Online publishin'

A couple weeks ago, the teacher whom I help out at the official language school teaching English told me about an opportunity to write an article for their magazine.

The print copy won't come out until after my arrival in the states, but they promised to ship me some hard copies.

Right now they have the articles online before publishing them.

Here is mine:

http://eoialicante.edu.gva.es/revista_eoi/?page_id=354

"ooooh f**k."

Normally, on Tues. and Thur., I eat lunch with Carlos. I call him and hang up (it's free if he doesn't pick up) to notify him when I get on the bus to go home. Then I come home and the food is ready and we eat.

On Mondays/Wednesdays, I make a meal or take a tupperware of pasta/food to the internship and microwave it there.

So today, Wednesday, Carlos asked me the following (translation follows).

"Qué pasó hoy? Dónde estuviste? He esperado tu llamada por dos o tres horas, y hice la comida. Rocío estuvo aquí y comió, pero le dije “voy a esperar a Melissa.” Y esperé, y esperé, y después me dije “voy a comer ahora también, porque ahora tengo hambre!” Pero pensé en que era tú, y normalmente me mandas un mensaje si no puedes comer o algo, pero…ohhh Fuck. Es miércoles."

What happened today? Where were you? I awaited your call for two or three hours, and I made lunch. Rocio was here and ate, but I told her that I'd wait for you to eat. I waited and waited, then I was like "Now I'm gonna eat because I am hungry!" But I thought with you being you that you would send me a message or something if you couldn't get home and eat, but...oh fuck. It's wednesday."

And yes, he actually swore in English.

How does one translate "superfly"?

One of the technicians I work with at the radio station is younger, in his late 20s, and recently asked me to help him understand the lyrics of one of his favorite songs. Thing is, the song was "Pusherman" by Curtis Mayfield. Super 70s, super slang, and super hard to translate.


i'm your mamma, i'm your daddy
i'm that nigga in the alley
i'm your doctor, when in need
want some coke, have some weed
you know me, i'm your friend
your main boy, thick and thin
i'm your pusherman
i'm your pusherman

First I had to explain that the n-word should never EVER be repeated. He didn't understand why, and I just had to say it was very degrading to black people to be called such a thing. He was like "I thought it was the same as 'black'" and I was like " NO NO NO NO NO! Please oh please never call someone this. Please. It's very bad."
I also had to look up what exactly IS a pusherman. It is a person who pushes drugs, or something like that.
Then I had to explain thick and thin, and how it means that it means good and bad, and that this (unlike many slang words you will see in this song) is still acceptable to use in everyday conversation.




haha

ain't i clean, bad machine
super cool, super mean
feelin' good, for the man
Superfly, here i stand
secret stash, heavy bread
baddest bitches, in the bed

I completely ignored his request for translating superfly...I just said it meant cool or something. I also said "you will sound silly using this in every day language".
"What is 'stash'?" I explained it meant something you meant to hide...usually drugs or money. He was like "is it the same as 'stuff?'" No, no it is not.
He understood the last line...so we moved on.



i'm your pusherman
i'm your pusherman
i'm your pusherman

solid life, of crime
a man of odd circumstance
a victim of ghetto demands
feed me money for [style]
and i'll let you trip for a while
insecure from the past
how long can a good thing last?
woo-hoo, no
got to be mellow, y'all
gotta get mellow now
pusherman gettin' mellow y'all

"'Feed me money?' what does that mean?" It means get money...and a lot of it.
Trip was also an interesting translation. "No, not viaje, not travel" i said, but more like something with drugs. He thought it meant stoned, but I clarified that trip referred to more LSD type drugs.
I also threw in the phrase "you be trippin'" as a way to say someone is being crazy.



heavy mind, have you signed?
makin' money all the time
my [LD] entrusts me
for all junkies to see
ghetto prince is my thing
makin' love's how i swing
i'm your pusherman
i'm your pusherman
huh

too bad, [Splee]
for a generous fee
make your world what you want it to be
got a woman i love desperately
wanna give her something better than me
been told i can't be nothin' else
just a hustler in spite of myself
i know i can rake it
this life just don't make it
lord, lord
got to get mellow now
gotta be mellow, y'all
got to get mellow now

"Andres," I said, "Rake in this case refers to receiving lots of cash."

i'm your mamma, i'm your daddy
i'm that nigga in the alley
i'm your doctor, when in need
want some coke, have some weed
you know me, i'm your friend
your man boy, thick and thin
i'm your pusherman
i'm your pusherman