Wikipedia:Reference desk/Archives/Language/2010 January 11

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January 11

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Reinforcing existing prejudices

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Is there a phrase for this? Possibly Latin? And is there a phrase which encompasses the route out of that circular condition? Kittybrewster 13:57, 11 January 2010 (UTC)[reply]

This condition is called Confirmation bias. The article quotes Thucydides History of the Peloponnesian War and Francis Bacon Novum Organum on this subject, so the Latin texts of those works should have what you look for. I have read neither, unfortunately, so I cannot help with the exact quote. --71.142.58.78 (talk) 17:44, 11 January 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Thucydides' original was, though, written in Greek...but over the ages Latin versions probably cropped up.--达伟 (talk) 19:35, 11 January 2010 (UTC)[reply]
But as you can tell from the English translations of Thucydides and Bacon, they didn't have a pithy phrase for it, just a couple of sentences of a description. Adam Bishop (talk) 05:54, 12 January 2010 (UTC)[reply]

"Piange ... Il Telefono" (Italian song)

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I would like some information on "Piange ... Il Telefono", which is an Italian pop song from 1975 sung by Domenico Modugno. First, I'd like an appropriate English translation to the lyrics. Second, I'd like to know what is the song / story / plot all about. I have searched all over the internet (including Italian Wikipedia), but I was not able to find much information of any help. Also, I was able to get a direct word-for-word translation from Italian to English. But, that was not helpful in translating the real / actual / contextual meaning of the lyrics. Below are the lyrics into which I placed line numbers for reference. The basic story is of a man making a telephone call, and a child answers the phone. The man's lyrics are printed plainly below, while the child's lyrics are parenthesized. Again, I am less interested in a direct literal translation, but rather a contextual translation for meaning / plot / story line. If it makes any difference, I think that the language is actually Neapolitan language (Nnapulitano / Naples), and not Italian per se. Also, if this is not the best place to ask this question, please direct me otherwise. Any help is appreciated. Thanks. (Joseph Spadaro (talk) 19:47, 11 January 2010 (UTC))[reply]

Italian lyrics to "Piange ... Il Telefono"
  1. Title: Piange ... Il Telefono
  2. (Pronto)
  3. Ascolta
  4. Mamma è vicino a te?
  5. Devi dire a mamma
  6. c'è qualcuno che
  7. (Chi sei il signore dell'altra volta?)
  8. (vado a chiamarla)
  9. (Ma sta facendo il bagno)
  10. (non so se può venire!)
  11. Dille
  12. che son qui
  13. dille che è importante
  14. che aspetterò
  15. (Ma tu hai fatto qualche cosa)
  16. (alla mia mamma?)
  17. (Quando chiami tu mi dice sempre:)
  18. (Digli che non ci sono!)
  19. Ma dimmi
  20. sai scrivere di già
  21. E' bella la tua casa?
  22. A scuola come va?
  23. (Bene... ma dato che la mia mamma lavora)
  24. (è una vicina che mi accompagna a scuola)
  25. (però ho solo una firma sul mio diario)
  26. (Gli altri hanno quella del loro papà)
  27. (Io no!...)
  28. Dille
  29. che son qui
  30. che soffro da sei anni
  31. Tesoro proprio la tua età
  32. (Ah no... Io ho cinque anni!!)
  33. (Ma tu la conosci la mia mamma?)
  34. (Non mi ha mai parlato di te!)
  35. (Aspetta eh...)
  36. Piange il telefono
  37. perchè lei non
  38. verrà
  39. anche se grido: ti amo
  40. lo so che non
  41. mi ascolterà
  42. Piange il telefono
  43. perchè non hai pietà?
  44. Però nessuno mi
  45. risponderà
  46. L'estate
  47. andate a villeggiare
  48. all'Hotel Riviera?
  49. ti piace il mare?
  50. (Oh si tanto!)
  51. (Lo sai che so nuotare? Ma dimmi)
  52. (Come fai a conoscere l'Hotel Riviera)
  53. (Ci sei stato anche tu?)
  54. Dille
  55. la mia pena
  56. e quanto a tutte e due:
  57. vi voglio bene
  58. (Ci vuoi bene?)
  59. (Ma io non ti ho mai visto!)
  60. (Ma che cos'hai!)
  61. (Perchè hai cambiato voce?)
  62. (Ma tu piangi! Perchè?)
  63. Piange il telefono
  64. perchè lei non
  65. verrà
  66. anche se grido:
  67. ti amo
  68. lo so che non
  69. mi ascolterà
  70. Piange il telefono
  71. perchè non hai
  72. pietà?
  73. Però nessuno mi
  74. risponderà
  75. Ricordati però
  76. piango al telefono
  77. l'ultima volta ormai
  78. ed il perchè
  79. domani
  80. tu lo saprai
  81. Falla aspettare
  82. (Sta uscendo!)
  83. Falla fermare
  84. (E' andata via!)
  85. Se è andata via
  86. allora...
  87. addio...
  88. (Arrivederci signore)
  89. Ciao piccola!
Here is my translation.

-- Wavelength (talk) 21:10, 11 January 2010 (UTC)[reply]
[I am revising my quick translation. -- Wavelength (talk) 21:41, 11 January 2010 (UTC)][reply]
Can we truncate this, please? It's far too long. Cheers! --KageTora - (影虎) (Talk?) 21:12, 11 January 2010 (UTC)[reply]
The lyrics in French, Spanish, Italian, and English are at Le téléphone pleure - Claude François - LEXILOGOS >>.
The introduction in French says: "This is the story of a man who telephones his former lover whom he has not seen again for six years. At the end of the line, a little girl answers him. The man discovers then that he is her father ... This song, which came out in 1974, surpassed all the sales records of the career of Claude François: 2,800,000 45-rpm records." (I have the record and the girl's part is sung by Francesca Guadagno.)
-- Wavelength (talk) 21:32, 11 January 2010 (UTC)[reply]
Cheers! :) --KageTora - (影虎) (Talk?) 22:44, 11 January 2010 (UTC)[reply]
[I am revising my translation. Also, when I made the navigation box at 22:09, 11 January 2010 (UTC), I forgot to leave a comment in this section.
-- Wavelength (talk) 00:13, 12 January 2010 (UTC)][reply]

Thanks so much for the input. This was very, very helpful ... and I appreciate it. Thanks! (Joseph Spadaro (talk) 17:45, 12 January 2010 (UTC))[reply]