Wednesday, September 22, 2004

NEEDED: TRANSLATION OF GROVER NORQUIST

Ok, in the Spanish-language newspaper, El Mundo, the ubiquitous Grover Norquist --- President of Americans for Tax Reform, board member of the NRA, and board member of the American Conservative Union --- in other words, one of the dark-shadowy figures with ungodly amounts of influence over the Republicans was asked:

¿El fin de los demócratas? -- Is this the end of the Democrats?

His reply:

Sí, porque además su base demográfica se está hundiendo.Cada año mueren dos millones de personas que combatieron en la Segunda Guerra Mundial y que vivieron la Gran Depresión. Esa generación ha sido una excepción en la Historia de EEUU, porque ha defendido políticas antiamericanas. Ellos votaron por la creación del Estado de Bienestar y por el servicio militar obligatorio.Ellos son la base electoral demócrata. Y se están muriendo. Y, al mismo tiempo, cada vez más estadounidenses tienen acciones.Eso hace que defiendan los intereses de las empresas, porque son sus propios intereses. Por eso, es imposible llevar a cabo políticas de odio social, de lucha de clases.

I've read one version that translates his reply to:

"Yes, because in addition their demographic base is shrinking. Each year, 2 million people who fought in the Second World War and lived through the Great Depression die. This generation has been an exeception in American history, because it has defended anti-American policies. They voted for the creation of the welfare state and obligatory military service. They are the base of the Democratic Party. And they are dying. And, at the same time, all the time more Americans have stocks. That makes them defend the interests of business, because it is their own interest. Because of that, it's impossible to bring to the fore policies of social hate, of class warfare."

That's right --- the Greatest Generation, which fought for American freedom at Normandy, Guadalcanal, and all the other battlefields of the Second World War, is guilty of anti-Americanism...

Could someone else please dicepher the above text and tell me that something was lost in the translation? I can't believe anyone would make this charge...

3 Comments:

At September 22, 2004 at 11:01 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hey Matt,

I just graduated from UNC with an unofficial minor in Spanish, and I regularly translate classroom stuff for the spanish speaking kids in my wife's classroom. Plus, I read El Centro's free newsletter to keep up my skills. So, no, nothing was missed in the translation. Grover Norquist truly is a traitorous chickenhawk douchebag of Bushwellian proportions. I reckon my grandfather that spent his adult life walking around with Nazi lead in his body would be spinning like a dreidel in his grave if he weren't cremated.

— Nick Eberlein

Oh yeah, nice site guys. Keep up the good work.

 
At September 23, 2004 at 8:26 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Here Matt, Slate hired a translator to convert this uncouth little prick's asinine speech. It matches up with what you've got — Slate, to me, has been one of the more fair news sources in dealing with the elections races. Norquist really is that ungrateful and hard-hearted.

-NE

 
At September 24, 2004 at 1:02 PM, Blogger M. Compton said...

Yeah, I read the slate thing too. Of course, our man Grover is denying it. But El Mundo isn't some sleezy rag. It's a real paper. I doubt that quotation is too far from the truth.

 

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