Talk With a Dutchman -- Dialog No. 1
The Dutchman:. The label you painted on the frame of this copy of a Dutch picture that you have made a part of your larger painting should be in Dutch, not English.
The American:. No. Aelbert Cuyp painted the original picture, but he didn't paint this copy. I painted that, and because I am an English-speaking American and because the great majority of the people who will ever see this painting are also likely to be English-speaking Americans, the label should be in English, as it is.
The Dutchman: In your next painting in your "Dutch series," you will correct your mistake by having the label on that copy be in Dutch.
The American: Don't hold your breath.
The Dutchman: What does that mean? "Don't hold my breath." What is this?
The American It's an American colloquialism. It means that you shouldn't wait for me to do this thing you've ordered. Neither you nor anybody else can hold their breath anywhere near that long.
The American:. No. Aelbert Cuyp painted the original picture, but he didn't paint this copy. I painted that, and because I am an English-speaking American and because the great majority of the people who will ever see this painting are also likely to be English-speaking Americans, the label should be in English, as it is.
The Dutchman: In your next painting in your "Dutch series," you will correct your mistake by having the label on that copy be in Dutch.
The American: Don't hold your breath.
The Dutchman: What does that mean? "Don't hold my breath." What is this?
The American It's an American colloquialism. It means that you shouldn't wait for me to do this thing you've ordered. Neither you nor anybody else can hold their breath anywhere near that long.
posted by Carl (aka Sofarsogoo) | 11:04 PM
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