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Odds and ends
- BBC Spanish: The United States has turned down the visa request of Tomas Ramos, who just completed an 18-year prison sentence in Cuba. Reportedly, he went to Cuba in 1989 on a mission to destroy hotel communications towers and to try to organize a coup. Ramos says he worked for the CIA; his code name was “Dumbo” and his handler was Frank Sturgis. Cubaencuentro consulted dissident sources in Havana who said that visas were denied to others during the Bush Administration for “violent opposition activity.”
- This letter (pdf) sent to President Obama last week urges changes in U.S. regulations to open up academic contacts – and it also calls on the Cuban government to allow its citizens to travel here on academic exchanges when they are invited to do so.
- Cuban Colada: Russia is providing $150 million in credits for purchase of construction and farm machinery.
9 comments:
dumbo is appropriate. but bosch and the other terrorists are fine as long as they get into the US.
spin that gusanos.
Anonymous 11:56 AM,
Which English translation do you intend when using the word gusano: caterpillar, worm, or maggot?
Much appreciated!
Vecino de NF
Frank Sturgis...that's a good one. He was 65 years old in 1989 and would be dead of cancer a few years later. Not likely he was handling anything but his bedpan by then but I guess it makes a good story, right Peters?
Phil Peters reference to "Our Chinese friends" brings up the recollection that the Cosa Nostra wise guys use the term "friend of ours" to refer to a "made" wiseguy while using the term "a friend of mine" to refer to a "busineess" associate with no allegiance to any other wiseguy but his friend. So the question to Phil Peters are the Chinese officials "friends of ours" or are they "friends of yours"?
Let's remember this is business not personal!
Vecino de NF
Does the relaxation of US export controls on telecommunication equipment to Cuba extends to Dixie cups and string? Considering the telecom situation in Cuba that could provide much needed relief.
Vecino de NF
To Vecino de NF:
As a professional translator, I'd say that, when used contemptibly, the word "maggot" best conveys the meaning of "gusano." Context is important in translations, of course.
/s/ Professional Translator.
Professional translator,
Would you agree that in this context "gusano" is used as a political/racial slur?
It should be pointed out that as an insult gusano can also refer to parasital worms such as taenia, et alles. As far as maggots are concerned they are very useful in the ecological sense. They decompose dead biological matter even though they can look rather disgusting.
Vecino de NF
To Vecino de NF:
Yes, I agree. "Gusano" here bears the imprint of a slur. (I remember that in military basic training our Drill Instructor used to call us "maggots." Not nice, but it kept us in our place.)
As to parasital worms, the word usually employed in Spanish is "lombriz," as in "lombriz intestinal." The taenia is commonly called "lombriz solitaria."
/s/ ProfTrans
ProfTrans,
Thank you for the clarification! You are right about "lombriz intestinal". (I got confused with the English usage!)
So to summarize "gusano" is a political/ethnic slur directed to Cubans who disagree with the Cuban government. It compares them to maggots although by the way that it is used maggots could take offense considering their useful ecological function. Anyone that uses the term "gusano" in the discussion of Cuban politics means to dehumanize those that are called "gusanos". Being a slur the term "gusano" should be avoided less one wants to give the impression of being a bigot or a bully.
Vecino de NF
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