Favorite quotes by Persephone

Inara: "What did I say to you about barging into my shuttle?"

Mal: "That it was manly and implusive?"

Inara: "Yes. Precisely. Only the exact phrase I used was don't."

-- The Train Job

Jayne: "See Vera? Dress yourself up, you get taken out somewhere fun."

-- Our Mrs. Reynolds

Jayne: "Not a decieving as a low-down, dirty... deciever."

Mal: "Well said."

-- Out of Gas

Simon: "What are we doing?"

Kaylee: "Oh! Crime."

Simon: "Crime? ... Good."

-- Train Job

Actually, my favorite like isn't really a line per say... but kicking someone into a jet engine is just too cool not to get honorable mention.

________________

At first it's just a place, and then you start to make memories and then it's like... that's where Spike slept, and there... that's where Anya and I drowned the Separvo demon and right here, here's where my heart got all ripped out... I really hate this place

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Tuesday, November 5, 2002 2:55 PM

Oh! I forgot "Have good sex!" Can't leave that out.

________________

At first it's just a place, and then you start to make memories and then it's like... that's where Spike slept, and there... that's where Anya and I drowned the Separvo demon and right here, here's where my heart got all ripped out... I really hate this place

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Tuesday, November 5, 2002 10:05 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by LivingImpaired:
Actually, my favorite like isn't really a line per say... but kicking someone into a jet engine is just too cool not to get honorable mention.

lol, I love that scene! He goes, "darn," and then just turns around and kicks him into the engine. High-larious.

Here's some more
---

Wash: "Did he just go crazy and fall asleep?"

---

Wash: "We gotta go to the crappy town where I'm a hero!"

---

Mal: "Well, they tell you, never hit a man with a closed fist. But it is, on occasion, hilarious."

---

Mal: "Mercy is the mark of a great man." (stabs the dude) "Guess I'm just a good man." (stabs him again) "Well, I'm alright."

---

Mal: "How drunk was I last night?"

Jayne: "I don't know. I passed out."

---

Jayne: "Do you know what the chain of command is around here? It's the chain I beat you with til you realize who's in ruttin' command!"

---

Crowd: "To Jayne!"

Jayne: "To meee!"

---

Warrick: You didn't have to wound that man.
Mal: Yeah, I know. It was just funny.

NOTIFY: N | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Wednesday, November 6, 2002 2:07 AM

QUILL

Besides the above quote? Hmmm.

"I was aiming for his head."

"Can I have your share?"
"No."
"If you die can I have your share?"
"Yes."

"Who's FLYING this thing? ...Oh. That would be me."

Among others.

Inside every cynic there's an idealist desperately yearning to be let out, and when they are let out they're usually a real pain and cause all sorts of trouble. --Chris Boucher

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Wednesday, November 6, 2002 11:25 AM

Yay! Keep 'em coming! I haven't found anyplace for good firefly quotes yet, and I never remember to write them down while watching. So, here I go paraphrasing one I thought was funny from last week:

"Here lies Zoe. My Autumn Flower. Somewhat less attractive now that she's all dead and decomposing."

______________
You found exciting new crime.

NOTIFY: N | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Wednesday, November 6, 2002 12:22 PM

HOOK

she's all dead and decomposing."

i thought the quote was "all dead and corpsified"

Trapped in a primates hormone cycle without any historical reference. Left only with the raw data of the now.

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Wednesday, November 6, 2002 1:26 PM

Hee, here's Wash's sweet little love poem to Zoe:

"Here lies my beloved Zoe, my autumn flower, somewhat less attractive now that she's all corpsified and gross..."

Some from Jaynestown...
---
Zoe: "Is that Jayne? Is that really him? Wash, pinch me, I must be dreaming!"

Jayne: "Ah hell, I'll pinch you!"

---
Jayne: "I don't know, you think we should be using my fame to hoodwink folks?"

Mal: "You better laugh when you say that."

---
Jayne: "No really, Mal, I mean, maybe there's something to this. The Mudders? I think I really made a difference in their lives. You know -- me, Jayne Cobb."

Mal: "I know your name, jackass."

Warrick: You didn't have to wound that man.
Mal: Yeah, I know. It was just funny.

NOTIFY: N | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Wednesday, November 6, 2002 1:33 PM

LJSQUARED

Mal: "Fei-oo? Uh, okay, she won't be winning any beauty contests anytime soon, but she is solid. Ship like this, be with you 'til the day you die."

Zoe: "Because it's a deathtrap, sir."

Mal: "That's not... you are very much lacking imagination."

Zoe: "I imagine that's so, sir."

(sometimes Zoe's so deadpan it takes a few seconds for it to click and that makes it all the more funny)

Firefly@Trekvideo.com
http://www.trekvideo.com/firefly

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Wednesday, November 6, 2002 11:57 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by LJSquared:
sometimes Zoe's so deadpan it takes a few seconds for it to click and that makes it all the more funny

I know what you mean. It took a few eps for Zoe to grow on me, either because she's written and acted with such subtlety, or because I'm just dense...I prefer the former. I love this scene in "Shindig"
---
Wash: "Captain, can I have money for a slinky dress?"

Jayne: "I'll chip in."

Zoe: "I can hurt you."
---
The way she says "I can hurt you" to Jayne is so underplayed but downright hilarious. I love Zoe.

Warrick: You didn't have to wound that man.
Mal: Yeah, I know. It was just funny.

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Thursday, November 7, 2002 10:12 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Persephone:
Hee, here's Wash's sweet little love poem to Zoe:

"Here lies my beloved Zoe, my autumn flower, somewhat less attractive now that she's all corpsified and gross..."

Yay! Thank you! I knew it was funnier than I was writing it, but I was going off of one viewing 5 days before. :)

______________
Apparently she felt I disrespected the Hacklar's culture by killing him.

NOTIFY: N | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Thursday, November 7, 2002 12:45 PM

MOUNTAINGAL

-Out of Gas-
Zoe: “Get her running again?”
Mal: “Yeah.”
Zoe: “So not running now?”
Mal: “Not so much.”
Zoe: “Ah.”

Jayne: “What do you two think you're doing? Fightin' at a time like this? You'll use up all the air!”

-Jaynestown-
Book: “River? Please, why don't you come on out?”
River: “No! Can't. Too much hair.”

Book: “Is that it?”
Zoe: “Hell, yes, preacher! If I didn't have stuff to get done I'd be in there with her!”

Zoe: “River, honey? He's putting the hair away now.”
River: “Doesn't matter, it'll still be there... waiting!”

-Our Mrs. Reynolds-
Jayne: “Ya see, I married me a powerful ugly creature.”
Mal: “How can you say that? How can you shame me in front of new people?”
Jayne: “If I could make you prettier, I would!”
Mal: “You are not the man I met a year ago.”

Jayne: “Six men came to kill me one time. The best of 'em carried this. It's a Callahan full-bore autolock, customized trigger, double cartridge, thourough-gage. This is my very favorite gun.”

Jayne: “A trade!?! Hell, it's theft! This is the best damn gun made by man! It has extreme sentimental value.”

Mal: “She has a name!”
Jayne: “So does this! I call it Vera.”

-Bushwhacked-
Alliance Comm: “You fought with Captain Reynolds in the war?”
Zoe: “I fought with a lot of people in the war.”
Alliance Comm: “And your husband?”
Zoe: “I fight with him sometimes, too.”

River: “Let's go again!”
Simon: “Later. Maybe.”

-The Train Job-
Jayne: “Nice work, dumb-ass.”

Mal: “Kaylee, what the hell's going on in the engine room? Were there monkeys? Some terrifying space monkeys maybe got loose?”

Zoe: “Sir, I think you have a problem with your brain being missing.”

Mal: “Hell, this job I would pull for free!”
Zoe: “Well, can I have your share?”
Mal: “No!”
Zoe: “If you die, can I have your share?”
Mal: “Yes.”

Simon: “What are we doing?”
Kaylee: “Oh, crime!”
Simon: “Crime! Good.”

~S.

You can't take the sky from me.

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Thursday, November 7, 2002 6:54 PM

RIANNA5

LOL! Those are all so good!
And I'm with ya' on Zoe. She's so underplayed that it takes a second to get what she's saying. But I love that about her. Gina Torres is awesome. I loved her in H:TLJ too.

Keep those quotes coming folks!

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Friday, November 8, 2002 9:47 AM

Haken:

Any chance of getting a summary and quotes section added to the episode pages? (a la www.cityofangel.com does for Angel)

That would make me smile.

______________
I've been accused of a great many things in my time. But paranoid has never been one of them. Unless people have been saying it behind my back.

NOTIFY: N | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Friday, November 8, 2002 11:50 AM

CHARLIEBLUE

I don't know if anyone else will see the funny in some of these. People have already taken my normal ones, so these are my "Well, I have a weird sense of humor" favorites.

Kaylee: So...when we made love last night....
Simon: When we WHAT?!
Kaylee: You are such an easy mark.
(That one was great because of it was both funny AND HoYay.)

River: You're afraid we're going to run out of air. That we'll die gasping. But we won't. That's not going to happen. We'll freeze to death first.

River: We'll have to call it early quantum state phenomenon. Only way to fit 5000 species of mammal on the same boat!
(I loved Summer Glau's delivery there--like that's River's idea of a hilarious joke.)

Mal: I knew you let her kiss you!
(Okay, so it was a cheesy punchline. It made me laugh.)

By the way, it's not especially funny, but was anyone else pissed that they cut Mal's little preach about how Saffron needs to stick up for herself in "Our Mrs. Reynolds?" I thought it was the best piece of serious dialogue the show's had, and they cut it out!
Oh well. You can't take the PDF from me!

NOTIFY: N | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Saturday, November 9, 2002 5:15 PM

Good ones from 'Safe':

My favorites...

Jayne, mocking Simon: "Dear Diary, today I was pompous and my sister was crazy...today we were kidnapped by hillfolk, never to be seen again. It was the best day ever!" Bwahahaha!

Jayne: "I like smackin' em." hehe.

Non-Jayneisms...

Simon: "I'm not sure that's such a wise suggestion."
Mal: "You might not want to mistake it for a suggestion."

Mal: "It appears we got here just in the nick of time. So what does that make us?"
Zoe: "Big damn heroes, sir."
Mal: "Ain't we just."

Book: "Folks like a man of God."
Mal: "No, they don't."

Warrick: You didn't have to wound that man.
Mal: Yeah, I know. It was just funny.

NOTIFY: N | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Saturday, November 9, 2002 6:12 PM

ILOVEJAYNE

How about Jayne, on the Alliance vessel: "This place gives me an uncomfortableness." Exactly!

NOTIFY: N | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Tuesday, November 12, 2002 2:47 AM

QUILL

-Shindig-
Wash: "I been sane a long time now, and...change is good."

Wash: "Likely crash and kill us all."
Mal: "If that happens, let me know."

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Friday, November 15, 2002 11:35 PM

-- From Ariel --

Jayne: It smells like crotch!

Mal: You coulda been meditatin on the wonders of your rock garden by now.
Jayne: it beats just sittin.
Wash: It *IS* just sittin.

Wash: Can I use "companion" as a verb?

Wash: It's all very sweet... Stealin from the rich and sellin to the poor...

Inara: What's going on here?
Kaylee: Oh WEll, let's see... We killed Simon & River, stole a bunch of medicine, and now the cap'n and Zoe are off springin the ones that got snatched by the feds.

Mal: How was your thing?
Inara: As advertised - a lot of needles and cold exam tables. I heard you had some excitement.
Mal: Ah, nothing much. Lots of running around, a little gun play, couple needles...

Mal: The next time you decide to stab me in the back have the guts to do it to my face.

NOTIFY: N | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Saturday, November 16, 2002 8:49 AM

REYVNDARKNIGHT

From "Our Mrs. Reynolds":

Book: If you take sexual advantage of her, you're
going to burn in a very special level of hell.
A level they reserve for child molesters and
people who talk at the theater.

JAYNE
There's times I think you don't take me
seriously. I think that ought to change.

MAL
Do you think it's likely to?

JAYNE
You got something you don't deserve.

MAL
And it's brought me a galaxy of fun,
I'm here to tell ya.

JAYNE
Six men came to kill me one time. The best
of 'em carried this. It's a Callahan full-bore autolock. Customized trigger, double-cartridge thorough gauge. It is my very favorite gun.

MAL
You offering me a trade?!

JAYNE
A trade?! Hell, it's theft. It's the best damn gun
made by man. It has extreme sentimental value. It's
miles more worthy than what you got.

MAL
What I got? She has a name.

JAYNE
So does this. I call it Vera.

Ahhhh, what the heck. Every one liner in "Mrs. Reynolds" is my fav

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Saturday, November 16, 2002 10:27 AM

GREASEMONKEY

My favorite is;
Nice shot Jane.
I wuz aiming fer his head!
LOL

NOTIFY: N | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Saturday, November 16, 2002 11:28 AM

ILOVEJAYNE

From Ariel:

Doctor: "When your supervisor hears about thi--Uuugh!"
Zoe: "Clear."

NOTIFY: N | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Saturday, November 16, 2002 12:17 PM

RAGNAROKGS

My favorite is from Zoe in "Out of gas". I just love the look on people's faces when I call my car a "piece of fay-yoo".

RagNaRoK *gs*

"Ich kodiere, folglich bin ich."

NOTIFY: N | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Monday, November 18, 2002 7:37 AM

from shindig:

Mal: See how I'm not punching him? I think I've grown.

Jayne: Complicated escape and rescue mission...
Wash: I was gonna watch. It's VERY exciting.

Inara: Why would I want to leave serenity?
Mal: I can't think of a reason.

So, as for the "piece of fay-yoo", I have a question... I still haven't watched every episode, but in Shindig, the arrogant jerk guy kept saying "piece of go-sah"(spelling is pure speculation based on a hukd on fonix education.) What is the difference?

______________
Can I use companion as a verb?

NOTIFY: N | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Monday, November 18, 2002 1:20 PM

"piece of fay-yoo" - piece of crap, or more literally, piece of worthless thing.

"piece of go-she" - piece of dogshit.

I love how they get away with cursing by doing it in another language. When I was younger I was forever cursing in Spanish so I wouldn't get in trouble. I think I know more dirty Spanish phrases than I do English ones.
---
Okay, here's a couple quotes in order to stay on-topic...

Little River- "We need to resort to cannibalism."
--

Simon to Jayne: "My God -- You're like a trained ape. Without the training." I love it when those two bicker.
--

Greasemonkey I love "I was aimin fer his head." hehe

Warrick: You didn't have to wound that man.
Mal: Yeah, I know. It was just funny.

NOTIFY: N | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Monday, November 18, 2002 2:34 PM

SHINEY

Quote:
Originally posted by LivingImpaired:
Actually, my favorite like isn't really a line per say... but kicking someone into a jet engine is just too cool not to get honorable mention.

Yeah that was great! The only thing I liked better than that was when Mal walked back into Serenity's cargo hold at the end of "Serenity" (the pilot) and shot Lawrence the Law-man (who was hiding behind River with a gun to her head) without breaking stride. In any other TV show, it would have turned into some long, drawn out hostage situation, but not on Firefly!

NOTIFY: N | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Tuesday, November 19, 2002 10:38 PM

KEF

All my favorites are quoted, but here's a couple bits from Jaynestown wherein it's more the delivery by the actors that does it for me.

-------------------

Simon: Alright! I'll do it. Just . . . stop describing me.

Mal: You're the boss, boss.

Jayne: He's the boss now?? This day keeps gettin' better and better!!

-------------------

Simon: I got a hamster. He drops a box of money, he gets a town.

Kaylee: Hamsters is nice.

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Wednesday, November 20, 2002 12:26 PM

SHINY

How could we forget this pair of gems:

Mal to Saffron come-on: "...good bible!"
(later)
Wash to Saffron's come-on: "...good legend!"

NOTIFY: N | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Monday, November 25, 2002 3:32 AM

to be exact: Wash said: "Whoa. Good Myth."

and there's a whole website by that name. it isn't my site or anything and I don't know, if this site likes links to other's but they have wonderful transcripts there. so if you're not so sure what exactly someone said (for quotes or just for fun) you can go there:
http://firefly.shriftweb.org/

but as nothing is perfect "The Train Job" and "Bushwacked" are not transcribed yet.
so I have to go from memory...

Bushwacked
Simon to Jayne: "Ohhh man, what a beast. It's a wonder you're still alive."
Jayne's answer: "He looked bigger, when I couldn't see him."

I love all Simon's 'jokes' about Jayne. has a weired kind of humor to it.
the best ("I got a hamster... To Jayne! The box-dropping, man-ape-gone-wrong-thing." and "You're a trained ape ... without the training.") have been quoted allready so I took the older one.

Idefix
sorry for bad english, it isn't my native language.

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Monday, November 25, 2002 4:43 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Idefix:
Idefix
sorry for bad english, it isn't my native language.

You're doing great. From the post, I would not have guessed that you were not a native speaker.

And OMG! Did you notice one of the affiliates is called SPACE MONKEYS?

________________

So I'm an idiot. What are you? Perfect?

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Monday, November 25, 2002 4:52 AM

Shindig

MAL: He's supposed to be old, kinda stocky, wears a red sash crossways.
KAYLEE: Why does he do that?
MAL: Maybe he won the Miss Persephone Pageant.

JAYNE: I could get naked.

Ariel

MAL: Pupils were fixed and dilapidated --
SIMON: Dilated.

SIMON: For this to work, River and I will have to be dead.
JAYNE: Huh. I'm starting to like this plan.

________________

So I'm an idiot. What are you? Perfect?

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Monday, November 25, 2002 5:01 AM

thanks. but I think that's the biggest problem one could have. if your english is that bad and everyone knows from the first line that you're an 'alien', no one would think twice about anything peculiar or insulting or un-understandable you write. but if your internet-english is good enough to pass as a native speaker most of the time and you happen to make a mistake that could be interpreted as rude or insulting or something all the guys will think you did it on purpose. and I'm a bit affraid that may happen here or elsewhere on the net sometime.
I'm german actually and I learned my english at school (quite some years ago), on the net and from reading english books and watching english TV (american, english, australian, canadian...).

one more funny little thing about being a non native speaker and watching firefly:
in short: you get confused with all the chinese words in the middle of english sentences.
and with a bit of an explanation: the frontier slang on firefly is something one has to get used to and I find it with every new movie or series I watch that you have to get used to the different speakers and different accents for a while before you can watch and understand all they say on the first run. and so when I (and some friends of mine) first saw Firefly we would have to watch an EP twice or more to understand most of it. and then there were chinese sentences and we knew - that's not english, so we won't have to understand it, the americans it's made for wouldn't understand it, too. but the short chinese words mixed up in english sentences got us confused quite a while. I watched some scenes 5 times and still couln't make out that one word. and then I read some transcripts from the page mentioned above and it all became clear. it's chinese - I wouln't understand it if I watched it 20 times.

hope the wasn't too off topic...

I'll go get a quote to 'pay' for it.

MAL (to Jayne): Cattle on the ship three weeks, she don't go near 'em. Suddenly we're on Jiangyin and she's got a driving need to commune with the beast?

RIVER: They weren't cows inside. They were waiting to be, but they forgot. Now they see the sky and they remember what they are.

MAL (to Jayne): Is it bad that what she said made perfect sense to me?

...isn't a funny one but Firefly is not all about funny stuff.

Idefix

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Monday, November 25, 2002 6:57 AM

Idefix, I know exactly what you mean, being German myself. I usually don't have too much trouble understanding American movies/TV, but Firefly is really hard. The actors speak very fast. Like that "Copper for a Kiss" line from River - that was just way too fast for me to understand.

Even now knowing what she is saying, I almost cannot "hear" it...

However, it will be interesting how they synchronize Firefly to German. German has in general more syllables than English, so the german voice actors have to speak even faster. But on the other hand I don't really want to know - since I got used to the original voices, I cannot bear german synch anymore ;-)

Merl

NOTIFY: N | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Monday, November 25, 2002 7:17 AM

I almost always cannot bear german sync. most of it is badly translated. not the movies, they are ok most of the time but the series are made cheap and they just don't get the feel of it. jokes are lost, the meaning of conversations are changed.

and don't let me start on the "du" and "sie" issue. I was so relieved when John Sheridan and Delenn (Babylon 5) startet to say "du" instead of the very formal "sie" about the EP they were engaged.
seems they make a point of all people saying "sie" up to the day they get married. to kiss someone and say "sie" would very much be considered an insult by me and all the germans I know. it's just stupid. if you call someone John instead of Mr Smith you'd also call him "du" instead of "sie". but they get it wrong all the time and it gives the people an unnecessary distance. a distance friends (or friendly colleagues) shouldn't have, let alone lovers.

...and the list goes on and on.

better to watch the english one three times and in case of very fast talking, very thick accents, very unusual words or - in this case - chinese mixed with the english, read transcripts to understand everything, then to watch the german sync of it.

I'm quite used to watching everything in english. and once I get used to the people and their way of talking I understand about 99% of it. ok - to understand 99% I have to watch it twice but I'd watch it twice or three times anyway, I like watching good shows more than once. and since I know that the mostly not so youth-friendly (how do you call it?) words are chinese anyway I'm quite happy watching Firefly.

River is a problem sometimes but I guess she is a problem for most people sometimes. she says things one would not expect and she does it quite fast and not too clearly.

PS: so there is more than one german here? I like to tell everyone where I come from just so they know I'm no native english speaker and when I say something weired they may ask me what I meant and not think I was being rude or out of my mind. I think it's almost an obsession of mine but I can't shake it.

so sorry for off topic again. sometimes one gets carried away easily.

so I'm going to hunt for another quote. let's see, how about this one:

MAL (to Jayne at the end of Jaynestown): It's my estimation that...every man ever got a statue made of him, was one kind of sumbitch or another. Ain't about you, Jayne. About what they need.

...again not one of the funny ones. but maybe it's true and all of us should think about it for a minute.

Idefix

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Monday, November 25, 2002 8:05 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Idefix:

and don't let me start on the "du" and "sie" issue. I was so relieved when John Sheridan and Delenn (Babylon 5) startet to say "du" instead of the very formal "sie" about the EP they were engaged.

Idefix

It is really funny that you mention this, because this was actually the reason for me NOT to watch B5. First of all the voice of one of those guys (don't know the name) in German was so slimy it practically crawled down my back and secondly they would still say "Sie" to each other even when they were in bed! This was sooo ridiculous.

Another comment regarding non-native speaker: It is true that if somebody speaks a foreign language well, the natives will automatically assume that he/she also understands the cultural subcontext equally well. So any mistake he makes there will be interpreted as rude and not as he-did-not-know. And those little cultural differences can be very dangerous!

For instance is surprisingly Online-gaming not a big hit in Japan. Surprisingly on first glance, because japanese people really like computer games and all kind of gadgets, as everybody knows. But they don't like Online games. Why not? Answer of one not-customer: I don't play with somebody I've never seen and I never shaked hands with!

Also off-thread ;-), but I find cultural differences very interesting...

Merl

NOTIFY: N | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Monday, November 25, 2002 8:33 AM

so if you have a chance watch B5 in english. it's so much better. not as good as Farscape or Firefly - in my opinion - but worth watching. the first season is out on DVD now, the others will follow. maybe you can borrow them to try it out. tell me where in germany you live and maybe you can get a few copies from me, to get you hooked.

and I think you may think about John Sheridan, when you say slimy. he comes across like something between a used-car-salesman and a whiny little boy. but the original voice is quite different. I thought of him as a joke for being the captain and sounding like that.
but some of the other voices are bad as well.

there are some good ones too, I think the Narn G'Kar was synced very well. but you can't just listen to one character, when all the rest is so bad.

with the cultural differences that's one part of what I meant. maybe it's all of it. I'm just scared that I misuse a word I read somewhere and use it in a slightly wrong context and people will freak out because they think I've insulted them or something.
sometimes it's about things like sarcasm and irony or a weird sense of humour. every group of people seems to have their own kind of humour and sometimes you say something as a joke or as something close to a joke and it get's across all too seriously and people take offence. I come from a people or a group or something that likes to mock itself and each other and that's something the brittish can easily understand and the australiens seem to live for it but it's not the american way of humour. so I sometimes step on american toes without wanting to, just because I say something with a bit of earnest and a bit of a twinkle in the eye and it comes across as an attack to someone.
I try to be polite so it doesn't happen much but sometimes things get too cozy and I start talking like I would to my friends here and most of the time there's at least someone to take offence.

ahh and if some of the native speakers sees some faults or errors in my english and would like to tell me, I'd much appreciate it. is there something like a "Personal Message" arround here? or can one send an email to a user? something like that would be ok. I've only registered today so I'm a newby here (have been reading quietly for quite a while though). I don't like my personal or work email to show on a board openly, so I won't post them here. if there's no other way you can use my 'anonym' email Idefix@post.com but I don't read it very often, there's too much spam in there.

ohh my god, is there a penalty around here for spamming a thread with off topic babbling? I plead guilty as charged.

Idefix

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Monday, November 25, 2002 9:38 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Idefix:
MAL (to Jayne at the end of Jaynestown): It's my estimation that...every man ever got a statue made of him, was one kind of sumbitch or another. Ain't about you, Jayne. About what they need.

...again not one of the funny ones. but maybe it's true and all of us should think about it for a minute.

Idefix, I love that quote. And I have to say, your English is great. It's true about the differences in American humor. They are easy to offend and sometimes don't seem to understand sarcasm. I'm American but I swear I'm not like that. I love mocking.

I have trouble understanding River too. I couldn't tell what she said ("copper for a kiss") until I read it on the message boards.

Warrick: You didn't have to wound that man.
Mal: Yeah, I know. It was just funny.

NOTIFY: N | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Monday, November 25, 2002 10:24 AM

ALLRONIX

German/English dubbing - tell me about it!

Yes, I'm American. However, I run a site for Galaxy Rangers (an animated "Space Western" which I've gushed all over this board about). For some odd reason, GR seems to have plenty of fans in Germany. Fortunately, I know enough not to make a total fool of myself when reading/writing e-mail.

I got the opportunity to download episodes of the series in German, and BOY was it a shocker. The opening intro had a good match for the narration, switching abruptly to the English theme song.

One character just was too "American" to translate. In the original English, he's a fast-on-his-feet, jive-talking, wise-ass hacker with the best lines on the show. In German...the character just wasn't sarcastic. The voice actor had NO sense of the character's flamboyance.

Most of the other three leads translated just fine. I dare say that Goose sounds better in the German version - Doug Pries had a barely-disguised New York accent, and was layering a Clint Eastwood impersonation on it. The match for Niko was perfect. As for Zachary...well, it was passable, but not Jerry Orbach.

The main villianness actually sounded menacing though, rather than a leftover from Speed Racer (apologies to Corrine Orr).

I have to wonder what Mal, Zoe, Jayne, et. al. would translate to in a German dub. Better, would I want to know.

Co-founder of the Evil Writing Crew - causing hell, one hero at a time!

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Monday, November 25, 2002 5:49 PM

HOTFORKAYLEE

Quote:
Originally posted by Idefix:

and don't let me start on the "du" and "sie" issue. I was so relieved when John Sheridan and Delenn (Babylon 5) startet to say "du" instead of the very formal "sie" about the EP they were engaged.

After reading your posts I was gonna ask if you have watched B5. This really is a great show.

Your English writing skills are very commendable and was hoping you could explain what "du" and "sie" mean in a relationship.

Also, you have to realize that some of the quotes you say aren't funny actually are in a weird American sense of humor.

Thanks

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Monday, November 25, 2002 8:51 PM

Quote:
Originally posted by HotForKaylee:
Quote:
Originally posted by Idefix:

and don't let me start on the "du" and "sie" issue. I was so relieved when John Sheridan and Delenn (Babylon 5) startet to say "du" instead of the very formal "sie" about the EP they were engaged.

After reading your posts I was gonna ask if you have watched B5. This really is a great show.

Your English writing skills are very commendable and was hoping you could explain what "du" and "sie" mean in a relationship.

Also, you have to realize that some of the quotes you say aren't funny actually are in a weird American sense of humor.

Thanks

ok, first about B5: I have watched it (most of it in german and later on lots of it in english too)and it is a great show but it is really not my favorite. I'm no fan of the 'big' stories and the 'big' heroes. I love the 'normal' people and their way of being heroes every day. and so B5 is just not my kind of story being about some guys saving the univers and all. I love it if they have to save themselves more. like Farscape and Firefly. and that doesn't mean that they can't do something great here and here but I do like it more when it's about the people first and their great deeds second.

now about the "du" and "sie" issue in german: if I meet someone in a store or on the street and I don't know the guy I'll have to say "sie" to him to not offend him by beeing too familiar with a stranger. if it is an adult respactable looking person at least. if it is a child I'll say "du" as children are always spoken to in that way. if you meet someone in a discothek and they are about your own age and you want to lear to know them you'd say "du" from the start, or you try to not say any of them at all. that's quite common practice to simply avoid the situation if you'r enot sure yet. if the person you meet is in some way in a community you belong to. for example you do some kind of sports for a hobby and you meet them because it's their hobby too. it's quite 'safe' to say "du" if they're not too much older than you are. generally older people, people you have business with and people you want to show respect to are called "sie" people you're friends with, are called "du". if you call them by their given name you also call them "du". if you call them Mr Smith and maybe would add a sir at the end of the sentence, than you should go for the "sie". it's something of a feeling you get when to say one of them and the "du" always projects friendliness but could be interpreted as disrespect whereas the "sie" shows respect but could be interpreted as eather you being too stiff or you wantig nothing to do with the other person. if you call someone "sie" after kissing them it would seem too odd to describe. ok if the kiss was a kiss like Inara exchanges with another lady or older gentleman at a ball like in 'shindig' it may be ok. on a ball like this all the people would say "sie" to each other, even the ones that go there together. maybe Inara and Atherton would call each other "sie", at least in public. I don't know all that much about that kind of people in germany. seems ok to me though. but people like Mal would call almost no one "sie". he'd stick out at the party because he'd call someone "du" by accident. he'd know that he'd have to say "sie" there but he'd forget from time to time because he isn't used to it.

that's how I see it at least.

I have to go now, my part-time-dog is wayting at my mum's place to be taken for a stroll. it' just before 8 in the morning here.

Idefix

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Tuesday, November 26, 2002 4:36 AM

EVANS

I am grateful that English does NOT have Ud.-formal and tu-personal. I am grateful that it does NOT have every frelling word genderized: I don't have to know if a book is male or female.

Now, here is a joke. You won't like it.
Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like bananas.

m.
------------------------------------------------
"But ... not boring, like she made it sound." Wash, in ARIEL

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Tuesday, November 26, 2002 5:02 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by Evans:
I am grateful that English does NOT have Ud.-formal and tu-personal. I am grateful that it does NOT have every frelling word genderized: I don't have to know if a book is male or female.

I'd be gratefull if german had none of it, too.
and a book is clearly neither female nor male (at least in german, the french would probably see it in a very different way but I don't know any french). so you see we have not only male chairs and female benches but also neuter books.

Quote:
Now, here is a joke. You won't like it.
Time flies like an arrow. Fruit flies like bananas.

made me chuckl a bit. is it supposed to mean anything? one could try to interpret it in different ways... just kidding.

Idefix

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Tuesday, November 26, 2002 11:07 AM

Idefix, that was a great summarization about Du/Sie! I think I will copy it and send it to my American friends - if you allow me to do so.

Just one addition: Back in Germany I worked in a big American computer company (two letters ;-)). There it was custom to use the first name with everybody, even the Country Manager. But there was no official custom to use Du or Sie. So it became really weird when you met a guy in suit, about 20 years older than you are, you had to say "Dieter" to him, but you didn't know if Du or Sie... We became very inventive in using passive sentences ;-)

By the way, to answer one of your earlier questions, I am German, but I am living in the US since 1.5 years now. I really like it! And English is really sooo much easier ('hey you!') ;-)

Merl

NOTIFY: N | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Tuesday, November 26, 2002 11:08 AM

Oh, forget to mention it: Mark Twain actually tried to learn German once and he wrote a hilarious article about the German language and why it is impossible to learn it. I really recommend that one - in English or German, its funny in both.

Merl

NOTIFY: N | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Tuesday, November 26, 2002 12:38 PM

HOBBES

I have to say that essay is awesome
It's called the "The Awful German Language"
and I found it here:

http://www.crossmyt.com/hc/linghebr/awfgrmlg.html

-------------------------------------------------
May the road rise to meet you.
May the wind be always at your back.
May you be in heaven an hour before
The Devil knows you’re dead.

NOTIFY: N | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Tuesday, November 26, 2002 3:43 PM

SHINY

Sorry to bring this thread back on-topic, but here are a few more from "Our Mrs. Reynolds":

SAFFRON
But... you know I'm bequeathed to you...?

MAL
To-whubba-who?

...

SAFFRON
Are you gonna kill me?

MAL
What?! What kind of crappy planet is that?
(scoffs)
Kill you.

SAFFRON
In the maiden's home I heard talk of men who weren't pleased with their brides --

MAL
Well I ain't them! And don't you ever stand for that sort of thing. Someone ever tries to kill you, you try to kill 'em right back!
Look, wife or no, you are no one's property to be tossed aside. You got the right same as anyone to live and try to kill people. I mean, you know... people that are...
(beat)
That's a dumb planet.

...

BOOK
If you take sexual advantage of her, you're going to burn in a very special level of hell. A level they reserve for child molesters and people who talk at the theater.

MAL
What -- I am not... preacher, you got
a smutty mind!

BOOK
Perhaps I spoke out of turn.

MAL
You may perhaps I'm thinking!

BOOK
I apologize. I'll make her up a room in the
passenger dorm.

MAL
Good.

Book walks away and around the corner. A beat later, he pokes his head back around to say:

BOOK
The special hell.

(later)
ZOE
So you two were kissin'?

BOOK
Well. Isn't that... special?

NOTIFY: N | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Wednesday, November 27, 2002 2:04 AM

Quote:
Originally posted by merlindrea:
Idefix, that was a great summarization about Du/Sie! I think I will copy it and send it to my American friends - if you allow me to do so.

sure. no problem.

Quote:
Originally posted by merlindrea:
Just one addition: Back in Germany I worked in a big American computer company (two letters ;-)). There it was custom to use the first name with everybody, even the Country Manager. But there was no official custom to use Du or Sie. So it became really weird when you met a guy in suit, about 20 years older than you are, you had to say "Dieter" to him, but you didn't know if Du or Sie... We became very inventive in using passive sentences ;-)

my friends company does it this way too. seems strange to me but it's logical if the company is originally from a country, where there is no "Sie" and "du" problem. his is originally from the UK I think.

mine does it a (for germans) simpler way. colleagues of about the same level you are are called "Dieter" and "Du" and boss-like tie-wearing guys on levels of appartment head or above are called "Herr Meier" and "Sie". but mine is an originally german company, so that's what one would expect.

but the thing with the passive sentences really gets to be an art sometimes when you're just not sure which form of address to use.

and back to the on topic things:

it's a great thread so far despite my babbling.

I find the little speach Mal gives Saffron about her right to try and kill people the most Mal-ish thing he ever said in so much words. that's really what defines his way of thinking and living, isn't it?

...and here some more from "Out of Gas"

KAYLEE: Catalyzer on the port compression coil blew. That's where the trouble started.
MAL: I need that in Captain Dummy-Talk, Kaylee.

INARA: I feel like maybe we should do something
about all the blood. I don't think it's something he should see when he wakes up.
JAYNE: He seen blood before. Lots of it.
INARA: Yes, I'm certain that's true, but sometimes it seems different when it's one's own blood.
JAYNE: Well I didn't shoot him, so don't look
at me for the scrubbin' of it.
INARA: No one's asking you to scrub anything. Although a bath wouldn't kill you.

JAYNE: Well, hey, you know. We'da been back first, except there's something wrong with Inara's shuttle. She done somethin' to it, Mal. Smells funny.
INARA: I told you, that's incense.
JAYNE: So you say.

... I simply love the ones where Jayne seems to be even dumber than he is.

Idefix

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Wednesday, November 27, 2002 2:55 AM

EVANS

Quote:
Originally posted by Idefix:
INARA: I feel like maybe we should do something about all the blood. I don't think it's something he should see when he wakes up.

This wasn't in the episode that I saw.

m.
------------------------------------------------
"But ... not boring, like she made it sound." Wash, in ARIEL

NOTIFY: Y | REPLY | REPLY WITH QUOTE | TOP | HOME

Wednesday, November 27, 2002 9:20 AM