Can The Times be serious?
Take another look at my recent post about British English versus Globish. I have no doubt the prime minister spoke Maltese when discussing Franco Debono, but the same situation of ‘coded meaning’ applies here.
Yet The Times – whose reporters surely cannot be serious (and if they are, then God help that institution) – has gone beyond taking the prime minister literally. One (almost) despairs.
The Times, today:
Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi yesterday only had words of praise for Nationalist MP Franco Debono who on Monday gave his first parliamentary speech since his abstention in a vote of no confidence in the government last month.
“Dr Debono behaved well. He gave a good speech in Parliament and made a number of valid points that have been made by other people before, not just him, and which we must all concentrate upon. I think we need to look at this contribution in a positive way,” Dr Gonzi said.
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Probably they expected the Prime Minister to conclude by saying, “…he acted as a total prat, as always”.
Are we sure Sabrina did not infiltrate The Times?
“behaved well” – Oh dear, so that’s what “mexa bil-ghaqal” or whatever was actually said translates to.
Yes Franco Debono’s antics may be childish but he’s over the age of eight, so there is no doubt that Gonzi would never have used that phrase had he commented in English.
I think you are missing the point that DCG is making. It is not the “behaved well” you should be looking at but “I think we need to look at this contribution in a positive way”, and its coded meaning. According to DCG of course.
As for me, I have a totally different reading to this. Gonzi was not speaking in any coded way. He said what he said because he wants Franco to keep quiet and behave well, as Gonzi wants to hang on to power at all costs. Even if the price is appeasing, humiliation, prostrating and whatever.
Standards have long fallen at the Times – I wouldn’t be surprised to read “walks well” as a translation of “mexa sewwa”
The Times and Franco Debono must be on a permanent communications open-line.
Whatever happens in Malta The Times has to ask Franco for his opinion and duly reports his ‘thoughts’.
I bet that after the paternalistically-sounding ‘behaved well’ comment by the newspaper, Franco must have felt like a little boy being encouraged by his dad. What a sad situation at The Times.
In trying to compete with Malta Today, it has descended to almost unacceptable levels.
The Prime Minister only had words of praise? From the quote, I gather that the Prime Minister was only being polite (kind would perhaps be the better word).
The key text is “(Franco Debono) made a number of valid points that have been made by other people before, not just him”.
“Prime Minister Lawrence Gonzi yesterday only had words of praise…”
It is such a relief to note that Dr. Gonzi had words of praise in regards to Dr. Debono, only once – yesterday.
Other times although not audibly and definitely not in front of the Times reporters he may have uttered a string of four letter words which could only be forgiven by his late uncle Archbishop Gonzi!
So according to The Times, ‘ghaqal fit-tmexxija’, PL’s slogan translates to behaviour in leadership?
There is hope yet for tThe Times.
For a change Franco Debono is no longer a prominent criminal lawyer or reformist politician making passionate speeches, but just ‘Nationalist MP Franco Debono.’
http://www.timesofmalta.com/articles/view/20120216/local/franco.407115
The worst part of timesofmalta.com is definitely the readers’ comments.