Comments on: On Icelandic and the meaning of nuance

By: Tim Davies

Tim Davies — Tue, 23 Mar 2010 10:41:39 +0000

Alda
thanks for the great blog and all your explanations. Friends and I were discussing the whole concept of útrásarvikingar last night at my Icelandic evening class here in London and debating how to translate it without too many footnotes or silly-sounding loanwords like “outvasion” (which I actually quite like). I said I’d think about it and ask around, because someone is bound to have come up with a solution somewhere on line, though I haven’t seen one to date.
It’s also interesting to me that we find the Icelanders’ attitude with regard to not being willing to pay back the money rather arrogant, while our own filthy rich bankers are still being paid disgustingly massive bonuses (yfirlaun?) and are not ploughing back any of that money into repaying our national debt – so it’s total hypocrisy to me.
Keep up the good work.
At least as translators, we should be kept busy for a while yet.
Tim

By: bjarni

bjarni — Sun, 06 Dec 2009 09:44:30 +0000

http://www.icelandreview.com/icelandreview/search/news/Default.asp?ew_0_a_id=315687
Microsoft Fixes Currency of Icelandic Króna

Microsoft Iceland has reached an agreement with the headquarters of Microsoft that all trade between Icelandic companies and consumers with Microsoft be fixed with the exchange rate of EUR 1 being estimated as worth ISK 120.

According to the Central Bank of Iceland, the real value of EUR 1 is around ISK 174 which means that in its trade, Microsoft is assuming that the Icelandic króna is 31 percent stronger than it really is, as explained in a press release from Microsoft Iceland.

“Microsoft Iceland has faith in the Icelandic economy long-term, although we will face difficulties in the coming weeks and months. Everyone has to contribute to keep the economy going and this is our contribution,” said managing director of Microsoft Iceland, Halldór Jörgensson.

“Executives in the headquarters of Microsoft had a lot of understanding for the situation we have here and it was very pleasing to see how far they are prepared to go to help us by taking a position with the króna,” Jörgensson added.

By: D_Boone

D_Boone — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 04:43:07 +0000

Okay the latest “craic”from Frank McNally is that the Icelandic “nicked” the word Kreppa from the Irish gaelic word crapadh (silent d) which means shrinkage and yes it has also been transliterated and shortened to a four letter word we all know and love. This also has a similar meaning as in “Iceland is in the cr**”.

Blame Icelandic vikings borrowing Irish lasses 1000 years ago, as you know the hand that rocks the cradle rules the wor[l]d.

Read all about it at http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/opinion/2009/1205/1224260144643.html

By: Grif

Grif — Sat, 05 Dec 2009 01:29:07 +0000

Bjarni,

Clearly I must have missed something here (about the Micro$oft deal). Could you please direct me to the news fact you are referring to or clarify what you are referring to?

Thanks a lot.

Grif

By: Bjarni

Bjarni — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 22:38:56 +0000

One other thought for those who like to speculate.Were Microsoft’s actions, by stepping in last year and setting a base line exchange rate for their transactions,the most important step taken to prevent a complete melt-down of the financial structure of Iceland.I imagine Bill Gates will get alot of X-MAS cards from grateful Icelanders…
Peace

By: Bjarni

Bjarni — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 19:10:36 +0000

Playing devils advocate,here is a theory…the Icelandic utrasarvikingur elite,studied abroad,came home with a limited version (language/nuance),though their hauteur nature prevented them from realizing this. ( a clue at the time,shone bright-G.W.Bush holds a MBA).Trump uses bankruptcy as part of a business model(he currently is trying to wipe away 1.2 billion to unsecured bond holders).While the utrasarvikingur ,enjoyed Sex,Drugs,Rock & Roll , their counterparts engaged lawyers and bankers,for the them it was “game on”,poker is their game. These wall street men,have been known to play a simple poker game with a million dollar buy-in(nuance missed by the utrasarvikingur)…Bottom line,the utrasarvikingur used 1990′s business models,while the counterparts had moved on,with a various financial instruments..The Vikings got outplayed ,plain and simple.And as here ,now All must pay for the fun of a few.PEACE

By: Peter Reeves

Peter Reeves — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 12:40:53 +0000

Good response, and well expressed; we just disagree on the level of delusion and denial! There is a hard core of people with a reality grip, none of which constitute the rising poll numbers for Independence Party. All is not yet lost, as Eva Joly and team are beavering away.
P.S. Ironically, DV is bearing the standard for investigative journalism, as many refuse to read the other ‘mouthpieces’.
Its a shameful period, and dignity must be restored somehow!

By: alda

alda — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 12:00:19 +0000

Sorry Peter, I disagree with you and think you are taking a very extreme view of the media situation in Iceland.

Of course no one is protesting the report from the journalists’ unions in the other Nordic countries – on the contrary there is a widespread feeling of relief and even elation at the support they are showing us, in adding their voice to what we already know. In fact I have a blog post coming up about this very issue.

Every Icelander I know reads both Morgunblaðið (if anyone still does read it) and Fréttablaðið with their filters on high alert. We truly are not that deluded here. If you choose to have that opinion of Icelanders you’re welcome to it. But my view and experience is completely different.

That said, the first part of your comment is true. There is a lot here that is not being done and said. But we are not deluded about it – on the contrary.

By: Peter Reeves

Peter Reeves — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 11:46:32 +0000

We all know there is corruption everywhere, but the mindset to blame everyone else, lack of political unity, suppressed information, and crooked media is extreme in Iceland. Today the other Scandinavian countries expressed convern about the dire media situation in Iceland, and no doubt Icelanders will defend it.

People in US – Madoff etc – have been locked up, and MPs are going to be prosecuted for fraud in the UK, whilst some people in Iceland are still pondering whether the banks and businessmen broke any laws? Forget supermarkets, Iceland is more like Nigeria!

By: alda

alda — Fri, 04 Dec 2009 10:34:54 +0000

I have no special affiliation for Jón Ásgeir and his ilk – none whatsoever. However, I have found Bónus to offer the best experience in terms of shopping for groceries in this country. Krónan and Nóatún both suck in my opinion, as the several posts I have written on this site about shopping there attest to (do a search if you want). Bad quality products, way overpriced, cannot be consistent in terms of shelf pricing and checkout pricing, rude or incompetent service … and I suspect at the end of the day their owners are just as unscrupulous as the rest of them. At least they are in terms of what I can feel on my own skin – the countless times I’ve returned home with a purchase from Krónan or Nóatún and discovered that I’ve been ripped off at the checkout.

As for Kostur, it would mean a 40 minute drive and I really don’t have enough hatred for Jón Ásgeir or his father to subject myself to that on a weekly basis. Besides, Jón Gerald Sullenberger is no angel, either, as demonstrated by his involvement in the Baugur Affair.

In any case, if we Icelanders were going to boycott the business of every shark or shenanigan in this country we would do little else with our time. Mine is simply too precious for that.

ps – name me a country that isn’t being fed distracting propaganda on a daily basis.