It's a Famous Quote So it Must be Right!

[Ecthy]

Niemand hat die Absicht eine Mauer zu bauen

(nobody means to build a wall, Ulbricht in July of '61)

[DaShi]

Originally posted by Q Cubed
"If America is a humble nation, we will gain the respect of the world."

See, that one is probably true. Sadly, we'll never know for certain.

[Q Classic]

hey, bush said it, not me...

[Boris Godunov]

Originally posted by Japher
However, he could of really avoided such confussion (which regarless, does exist) had he merely said Ich, auch... thus, verbally including him amonst the others... Anyway, it is still a falsehood that Kennedy is a Beliner, which is what this thread is about..

You're not looking at the context again. He wasn't saying that he, JFK, was a literally a Berliner, which is why he was told by the translator to say "ein Berliner."

It should also be noted that even in saying literally "I come from [place]," it is grammatically correct to use the article in certain regions of Germany, which include Bavaria and the Northeast, where Berlin is located.

[Brundlefly]

Re: It's a Famous Quote So it Must be Right!

Originally posted by Boddington's

"Give me freedom ir give me death". I'd rather live slightly less free than be buried six feet under.

Yes, well the problem is that the oppressed don't get to choose the degree of freedom that they are allowed by the oppressor - as was the case with a certain 18th century English colony....

[Ecthy]

As I have said Boris, he wasn't saying it literally in one sense or another, he said it as a proud thing to say. So he did mean it literally, in that way. But not for him, but for the ones listening.

[Boris Godunov]

Originally posted by Ecthelion
As I have said Boris, he wasn't saying it literally in one sense or another, he said it as a proud thing to say. So he did mean it literally, in that way. But not for him, but for the ones listening.

I think this is what I've been trying saying

The translator gave the phrase to him quite deliberately with the "ein" because Kennedy wanted it to be unambiguous that the phrase was not literal, but metaphoric.

[Agathon]

"A stich in time saves nine"

What the **** does that mean? Nine what?

Boris, I'm starting to think you have a thing for JFK.

[Japher]

Nine more stitches!

If you maintain something, you wont have to fix it.

[oedo]

Ich bin ein Berliner.

everywhere in Germany they call the jelly doughnut Berliner. with one exception: in Berlin we don´t say Berliner, but Pfannkuchen. that´s why Berlin was the only German city, where Kennedy could have made this famous quote without causing a big laughter among the crowd.

"It's better to let 10000 guilty men go free than kill an innocent"

and let it be a million and I still agree.

[Ecthy]

where in Berlin are you?

just returned from there today.

[oedo]

Crosshill

[Ecthy]

I was completely baffled for a moment. Then I understood. Then the smiley appeared.

So you're not in Berlin right?

[Ecthy]

my parents are in Spandau. you know where BeBro lives? (quickly before he turns up )

[oedo]

my parents are in Spandau.

Spandau? I thought you were in Berlin.

I have no idea where BeBro lives. I´m even surprised he´s a Berliner.