flatmates, who use the same connection

    I’d be interested in hearing other people’s opinions on this. Do any of you use pre-fetching? Do you think it is a good idea?

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    French problems

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    I’m becoming increasingly frustrated writing French. The sentence structures just come out in Catalan. For example, I was start an e-mail to someone by asking them, “Est-ce qu’il y a manière de…?”. Of course, the reader would understand it, but it’s not something you’d hear a Frenchman say. My French now is a far cry from the excellent French I had upon graduating from a three-year degree in French Studies in Paris.
    It is now just over five years since I left France (time flies).

    During my first year in Catalonia (from September 2002), I spent the first few months speaking mainly French to one of the people I lived with, since his mother was French and he spoke it fluently, whereas my Spanish was very, very limited and my Catalan non-existent. In March 2003 I got a job for a wine shop selling mainly to French customers, so I still practised my French and even learnt new vocabulary related to the wines.

    During my second year, I was taking French as my B-language at university. Though French was mainly a passive language, I did take one subject in which we were translating into French. I also was good friends with two people with whom I spoke in French. I also lived with Loïc, a French guy, and although we rarely spoke in French to each other, I heard him on the phone, and spoke in French with friends and family he had over. I also spoke French with French people I met through GBU (Christian Union), including a very good friend of mine, Mialy.
    During my third year I had two subjects with French as the language of instruction, and still had one of the two French girls studying with me, so I still got plenty of practice. I also continued to live with Loïc. And having just started out in freelance translating, I got a big job translating athletics articles from French.
    My fourth year is when the steady decline got steeper. Loïc got married and for some reason preferred to buy a flat in which he could share a bed with his wife rather what I thought was a far better offer: a whole bedroom and bed each in my flat. I no longer saw any other French people. Also, whereas before when I met French people I would tell them that my French was far superior to my Spanish or Catalan and we would converse in French, this was no longer the case.
    My contact with the French language has virtually disappeared completely. I no longer know anyone I speak to regularly in French. I occasionally speak to my former lecturers-cum-colleagues in French, but we seldom have a long chat. Unfortunately, because of how important contacts are in finding work, I would say that less than 10% of my freelance work is from French.

    I need to find solutions. Maybe I should speak to my flatmate Martina in French more often, as it makes as much sense as speaking Spanish or Catalan, since at least one of us always has to speak a foreign language. I could maybe also speak in French to Catalan people I know who speak it. I guess other solutions are to read more things on the Internet in French and to watch TV5 more often.

    But most of all I’d really love to get more work translating from French. It’s not at all a problem. My passive French is as good as it ever has been. Indeed, I’d even say it’s slightly better, as there are words I’ve learnt in Catalan or Spanish that I didn’t learn in French but that I’d now understand in French because they are cognates of the Catalan or Spanish word. To give an example, I first learnt the word grua in Catalan, but now I understand grue if I hear it in French.

    I meant to write this blog entry in French. A few years back I’d have had no qualms with doing so, but it was just going to be too difficult. I can’t get the Catalan sentence structures out of my head. I’d have possibly felt more comfortable writing it in Occitan. My vocabulary may be more limited, but at least I can use Catalan sentence structures more often than in French.

    Anyway, back to my e-mail… How about “Ce serait possible de…?”

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    Congratulations to Sheffield FC!

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    Congratulations to Sheffield FC on their 150th anniversary. Sheffield FC — not to be confused with Sheffield Wednesday or Sheffield United — may be a small team in the lower reaches of amateur football, but they are officially recognised as the world’s oldest football club. They were born way back in 1857! So alongside Yorkshire pudding, rugby league and fish and chips you can add football to the list of things Yorkshire gave the world.

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