Channels, Fall 2017

Page 50 Nanda • The L1 Context Embedding Method Appendix B: Anecdote Texts for Context Embedding Method The Most Famous Calambur [pun] from Spanish – Group A The most famous calambur [pun] of Spanish history is attributed to a poet and writer from the 17th siglo [century] named Francisco de Quevedo. It is said that Quevedo made an apuesta [bet] with some friends that he was osado [brave] enough to tell Queen Elizabeth of France to her face that she was coja [unable to walk]. (The Queen in the 17th siglo [century] actually was coja [unable to walk] in one leg and any sort of mofa [mockery] about her disability made her very angry.) Quevedo’s friends did not think he was osado [brave] enough, since in that time the Queen had the power to imprison someone simply for making a mofa [mockery] of her, so they took the apuesta [bet]. To understand the calambur [pun] and the rest of the story, you need to know one more Spanish word: escoger [to choose]. In a respectful imperative (command form) using usted , the conjugation is escoja [choose].) So Quevedo bought two ramos [bouquets] of flowers, one of white claveles [carnations], and one of red roses, as a dádiva [gift]. Then he presented himself before the Queen, bowed, extended his arms with one ramo [bouquet] in each hand, and said, “ Entre el clavel y la rosa, Su Majestad escoja ” [“Between the carnation and the rose, you, Your Majesty, choose”]. What the Queen didn’t realize, however, is that at the same time he was saying, “ Entre el clavel y la rosa, Su Majestad es coja ” [Between the carnation and the rose, Your Majesty is unable to walk”]. So the Queen accepted the dádiva [gift] and Quevedo won the apuesta [bet]. “To Turn a Blind Eye” – Group B The English idiom, “to turn a blind eye to” is attributed to an incident in the life of Admiral Horatio Nelson, who was ciego [blind] in one eye. It is said that during the Battle of Copenhagen between British forces and Danish and Norwegian forces, Nelson was leading the attack but his ship and the entire British flota [fleet] was under the overall command of a cauto [cautious] Admiral named Sir Hyde Parker. In those days military orders were transmitted by raising various banderas [flags] so the other ships could see the señal [signal]. Admiral Parker was not able to see the desarrollo [progress] of the battle due to the amount of humo [smoke] from the guns, but he could see the distress banderas [flags] from two of the other ships. Since Admiral Parker was such a cauto [cautious] commander, and afraid of a derrota [defeat], he decided to order the flota [fleet] to retirarse [retreat]. When Nelson’s flag captain saw the bandera [flag] through his catalejo [spyglass], he informed Nelson. Nelson, who was winning the fight but knew that Admiral Parker could not see the desarrollo [progress] due to the humo [smoke], lifted his catalejo [spyglass] to