For the better part of two years I have been studying Italian. No reason other than I think it's a very sexy language (second only to Brazilian Portuguese) and it's good to be able to speak more than one language. Plus, Italy is a fabulous place. I took French and Spanish in high school and college but I haven't used them since then. The first thing I noticed is that it's a lot harder now to learn a new language than it was when I was a teenager. It's very frustrating sometimes and my brain feels like a sieve. All this information gets poured in the top and then promptly runs out the bottom. Those wacky Italians have way more pronouns than anyone in their right mind needs. Even they'll admit as much. And some words change spelling just because it sounds better. I mean, how Italian is that!
But little by little, it seems to be sticking. So this evening in my class I said I heard a joke and I wanted to try and tell it in Italian. There's no doubt my delivery was way funnier than the joke itself. But somehow I lurched through it and made it to the punch line. And people laughed! I managed to make it intelligible enough that they got it. I'm very proud of myself right now. Okay, maybe just a little proud.
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And the joke is... in English, then Italian please.
It's a dopey little joke, very tame. The pope comes to town and his car pulls up at the airport. His driver opens the back door for him but the pope says he wants to drive. He never gets a chance to drive in Italy and he wants to drive. Reluctantly the driver gets in the back and the pope hops into the driver's seat. As soon as they get out of the airport, the pope floors it. Soon a cop chases them down and pulls them over. He goes to the window ready to write the ticket but he sees who's driving and he doesn't know what to do. He calls the office on the radio and says, "I can't give this guy a ticket, he's too important."
The guy on the radio says, "how important can he be? Is it the mayor?"
"More important than that."
"The governor?"
"More important."
The freakin' president?"
"No. I think it's god."
"Are you crazy? What makes you think that?"
"Because he's got the pope as his chauffer!"
Now in Italian...NOT!
I'm impressed that you could tell a joke in another language. I know a handful of Spanish words, but not enough to throw a sentence together.
I remember that joke! Good chuckle, most definitely. Go on, you know you want to tell it in Italian!
I am fluent in Italian as well as Brazilian Portugese. Go figure. Great joke!!
I think that's awesome! I want to learn more languages, especially since we're planning on a European vacation next year, but I have such a hard time committing them to memory. I need to get one of those things you put in the tv for kids. =)
It's fun but it's hard, Beth. I've been studying for almost two years and sometimes I really feel like my brain is a sieve. It all goes in the top and immediately runs out the bottom.
ctheokas, I don't wanna show off. I wasn't even gonna say anything because it sounds self-important. But, as soon as I can say "there once was a man from Nantucket" in Italian, I promise to share that!
That is awesome that you did it. I still want to learn another language. I can read in a couple of languages but I cant pronounce anything.
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