Jump to content

These are a few of my favorite things

JÂy RÛßeÒ

By JÂy RÛßeÒ
in The Stadium Wall Archives

 Share

Recommended Posts

VABills All Pro

VABills

Posted
Posted
My goodness.

 

No wonder my brother loved Germany so much. Damn you Uncle Sam for stationing me in Georgia!!

 

:(

448970[/snapback]

Careful, BiB might have some issues with your statement and Georgia women.

Gavin in Va Beach Veteran

Gavin in Va Beach

Posted
Posted
You know what the strict literal translation of that is, of course... <_<

449811[/snapback]

 

 

A common urban legend falsely asserts that Kennedy made an embarrassing grammatical error by saying "Ich bin ein Berliner," referring to himself not as a citizen of Berlin, but as a common pastry.

 

Berliner is the name given to doughnuts filled with plum sauce or jam in most of Germany, though not in Berlin or the surrounding region, where they are known as Pfannkuchen. According to the legend, Kennedy should have said "Ich bin Berliner" to mean "I am a Berliner (person from Berlin)". By adding the indefinite article ein, it is claimed, his statement implied he was a non-human Berliner, thus "I am a jelly doughnut." In the legend, the statement was followed by uproarious laughter.

 

In German, statements of origin or profession are indeed usually made without an article, thus "Ich bin Arzt" or "Ich bin Brandenburger" (I am a doctor; I am from Brandenburg). However, "Ich bin ein Arzt" or "Ich bin ein Brandenburger" is not a mistake, but a form of emphasis: it implies "just one of many." German linguist Jürgen Eichhoff insists that Kennedy's phrasing was "not only correct, but the one and only correct way of expressing in German what the President intended to say." [1] When speaking, Kennedy did indeed stress the ein.

 

During the speech, Kennedy used the phrase twice. After he said it the first time, he was applauded, and added jokingly, "I appreciate my interpreter translating my German!" This statement was followed by laughter and applause. He also used the phrase to end his speech.

 

The urban legend apparently arose in Florida in the 1980s, culminating in an article repeating it in The New York Times in 1988. Although it has no basis in fact, the legend has since been repeated by other reputable media outlets, such as the BBC, and in books about Germany written by English-speaking authors.

 

However, the legend is unknown in Germany, where Kennedy's speech is considered a landmark in German postwar history. Common souvenirs in Berlin depicting a doughnut covered with the inscription "Ich bin ein Berliner," which are often thought by American tourists to refer to this legend, represent little more than a play on words.

 

Furthermore, the speech had been prepared by journalist Robert Lochner, who was educated in Germany, and had been practiced several times in front of numerous Germans, including Berlin Mayor Willy Brandt. The many video and audio recordings of the event show only enthusiastic applause following the statement.

 

Kennedy did, however, pronounce the sentence with a strong Boston accent, reading from his note "ish bin ein Bearleener," which he had written out phonetically.

 

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ich_bin_ein_Berliner

JÂy RÛßeÒ All Pro

JÂy RÛßeÒ

Posted
  • Author
Posted
Thank you Jay, Thanks..

449728[/snapback]

My pleasure. JSP is doing a good job with teh BotD, but this was just too awesome to go unlinked.

 Share
Go to topic listing
×
×
  • Create New...