The Day of Love is worth celebrating, as the British actor Sean Connery said "love may not make the world go round, but it makes the ride worthwhile."
Valentine's Day on February 14th, is widely celebrated in English speaking countries by young and old alike as the day of love and friendship.
It is traditional on this day for men and women to send to the one (or ones) they love a card with a romantic poem (see some examples below), but no-one signs the card with their name, we simply sign it with "be my Valentine!"
Usually you might have an idea who sent you the card, but the sometimes Not-knowing for sure who sent you the valentine card adds to the sense of mystery and romance.
In schools this is a major event, it's a chance to declare your love and find out who fancies you. Usually everybody gets two or three cards, and your friends will tease you about it. The whole day you might ask yourself "who sent me the valentine?", However, Valentine's Day is not only very popular with school children; people everywhere will be asking themselves "who is my mysterious lover?" "I wonder who sent me the flowers."
The whole day the senses are awakened, and you may feel butterflies in your stomach.
It is estimated that in the United States about 180 million red roses are sent on this day, as well as some 36 million heart-shaped boxes of chocolate, and millions of dollars are spent on romantic dinner, presents and cards.
Forgetting to send a Valentine's card to your girlfriend or boyfriend, husband or wife is almost as bad as forgetting your wedding anniversary!
How did Valentine's Day begin?
There are many legends connecting February and romantic love.
The main theory goes back to ancient Rome where people celebrated Lupercalia in February to honour fertility gods. In the fifth century Pope Gelasius tried to Christianise this pagan ritual by declaring February 14 as the date to commemorate Saint Valentine (a Christian Martyr).
The legend goes back to the third century when the Roman Emperor Claudius II passed a law in which he forbade young men to marry, for he believed that married men made lousy soldiers. Valentine, a Christian priest, believed the Emperor's law to be nonsense and secretly married young couples. Emperor Claudius was informed about the secret weddings and ordered that Valentine be arrested and executed. While he was imprisoned young couples who Valentine had married visited him and brought him flowers and messages of gratitude. It is also rumoured that on the evening before his execution, Valentine wrote a message to a young girl he had fallen in love with (some say it was the jailer's daughter). He signed the note by writing "From your Valentine" a phrase now traditionally written on many valentine cards.
Through the centuries in many European countries Valentine's Day was celebrated to coincide with an early start to spring. The modern tradition of sending Valentine cards to a loved one started around 1840 in the USA.
Here are some romantic poems you might like to send to your Valentine on February 14th.
A Red, Red Rose
O, my love is like a red, red rose, that’s newly sprung in June.O, my love is like the melody, that’s sweetly played in tune.
(Robert Burns)
I love thee, I love thee,
'Tis all that I can say;
It is my vision in the night,
My dreaming in the day.
(Thomas Hood)
Love comes through the eyes that see
And through the ears that hear,
For people are quite beautiful,
And words make feelings clear.
Love comes through the hands that touch
With unabashed affection,
For only skin-to-skin can love
Maintain its true direction.
Love comes through the tastes and smells
Of fresh and well-cooked food,
For in the gift of nourishment
Is much else that is good.
But though love comes through senses five,
Love comes from the heart,
For there resides the greater love
Of which ours is a part.
(anonymous)
.............................................................................................................................
vocabulary list:
celebrated: gefeiert
poem: Gedicht
Valentine: Person, die am Valentinstag von Ihrem Verehre/ihre Verehrerin beschenkt wird
"be my Valentine": "sei mein Schatz an Valentinstag!"
a major event: ein bedeutendes Ereignis
to declare your love for somebody: jdm eine Liebeserklärung machen
to fancy somebody: (British English) eine Schwäche für jdn haben
to tease somebody: (to make fun of somebody in a friendly way): jdn necken / ärgern
feel butterflies in your stomach: einen Flattermann haben/ein flaues Gefühl (im Magen) haben
estimated: geschätzt
wedding anniversary: Hochzeitstag
the ride: Lebenszeit/Fahrt/Ritt
worthwhile: lohnend
a legend: Sage/Legende
to honour: Ehren halten
fertility gods: Fruchtbarkeit Götter
pagan: Heide(in)
to commemorate: gedenken
to pass a law: ein Gesetz verabschieden
forbade (verb: to forbid, forbade, forbidden): etw verbieten
to marry: heiraten
lousy: lausig/miserabel/beschissen
a soldier: Soldat(in)
nonsense: Unsinn/Quatsch
secretly: heimlich
a wedding: Hochzeit
to arrest: verhaften
to execute: hinrichten
gratitude: Dankbarkeit
it is rumoured that: angebliche(r,s)
to fall in love with (somebody): sich verlieben
a jailer: Gefängnisaufseher(in)
to coincide with something: mit etw zusammenfallen
spring: Frühling
thee: (old English) dir/dich
unabashed: unverfroren/Ohne Hemmungen
nourishment: Nahrung
Donnerstag, 19. Februar 2009
Freitag, 30. Januar 2009
Tournesol - le poeme d'Eloise
Les tournesols
Qui somnolent
Sous le soleil
Qui les surveillent
Quand tout à coup
Messire Nuage
Devient un peu fou
La tempête fait rage
Les tournesols
Tout content
S'amusent en buvant.
Les gouttes de pluie sont repartient
Et pareil
Toute leurs vie
Eloise
Qui somnolent
Sous le soleil
Qui les surveillent
Quand tout à coup
Messire Nuage
Devient un peu fou
La tempête fait rage
Les tournesols
Tout content
S'amusent en buvant.
Les gouttes de pluie sont repartient
Et pareil
Toute leurs vie
Eloise
Sonntag, 18. Januar 2009
Spanisch: DÍA DE LOS MUERTOS EN MÉXICO (Allerheiligen in Mexico)
DÍA DE LOS MUERTOS EN MÉXICO (Allerheiligen in Mexico)
Una vez al año conviven en México los vivos con los muertos - la tradición mexicana en el 1. y 2. de noviembre.
Estas celebraciones son alegres momentos inspirados por la creencia (der Glaube) que la muerte es una transición (Übergang) de una vida a la otra. Los mexicanos realizan dos celebraciones para honrar (in Ehren halten) la memoria de los difuntos (Verstorbene) amados.El primero de noviembre se honran las almas (Seele) de los niños (Kinder) muertos. El dos de noviembre se recuerda las almas de los adultos.
Los origenes (Entstehungsort) pre-hispánicos.
A diferencia del ritual católico establecido para conmemorar (gedenken) el Día de Todos los Santos (1 de Noviembre), los pueblos prehispánicos creían que las almas no morían (morir = sterben), que seguían viviendo en un lugar especial llamado Mictlán. Allí descansaban (descansar = ausruhen) hasta el día en el que podían volver a sus hogares a visitar a su familia.Antes de la llegada de los españoles, los nativos celebraban el regreso (die Heimkehr) de las almas entre los meses de julio y agosto. Los españoles cambiaron estas festividades al 2 de noviembre, para coincidir (zeitlich zusammenfallen / übereinstimmen mit) con el Día de Todos los Santos de la Iglesia Católica.
Hoy en día.
El Día de los Muertos o el Día de Todos los Santos es una celebración alegre y colorida (en la quefarbenprächtig) la muerte asume (asumir = annehmen)una expresión vivaz (lebhaft)y amistosa (freundlich). Tiene diferentes nombres en los diferentes Estados Mexicanos. Por ejemplo, en Yucatán se conoce como Hanal Pixán, o el paso de las almas sobre la esencia de los alimentos. En las alturas de Michoacán, se conoce como Jimbanqua, o la festividad que honra con flores a las personas que ese año fallecieron (sind gestorben). En San Luis Potosí, Hidalgo y en el sur de Oaxaca se conoce como Xantolo.
¿Como se celebra?
En el primero de noviembre se realizan en muchos pueblos de Michoacán el rito de la Velación de los Angelitos (velar = wachen). Las niñas vestidas con blusas de satín, faldas de colores, delantales (die Schürze) bordados en punto de cruzdas (KreuzFigurensticken), medias blancas y zapatos que brillan son el centro de esta ceremonia. Los niños ayudan a llevar las flores e interpretan canciones a sus hermanitos (das Brüderchen) fallecidos, con pequeños instrumentos musicales. A un costado del cementerio las madres y las abuelas vigilan (schauen) cómo los pequeños realizan (erfüllen) el ritual de la Velación de los Angelitos. Es de esta manera como los padres transmiten a sus hijos la tradición. El dos de noviembre las almas de los adultos se honran en sus casas con altares decorados con flores, comida y bebidas.En muchos pueblos la vigilia (Nachtwache) en el cementerio dura la noche entera, del primero al dos de noviembre. En otros se realiza durante el día. Muchos combinan las oraciones con el sonido de la trompeta tocando una canción con un conjunto de mariachis. También se incluyen bailes rituales en algunas celebraciones.
El Día de los Muertos es un momento de reflexión (Nachdenken / Überlegung) sobre lo que la vida significa y la misión que en ella hay que cumplir (erfüllen / gut machen).
Para unos, la muerte en muchas situaciones es un sentimiento doloroso (schmerzhaft) por la separación física del ser amado. Para otros es la trascendencia, la transformación y la resurrección. Durante el Día de los Muertos afloran todos estos sentimientos y creencias que dan vida a la memoria de los seres amados. También es un momento para burlarse de la muerte (sich über der Tod lustig machen) con las calaveras.
Algo muy típico de estos días es regalar (verschenken) a un querido (geliebt), por ejemplo, tu novio o novia, una calavera (Totenkopf) con el nombre de el o ella escrito por la frente (Stirn) de la calavera. Estas calaveras son figuras en formas de craneos (Schädel) y estan hechas de azúcar, chocolate o mazapán (Marzipan) y tienen el nombre del amigo para que ellos se "puedan comerse su propia muerte"!
Solo en Mexico!
Autor: Gareth Landershttp://morguefile.com/archive/?display=91207&
Una vez al año conviven en México los vivos con los muertos - la tradición mexicana en el 1. y 2. de noviembre.
Estas celebraciones son alegres momentos inspirados por la creencia (der Glaube) que la muerte es una transición (Übergang) de una vida a la otra. Los mexicanos realizan dos celebraciones para honrar (in Ehren halten) la memoria de los difuntos (Verstorbene) amados.El primero de noviembre se honran las almas (Seele) de los niños (Kinder) muertos. El dos de noviembre se recuerda las almas de los adultos.
Los origenes (Entstehungsort) pre-hispánicos.
A diferencia del ritual católico establecido para conmemorar (gedenken) el Día de Todos los Santos (1 de Noviembre), los pueblos prehispánicos creían que las almas no morían (morir = sterben), que seguían viviendo en un lugar especial llamado Mictlán. Allí descansaban (descansar = ausruhen) hasta el día en el que podían volver a sus hogares a visitar a su familia.Antes de la llegada de los españoles, los nativos celebraban el regreso (die Heimkehr) de las almas entre los meses de julio y agosto. Los españoles cambiaron estas festividades al 2 de noviembre, para coincidir (zeitlich zusammenfallen / übereinstimmen mit) con el Día de Todos los Santos de la Iglesia Católica.
Hoy en día.
El Día de los Muertos o el Día de Todos los Santos es una celebración alegre y colorida (en la quefarbenprächtig) la muerte asume (asumir = annehmen)una expresión vivaz (lebhaft)y amistosa (freundlich). Tiene diferentes nombres en los diferentes Estados Mexicanos. Por ejemplo, en Yucatán se conoce como Hanal Pixán, o el paso de las almas sobre la esencia de los alimentos. En las alturas de Michoacán, se conoce como Jimbanqua, o la festividad que honra con flores a las personas que ese año fallecieron (sind gestorben). En San Luis Potosí, Hidalgo y en el sur de Oaxaca se conoce como Xantolo.
¿Como se celebra?
En el primero de noviembre se realizan en muchos pueblos de Michoacán el rito de la Velación de los Angelitos (velar = wachen). Las niñas vestidas con blusas de satín, faldas de colores, delantales (die Schürze) bordados en punto de cruzdas (KreuzFigurensticken), medias blancas y zapatos que brillan son el centro de esta ceremonia. Los niños ayudan a llevar las flores e interpretan canciones a sus hermanitos (das Brüderchen) fallecidos, con pequeños instrumentos musicales. A un costado del cementerio las madres y las abuelas vigilan (schauen) cómo los pequeños realizan (erfüllen) el ritual de la Velación de los Angelitos. Es de esta manera como los padres transmiten a sus hijos la tradición. El dos de noviembre las almas de los adultos se honran en sus casas con altares decorados con flores, comida y bebidas.En muchos pueblos la vigilia (Nachtwache) en el cementerio dura la noche entera, del primero al dos de noviembre. En otros se realiza durante el día. Muchos combinan las oraciones con el sonido de la trompeta tocando una canción con un conjunto de mariachis. También se incluyen bailes rituales en algunas celebraciones.
El Día de los Muertos es un momento de reflexión (Nachdenken / Überlegung) sobre lo que la vida significa y la misión que en ella hay que cumplir (erfüllen / gut machen).
Para unos, la muerte en muchas situaciones es un sentimiento doloroso (schmerzhaft) por la separación física del ser amado. Para otros es la trascendencia, la transformación y la resurrección. Durante el Día de los Muertos afloran todos estos sentimientos y creencias que dan vida a la memoria de los seres amados. También es un momento para burlarse de la muerte (sich über der Tod lustig machen) con las calaveras.
Algo muy típico de estos días es regalar (verschenken) a un querido (geliebt), por ejemplo, tu novio o novia, una calavera (Totenkopf) con el nombre de el o ella escrito por la frente (Stirn) de la calavera. Estas calaveras son figuras en formas de craneos (Schädel) y estan hechas de azúcar, chocolate o mazapán (Marzipan) y tienen el nombre del amigo para que ellos se "puedan comerse su propia muerte"!
Solo en Mexico!
Autor: Gareth Landershttp://morguefile.com/archive/?display=91207&
English: Learning to use phrasal verbs in English is the best step to fluency. Come in and find out !
Come in and find out (meaning hereinkommen und herausfinden - not aus Ausgang finden ! ) are two examples of phrasal verbs.
These are other examples of everyday phrasal verbs: sit down (hin setzen), stand up (stehen), get up (aufstehen/wecken), look after (sich auf jemand oder etwas kümmern), put on (anziehen), take off (ausziehen), call off (absagen), put off (Termin verschieben), put forward an idea (etwas vorschlagen), call back (zurückrufen).
Phrasal verbs are verbs (go, take, keep, make etc...) together with a preposition or an adverb (for, to, in, out, after, over...)
In contrast, latinate verbs are the verbs like "congregate" (sich versammeln/sich treffen), "cancel" (absagen), "postpone" (Termin verschieben), "propose" (etwas vorschlagen). These verbs have a Latin root.
Phrasal verbs are used by native speakers in everyday spoken English and in less formal written texts. It would be strange for a native speaker to say:
It's my birthday tomorrow, so, I'm going to congregate with my friends after work.
Instead of "congregate" we would say "get together"; "I'm getting together with my friends".
So why do we have these two kinds of verbs?
One of the theories I know, takes us back to the time of the early settlers of England who spoke Anglo-Saxon dialects. It was typical in these dialects to use prepositions to describe action and movement, to give more meaning, to give more excitement and give colour to stories.
For example, "we JUMPED OVER the fire", "RAN AFTER the stag", "CLIMBED UP the tree", "SAT DOWN to talk", "RAN AWAY from the wolf",...
In 1066 when England was conquered by the French speaking William of Normandy (also known as "William the Conqueror") the country was put under the tight control of the feudal system and laws. This system was managed by educated monks and clerks whose working language was Latin. Thus, the ruling classes spoke a different language from that of the original inhabitants. Eventually people began to use a combination of the two languages where the Latin root words had a formal or official sound and the traditional Anglo-Saxon language, with its many phrasal verbs, was spoken by everybody in informal situations.
Even today when you read English legal documents you find a lot of non-Anglo-Saxon words like "affidavit" (schriftliche eidesstattliche Erklärung) or "bailiff" (Gerichtsvollzieher) or "de facto spouse" (Lebensgefährte), in everyday English this would be "common-law wife" or "partner".
When I was teaching in Spain my students had real trouble figuring out or understanding the meaning of phrasal verbs as they are not part of Latin languages.
On the other hand, in modern German (another Anglo-Saxon root language), trennbareVerben are also very common. Think about nachschauen (to look something up in a book), zuruckückblicken/zurückdenken (to look back on / over something), ausschimpfen (to tell somebody off), aufgeben/resignieren (to give up), aufmuntern/aufheitern (to cheer somebody up), the list goes on and on.
I am not suggesting that they are necessarily easy to learn for German speakers. They can be tricky too.
As a learner of English you should be aware of two main problems with phrasal verbs:
1. Some phrasal verbs have literal meanings and others don't. For example,
Go away! = verschwinde!
Go away on holiday = wegfahren
Here the preposition tells us directly what we mean.
But consider the phrasal verb "pick up" in these three examples:
1. I dropped my books and she helped me to pick them up.
2. Tomorrow I have to pick up my brother from the airport.
3. When I was in Moscow I picked up a little Russian.
Here "pick up" has multiple meanings. In the first sentence it means "aufheben", for example from the floor. This is another example of a phrasel verb with a literal meaning.
In the second meaning it means "abholen", and in the third sentence it has a different meaning, "aufschnappen" or "mitkriegen" in the sense of learning a language informally (not in a school). In the third sentence a person could understand "pick up" as abschleppen / aufreißsen (for sexual purposes), which could cause a funny misunderstanding.
People always figure out the meaning from the context or situation.
2. The other main problem with phrasal verbs is that there aren't any exact grammar rules concerning the position of the particle (the preposition or adverb that comes with the verb). Some verbs can be separated from the particle by the object of the sentence, others not.
For example, we can say;
I am LOOKING AFTER my friend's dog while she is on holiday.
but not: I am LOOKING my friend's dog AFTER while she is on holiday.
The verb "look after" cannot be split with an object (the something or somebody). You cannot say, "please look my dog over", only "please look after my dog".
Good dictionaries, like the "Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary", always show you whether the verb and preposition can be separated or not.
For example, you might see " pick (smby) up (smby)". In this case you can separate the verb and preposition with the object, like this:
"I went to the airport to pick Mr. Harris up" or "I went to the airport to pick up Mr. Harries".
As there are so many phrasal verbs in English I would recommend you start slowly by making your own list of the ones you use the most.
Here is a little list of useful ones to start with:
carry on = weitermachen
come up against a problem = (Problem) auftreten
do away with = abschaffen
fall apart = auseinander fallen
fall out = sich streiten
get along = sich mit jemandem verstehen
go on = weitermachen
Vocabulary in this article:
educated monks and clerks: gebildet Mönche und Berater
eventually: schließlich
fluency: Flüssigkeit/Gewandtheit/Eleganz
give colour to stories: (mehr) Farbe verleihen
in contrast: im Gegensatz/dagegen
inhabitants: Einwohner(in)
Latin root: lateinisch Stamm / Wurzelwort
literal: wörtlich / eigentliche Bedeutung
movement: Bewegung
native speakers: Muttersprachler(in)
on the other hand: anderseits
stag: Hirsch
the list goes on and on (kein Ende nehmen.
tricky: knifflig/verzwickt
Author: Gareth Orsola Landers
These are other examples of everyday phrasal verbs: sit down (hin setzen), stand up (stehen), get up (aufstehen/wecken), look after (sich auf jemand oder etwas kümmern), put on (anziehen), take off (ausziehen), call off (absagen), put off (Termin verschieben), put forward an idea (etwas vorschlagen), call back (zurückrufen).
Phrasal verbs are verbs (go, take, keep, make etc...) together with a preposition or an adverb (for, to, in, out, after, over...)
In contrast, latinate verbs are the verbs like "congregate" (sich versammeln/sich treffen), "cancel" (absagen), "postpone" (Termin verschieben), "propose" (etwas vorschlagen). These verbs have a Latin root.
Phrasal verbs are used by native speakers in everyday spoken English and in less formal written texts. It would be strange for a native speaker to say:
It's my birthday tomorrow, so, I'm going to congregate with my friends after work.
Instead of "congregate" we would say "get together"; "I'm getting together with my friends".
So why do we have these two kinds of verbs?
One of the theories I know, takes us back to the time of the early settlers of England who spoke Anglo-Saxon dialects. It was typical in these dialects to use prepositions to describe action and movement, to give more meaning, to give more excitement and give colour to stories.
For example, "we JUMPED OVER the fire", "RAN AFTER the stag", "CLIMBED UP the tree", "SAT DOWN to talk", "RAN AWAY from the wolf",...
In 1066 when England was conquered by the French speaking William of Normandy (also known as "William the Conqueror") the country was put under the tight control of the feudal system and laws. This system was managed by educated monks and clerks whose working language was Latin. Thus, the ruling classes spoke a different language from that of the original inhabitants. Eventually people began to use a combination of the two languages where the Latin root words had a formal or official sound and the traditional Anglo-Saxon language, with its many phrasal verbs, was spoken by everybody in informal situations.
Even today when you read English legal documents you find a lot of non-Anglo-Saxon words like "affidavit" (schriftliche eidesstattliche Erklärung) or "bailiff" (Gerichtsvollzieher) or "de facto spouse" (Lebensgefährte), in everyday English this would be "common-law wife" or "partner".
When I was teaching in Spain my students had real trouble figuring out or understanding the meaning of phrasal verbs as they are not part of Latin languages.
On the other hand, in modern German (another Anglo-Saxon root language), trennbareVerben are also very common. Think about nachschauen (to look something up in a book), zuruckückblicken/zurückdenken (to look back on / over something), ausschimpfen (to tell somebody off), aufgeben/resignieren (to give up), aufmuntern/aufheitern (to cheer somebody up), the list goes on and on.
I am not suggesting that they are necessarily easy to learn for German speakers. They can be tricky too.
As a learner of English you should be aware of two main problems with phrasal verbs:
1. Some phrasal verbs have literal meanings and others don't. For example,
Go away! = verschwinde!
Go away on holiday = wegfahren
Here the preposition tells us directly what we mean.
But consider the phrasal verb "pick up" in these three examples:
1. I dropped my books and she helped me to pick them up.
2. Tomorrow I have to pick up my brother from the airport.
3. When I was in Moscow I picked up a little Russian.
Here "pick up" has multiple meanings. In the first sentence it means "aufheben", for example from the floor. This is another example of a phrasel verb with a literal meaning.
In the second meaning it means "abholen", and in the third sentence it has a different meaning, "aufschnappen" or "mitkriegen" in the sense of learning a language informally (not in a school). In the third sentence a person could understand "pick up" as abschleppen / aufreißsen (for sexual purposes), which could cause a funny misunderstanding.
People always figure out the meaning from the context or situation.
2. The other main problem with phrasal verbs is that there aren't any exact grammar rules concerning the position of the particle (the preposition or adverb that comes with the verb). Some verbs can be separated from the particle by the object of the sentence, others not.
For example, we can say;
I am LOOKING AFTER my friend's dog while she is on holiday.
but not: I am LOOKING my friend's dog AFTER while she is on holiday.
The verb "look after" cannot be split with an object (the something or somebody). You cannot say, "please look my dog over", only "please look after my dog".
Good dictionaries, like the "Oxford Advanced Learner's Dictionary", always show you whether the verb and preposition can be separated or not.
For example, you might see " pick (smby) up (smby)". In this case you can separate the verb and preposition with the object, like this:
"I went to the airport to pick Mr. Harris up" or "I went to the airport to pick up Mr. Harries".
As there are so many phrasal verbs in English I would recommend you start slowly by making your own list of the ones you use the most.
Here is a little list of useful ones to start with:
carry on = weitermachen
come up against a problem = (Problem) auftreten
do away with = abschaffen
fall apart = auseinander fallen
fall out = sich streiten
get along = sich mit jemandem verstehen
go on = weitermachen
Vocabulary in this article:
educated monks and clerks: gebildet Mönche und Berater
eventually: schließlich
fluency: Flüssigkeit/Gewandtheit/Eleganz
give colour to stories: (mehr) Farbe verleihen
in contrast: im Gegensatz/dagegen
inhabitants: Einwohner(in)
Latin root: lateinisch Stamm / Wurzelwort
literal: wörtlich / eigentliche Bedeutung
movement: Bewegung
native speakers: Muttersprachler(in)
on the other hand: anderseits
stag: Hirsch
the list goes on and on (kein Ende nehmen.
tricky: knifflig/verzwickt
Author: Gareth Orsola Landers
Montag, 29. Dezember 2008
English: The Great little MINI
Since its birth as the Mini in 1959, "He", "She" or "It", whatever reference you use, has evolved from a practical and economical family car to a classy road champion in its latest MINI John Cooper Works Cooper S model. A personal favourite of mine, with so many great memories, I'd like to look back on the history of this great car. First launched in 1959 by BMC (British Motor Corporation), the Mini was a revolutionary design.Until then cars tended to be long, heavy, gas guzzlers.
Petrol shortages in the 1950s created a boom for "bubble cars" such as the Issetta. Sir Alec Issigonis was asked by the BMC management to design a small, economical car able to carry four passengers. In the incredible short time of two years his team designed and launched the first Mini.
The main features that made the Mini revolutionary included the transversely mounted engine for front-wheel drive, the gearbox by the sump (practically underneath the car), the wheels right at the corners, and a new suspension system using rubber cones instead of springs to save even more space. The result was a vehicle about half a metre shorter than other family cars, yet still roomy enough to fit a family of four and their luggage at fuel saving economy.
However, through the 1960s the Mini quickly began to be identified as a chic car as many celebrities were seen driving Minis around town. Ringo Starr of The Beatles customized his Mini to fit his drum kit so that he could take it between homes. Other celebrity drivers included Steve McQueen, Britt Ekland, and Enzo Ferrari. In 1969 the Mini even became a "film star" in the cult movie "The Italian Job". The crowning moment of the Mini as an engineering achievement came when it won the Monte Carlo Rallies of 1964, 1965 and 1967. A nippy little star able to swerve round corners without losing speed - just cooool!Over the years the Mini experienced changes of design and owners. In 2000 production was stopped, until 2001 when the MINI and the MINI Cooper were launched.
My brother was actually the first Mini owner in the family; it was in that car that I first experienced the mini's own lively and zippy feeling. I remember going for a spin with him, we took a roundabout without losing any momentum at all. It was a great feeling, we drove straight in, round and out - suddenly cars around us appeared a lot bigger - but as quickly as he signalled to turn left we were already out and away!
The latest MINI JCW Cooper S has adopted many racing features, and I've heard the turbocharged 1.6-litre engine has 211bhp and can manage a 0-62mph sprint in just 6.5 seconds, just pure magic. And so, the legend continues turning heads and wowing us all. Long may you live!
Vocabulary
A boom: Boom/Aufschwung
Adopt: hier annehmen
Appear: erscheinen
Bhp = brake horsepower: Bremsleistung/Nutzleistung
Celebrity: Berühmtheit
Chic: schick/elegant
Classy: erstklassig
Crowning moment: die Krönung/Höhepunkt
Drum kit: Schlagzeug
Economical: wirtschaftlich/sparsam
Evolve: entwickeln
Fuel: Brennstoffgas
Guzzlers: Spritfresser
Gearbox: Getriebe
Lively: lebhaft/aufgewecktes
Mph = miles per hour: Meilen pro Stunden
Ippy: Schnell
Right: genau
Roomy: geräumig
Roundabout: Kreisverkehr
Shortage: Knappheit/Mangel
Sump: Ölwanne
Suspension system: Radaufhängung/Federung
Swerve: ausweichen/ausscheren
Transversely mounted engine: Quereinbau des Frontmotors
Wow someone: begeistern/bezaubern
Petrol shortages in the 1950s created a boom for "bubble cars" such as the Issetta. Sir Alec Issigonis was asked by the BMC management to design a small, economical car able to carry four passengers. In the incredible short time of two years his team designed and launched the first Mini.
The main features that made the Mini revolutionary included the transversely mounted engine for front-wheel drive, the gearbox by the sump (practically underneath the car), the wheels right at the corners, and a new suspension system using rubber cones instead of springs to save even more space. The result was a vehicle about half a metre shorter than other family cars, yet still roomy enough to fit a family of four and their luggage at fuel saving economy.
However, through the 1960s the Mini quickly began to be identified as a chic car as many celebrities were seen driving Minis around town. Ringo Starr of The Beatles customized his Mini to fit his drum kit so that he could take it between homes. Other celebrity drivers included Steve McQueen, Britt Ekland, and Enzo Ferrari. In 1969 the Mini even became a "film star" in the cult movie "The Italian Job". The crowning moment of the Mini as an engineering achievement came when it won the Monte Carlo Rallies of 1964, 1965 and 1967. A nippy little star able to swerve round corners without losing speed - just cooool!Over the years the Mini experienced changes of design and owners. In 2000 production was stopped, until 2001 when the MINI and the MINI Cooper were launched.
My brother was actually the first Mini owner in the family; it was in that car that I first experienced the mini's own lively and zippy feeling. I remember going for a spin with him, we took a roundabout without losing any momentum at all. It was a great feeling, we drove straight in, round and out - suddenly cars around us appeared a lot bigger - but as quickly as he signalled to turn left we were already out and away!
The latest MINI JCW Cooper S has adopted many racing features, and I've heard the turbocharged 1.6-litre engine has 211bhp and can manage a 0-62mph sprint in just 6.5 seconds, just pure magic. And so, the legend continues turning heads and wowing us all. Long may you live!
Vocabulary
A boom: Boom/Aufschwung
Adopt: hier annehmen
Appear: erscheinen
Bhp = brake horsepower: Bremsleistung/Nutzleistung
Celebrity: Berühmtheit
Chic: schick/elegant
Classy: erstklassig
Crowning moment: die Krönung/Höhepunkt
Drum kit: Schlagzeug
Economical: wirtschaftlich/sparsam
Evolve: entwickeln
Fuel: Brennstoffgas
Guzzlers: Spritfresser
Gearbox: Getriebe
Lively: lebhaft/aufgewecktes
Mph = miles per hour: Meilen pro Stunden
Ippy: Schnell
Right: genau
Roomy: geräumig
Roundabout: Kreisverkehr
Shortage: Knappheit/Mangel
Sump: Ölwanne
Suspension system: Radaufhängung/Federung
Swerve: ausweichen/ausscheren
Transversely mounted engine: Quereinbau des Frontmotors
Wow someone: begeistern/bezaubern
English: Margaret Thatcher
Margaret Thatcher"Maggie money is too tight too mention!
"The nickname "The Iron Lady" was originally given to Mrs. Thatcher by a Soviet Union newspaper as a critique. Today most British people are in two minds about (hin- und hergerissen sein) ex-Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. She is both admired (bewundern) and despised (verachten) for her uncompromising politics and leadership. To get an idea of Mrs. Thatcher's views, see a selection of her quotes (Zitaten) at the end of this article.
In the 1980s British society changed drastically. At the forefront (vorderste Front) of these changes was Margaret Thatcher. In the 1970s Britain had been called "the poor man" of Europe, because of its high inflation and a weak pound. I remember the huge patriotism that Thatcher evoked (hervorrufen), as well as massive (riesig) unemployment, the violent struggle of the miners and people getting rich overnight (ganz plötzlich). One of the new words of the 1980s was "yuppies" (young professionals earning loads of money and living extravagantly - the expression comes from the first letters of the words "young, urban, professional").
Mrs. Thatcher the woman
Born in 1925, Margaret Hilda Roberts, was the daughter of a dressmaker (Damen-schneiderin)and a shopkeeper (Ladeninhaber) in Lincolnshire (south-west England). An industrious (fleißig/eifrig) woman, she got a university grant (Stipendium) and went to Oxford University where she took two degrees, in chemistry and law. In 1951 she married businessman Denis Thatcher (1915-2003) and had two children, Carol and Mark.
Mrs. Thatcher the politician
Thatcher was a hardliner who pursued (eine Politik/Strategie betreiben) monetarist economics, which proved to be crucial in modernizing Britain and lifting the country out of the economic and political crisis of the 1970s. However, these same policies were a severe blow (schwerer Schlag) to the millions of families which had to endure (ertragen/erleiden) massive (riesig) unemployment (Arbeitslosigkeit) and the bankruptcy (Konkurs) of small businesses.Her political career began in 1959 when, at the age of 34, she went to Parliament as the conservative MP (=Member of Parliament) for the district of Finchley in north London. During the Tory (= British Conservative) government of Prime Minister Edward Heath (1970-1974) she was the cabinet minister (Kabinettsministerin) responsible for education and science. In 1974, after the Labour Party won the elections, Mrs. Thatcher took over (übernehmen) as leader of the Conservative Party.
The succeeding (nachfolgend) Labour governments of Harold Wilson (1974-1976) and James Callaghan (1976-1979) led to the political crisis known as the "Winter of Discontent" (Unzufriedenheit) - a period during the winter on 1978-1979 when endless strikes by powerful trade unions (Gewerkschaft) resulted in food and power shortages (knappheit) as well as disrupted (zum reliegen bringen) transport and public services; during this time many hospitals only dealt with (sich mit jdm/etwas befassen) emergency cases and there was no refuse (Abfall) collection!
The government's inability to deal with the strikes helped the conservatives gain popularity and eventually (schließlich) led to Mrs. Thatcher's victory at the general election (Parlamentswahlen) of 1979. "Who governs Britain?" (regieren), she asked once as trade unions leaders opposed her, by the end of 1980, everyone knew the answer: Thatcher governs. During her premiership (Amt des Premierministers) she fought against the trade unions, and practically ended their power. She also privatized (privatisieren) state (staatlicher) industries and pushed (propagieren/pushen) free-market (freie Marktwirtschaft) policies. Under the slogan of "Popular Capitalism" she made it possible for average British people to buy shares in the newly privatized ex-state industries such as steel, electricity, gas, water and even (sogar) the national airline British Airways. The newly privatized industries made many people redundant (jemand entlassen) and unemployment escalated very quickly. The closing of unprofitable coal mines (Kohlenbergwerk) led to violent opposition and strikes by the miners. Mrs. Thatcher was a tough advocate (engangierte Befürworterin) of strong law and order and police authorities controlled the strikers with handedly (schroff/plump).
Thatcher believed that individual citizens, not the government, should be responsible for their communities. In 1987 she said, "There is no such thing as society. There are individual men and women, and there are families."She drastically reduced the amount of money the government spent on local public services (Staatsdienst), such as local transport, sport and social centres and care institutions (Pflege) such as homes for the elderly (Senioren) and the homeless (Obdachlosen).In 1982 she acted without hesitation and sent immediately a naval task force to retake by force the Falkland Islands from Argentina. The result was a wave of patriotic enthusiasm and support for her government.In 1984 she survived an assassination attempt (Attentat/Mordanschlag) by the IRA (Irish Revolutionary Army) because of her government's Nothern Ireland policies.She was a strong ally of US President Ronald Regan, and supported him in his anti-Soviet Union politics. Together with Reagan she pushed Mikhail Gorbachev to pursue (verwirklichen) his perestroika policy.By 1990 people in Britain had grown weary (erschöpft/überdrüssig werden) of "Thatcherism" and she was forced to resign by the Conservative Party over differences on (Meinungsverschiedenheiten) European Community policy.
The party then elected John Major to become party leader and take over as Prime Minister. Her work was done!Mrs. Thatcher was the longest serving prime minister of the 20th century.In 1992 she was awarded the title of Baroness (Baronin) Thatcher of Kesteven which entitles (berechtigen) her to take a seat in (ein Sitz) the House of Lords (das britische (Parliament) Oberhaus), and today she is still active in politics for her party.By the time (als) Tony Blair became Prime Minister, Britain was a different and richer country.These are some famous quotes from Mrs. Thatcher:"I am in politics because of the struggle between good and evil. I believe that in the end good will triumph.""To wear your heart on your sleeve (idiom: das Herz auf der Zunge tragen) isn't a very good plan; you should wear it inside, where it functions best.""Standing in the middle of the road (mitten auf der Straße/Mittelweg)is very dangerous; you get knocked down (überfahren) by the traffic (Verkehr) from both sides.""You may have to fight a battle more than once to win.""If you just set out to (sich vornehmen) be liked, you would be prepared (bereit) to compromise (nachgeben/Kompromiss schließen) on anything at any time, and you would achieve nothing.""I'm extraordinarily (außerordentlich) patient (geduldig) provided (sofern) I get my own way (meinen Wille durchsetze) in the end."
Author: Gareth Landers
"The nickname "The Iron Lady" was originally given to Mrs. Thatcher by a Soviet Union newspaper as a critique. Today most British people are in two minds about (hin- und hergerissen sein) ex-Prime Minister Margaret Thatcher. She is both admired (bewundern) and despised (verachten) for her uncompromising politics and leadership. To get an idea of Mrs. Thatcher's views, see a selection of her quotes (Zitaten) at the end of this article.
In the 1980s British society changed drastically. At the forefront (vorderste Front) of these changes was Margaret Thatcher. In the 1970s Britain had been called "the poor man" of Europe, because of its high inflation and a weak pound. I remember the huge patriotism that Thatcher evoked (hervorrufen), as well as massive (riesig) unemployment, the violent struggle of the miners and people getting rich overnight (ganz plötzlich). One of the new words of the 1980s was "yuppies" (young professionals earning loads of money and living extravagantly - the expression comes from the first letters of the words "young, urban, professional").
Mrs. Thatcher the woman
Born in 1925, Margaret Hilda Roberts, was the daughter of a dressmaker (Damen-schneiderin)and a shopkeeper (Ladeninhaber) in Lincolnshire (south-west England). An industrious (fleißig/eifrig) woman, she got a university grant (Stipendium) and went to Oxford University where she took two degrees, in chemistry and law. In 1951 she married businessman Denis Thatcher (1915-2003) and had two children, Carol and Mark.
Mrs. Thatcher the politician
Thatcher was a hardliner who pursued (eine Politik/Strategie betreiben) monetarist economics, which proved to be crucial in modernizing Britain and lifting the country out of the economic and political crisis of the 1970s. However, these same policies were a severe blow (schwerer Schlag) to the millions of families which had to endure (ertragen/erleiden) massive (riesig) unemployment (Arbeitslosigkeit) and the bankruptcy (Konkurs) of small businesses.Her political career began in 1959 when, at the age of 34, she went to Parliament as the conservative MP (=Member of Parliament) for the district of Finchley in north London. During the Tory (= British Conservative) government of Prime Minister Edward Heath (1970-1974) she was the cabinet minister (Kabinettsministerin) responsible for education and science. In 1974, after the Labour Party won the elections, Mrs. Thatcher took over (übernehmen) as leader of the Conservative Party.
The succeeding (nachfolgend) Labour governments of Harold Wilson (1974-1976) and James Callaghan (1976-1979) led to the political crisis known as the "Winter of Discontent" (Unzufriedenheit) - a period during the winter on 1978-1979 when endless strikes by powerful trade unions (Gewerkschaft) resulted in food and power shortages (knappheit) as well as disrupted (zum reliegen bringen) transport and public services; during this time many hospitals only dealt with (sich mit jdm/etwas befassen) emergency cases and there was no refuse (Abfall) collection!
The government's inability to deal with the strikes helped the conservatives gain popularity and eventually (schließlich) led to Mrs. Thatcher's victory at the general election (Parlamentswahlen) of 1979. "Who governs Britain?" (regieren), she asked once as trade unions leaders opposed her, by the end of 1980, everyone knew the answer: Thatcher governs. During her premiership (Amt des Premierministers) she fought against the trade unions, and practically ended their power. She also privatized (privatisieren) state (staatlicher) industries and pushed (propagieren/pushen) free-market (freie Marktwirtschaft) policies. Under the slogan of "Popular Capitalism" she made it possible for average British people to buy shares in the newly privatized ex-state industries such as steel, electricity, gas, water and even (sogar) the national airline British Airways. The newly privatized industries made many people redundant (jemand entlassen) and unemployment escalated very quickly. The closing of unprofitable coal mines (Kohlenbergwerk) led to violent opposition and strikes by the miners. Mrs. Thatcher was a tough advocate (engangierte Befürworterin) of strong law and order and police authorities controlled the strikers with handedly (schroff/plump).
Thatcher believed that individual citizens, not the government, should be responsible for their communities. In 1987 she said, "There is no such thing as society. There are individual men and women, and there are families."She drastically reduced the amount of money the government spent on local public services (Staatsdienst), such as local transport, sport and social centres and care institutions (Pflege) such as homes for the elderly (Senioren) and the homeless (Obdachlosen).In 1982 she acted without hesitation and sent immediately a naval task force to retake by force the Falkland Islands from Argentina. The result was a wave of patriotic enthusiasm and support for her government.In 1984 she survived an assassination attempt (Attentat/Mordanschlag) by the IRA (Irish Revolutionary Army) because of her government's Nothern Ireland policies.She was a strong ally of US President Ronald Regan, and supported him in his anti-Soviet Union politics. Together with Reagan she pushed Mikhail Gorbachev to pursue (verwirklichen) his perestroika policy.By 1990 people in Britain had grown weary (erschöpft/überdrüssig werden) of "Thatcherism" and she was forced to resign by the Conservative Party over differences on (Meinungsverschiedenheiten) European Community policy.
The party then elected John Major to become party leader and take over as Prime Minister. Her work was done!Mrs. Thatcher was the longest serving prime minister of the 20th century.In 1992 she was awarded the title of Baroness (Baronin) Thatcher of Kesteven which entitles (berechtigen) her to take a seat in (ein Sitz) the House of Lords (das britische (Parliament) Oberhaus), and today she is still active in politics for her party.By the time (als) Tony Blair became Prime Minister, Britain was a different and richer country.These are some famous quotes from Mrs. Thatcher:"I am in politics because of the struggle between good and evil. I believe that in the end good will triumph.""To wear your heart on your sleeve (idiom: das Herz auf der Zunge tragen) isn't a very good plan; you should wear it inside, where it functions best.""Standing in the middle of the road (mitten auf der Straße/Mittelweg)is very dangerous; you get knocked down (überfahren) by the traffic (Verkehr) from both sides.""You may have to fight a battle more than once to win.""If you just set out to (sich vornehmen) be liked, you would be prepared (bereit) to compromise (nachgeben/Kompromiss schließen) on anything at any time, and you would achieve nothing.""I'm extraordinarily (außerordentlich) patient (geduldig) provided (sofern) I get my own way (meinen Wille durchsetze) in the end."
Author: Gareth Landers
English: Merry Christmas!
I take this opportunity (die Gelegenheit nutzen) to wish you a very merry festive season and share this message of joy with you.Christmas is the most popular festival of the year, and it holds a special place in every one's heart.It is a festival of sharing laughter, joy (Freude), affection (Zuneigung/Warmherzigkeit), care (Achtsamkeit) and the warmth of your love. Christmas is the time of giving and sharing.
It is the time of loving and forgiving (die Zeit zu lieben und zu vergeben), and to feel the joy and happiness of being loved and to be loved.May this Christmas be the most joyous one you've ever had, and the joys of Christmas continue with you throughout the year.Merry Christmas! (Frohe Weihnachten!).
A Christmas traditionThere are many interesting facts and stories around the theme of Christmas, but here is a bit of trivia (wissenswerte Kleinigkeiten) which I hope you may find interesting:One of the most traditional illustrations (Darstellung) of Christmas is that of Santa Claus' sleigh (Schlitten) pulled by flying reindeer (Rentier) with magnificent antlers (prächtige Geweih).The story of the flying reindeer first appeared in a poem (Gedicht) back in 1823 called "A Visit from St. Nicholas" (Als der Nikolaus kam) by Clement Clarke Moore and later translated into German by Erich Kästner.
In the poem the reindeer are called Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Dunder, and Blixem.Dunder was later changed to Donder and in other stories to Donner (as in German, "thunder"), and Blixem was later changed to Bliksem, then Blitzen (German for "lightning"). Some people consider (halten/betrachten) Rudolph as part of the group, although he was not part of the original poem. Rudolph was added to the story by Robert L. May in the 1930s, "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer."But are the reindeers boys or girls?Well, both male (männlich) and female (weiblich) reindeer grow antlers, but typically male reindeer shed their antlers (das Geweih abwerfen) at the beginning of winter, usually late November to mid-December. Female reindeer retain (beibehalten) their antlers till after they give birth in the spring.Therefore, according to every historical rendition depicting Santa's reindeer, every single one of them, from Rudolph to Donner and Blitzen had to be a girl (musste ein Mädchen sein) :-)
Author: Gareth Landers
It is the time of loving and forgiving (die Zeit zu lieben und zu vergeben), and to feel the joy and happiness of being loved and to be loved.May this Christmas be the most joyous one you've ever had, and the joys of Christmas continue with you throughout the year.Merry Christmas! (Frohe Weihnachten!).
A Christmas traditionThere are many interesting facts and stories around the theme of Christmas, but here is a bit of trivia (wissenswerte Kleinigkeiten) which I hope you may find interesting:One of the most traditional illustrations (Darstellung) of Christmas is that of Santa Claus' sleigh (Schlitten) pulled by flying reindeer (Rentier) with magnificent antlers (prächtige Geweih).The story of the flying reindeer first appeared in a poem (Gedicht) back in 1823 called "A Visit from St. Nicholas" (Als der Nikolaus kam) by Clement Clarke Moore and later translated into German by Erich Kästner.
In the poem the reindeer are called Dasher, Dancer, Prancer, Vixen, Comet, Cupid, Dunder, and Blixem.Dunder was later changed to Donder and in other stories to Donner (as in German, "thunder"), and Blixem was later changed to Bliksem, then Blitzen (German for "lightning"). Some people consider (halten/betrachten) Rudolph as part of the group, although he was not part of the original poem. Rudolph was added to the story by Robert L. May in the 1930s, "Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer."But are the reindeers boys or girls?Well, both male (männlich) and female (weiblich) reindeer grow antlers, but typically male reindeer shed their antlers (das Geweih abwerfen) at the beginning of winter, usually late November to mid-December. Female reindeer retain (beibehalten) their antlers till after they give birth in the spring.Therefore, according to every historical rendition depicting Santa's reindeer, every single one of them, from Rudolph to Donner and Blitzen had to be a girl (musste ein Mädchen sein) :-)
Author: Gareth Landers
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