Doonesbury

[sylvar]

Today's Doonesbury is mostly in French. Since I'm a linguist engaged to a French major, I'll give it my best shot. The official site also provides their translation. Hmm... looks like I didn't do badly at all. I did use Babelfish for "Avec vous autres, la loyauté ne va dans qu'un sens", but the rest was off the top of my head. Not bad for a guy who's never taken French.



Zonker: What's that smell?

Mark: [pointing at a basket of "freedom fries"] There!

Zonker: Holy moly!

Mark: Hey, France-bashers! While you were renaming fries and boycotting brie, ever stop to consider the feelings of patriotic Franco-Americans? [next panel] What's that? You can't even think of one? Check out the signature on this strip, pal!

Zonker: Or are you so provincial you can't even recognize a French name?
[Ben's note: Doonesbury is by Garry Trudeau.]

Mark: Lemme ask you something: Why do you think we freed France in 1945?

Zonker: Heads up! We freed France because it ought to be free -- free of foreign domination! Got it?

Mark: Y'all's sense of loyalty is one-sided. After 9/11, French headlines said "Today we are all American!" If the terrorists had destroyed the Eiffel Tower, would you have said, "Today we are all French"? [next panel] Hell no! And do you know why?

Zonker: Why, Mark?

Mark: Because you're jingoistic, self-regarding CONQUER-MONKEYS!

Zonker: Oops! Pardon our French!

Comments

bwahhaaha!

[gardenwaltz.livejournal.com]

ok, i had to run and read the strip to practice my french before i read your entry. i'd say you have it spot on. i burst out laughing when all the sudden he switched over to english with a cry of 'jingoistic self-regarding CONQUER-MONKEYS!' sigh, it hurts because it's true. bush has thrown away the largest amount of good will the u.s. will ever see.