3.25.2010

They Thought I Was Crazy...

In Bible study on Tuesday night, the whole group thought I was crazy when the teacher called on me to ask what a particular verse meant to me. Proverbs 23:7 to be exact. Here's what it looks like in the English:
''for he is the kind of man who is always thinking about the cost.''
(translation needed?)


And here's the Spanish:

--que son como un pelo en la garganta.--
(translation: that are like a hair in the throat)

Alright, so I thought a second about what the hair-in-the-throat meant to me, and I decided to try the English version first. I explained that a man who is always thinking about the cost could be that way with his money and time, that he is conscious of how he spends his life. The teacher had a blank look on her face, so I decided to try the hair-in-the-throat route. I started over in explaining this time that a hair in your throat is annoying and that you have to get it out and that might take time. Again, the teacher had a blank look. Finally, I said in exasperation, ''I don't know what you want to hear!'' The whole group laughed at/with me.

I think I recovered gracefully, but it's hard not to let self-conscious thoughts creep in.

During the break 10 minutes later, I asked the couple sitting next to me what their Bible said for Proverbs 23:7. Here's what theirs said:

--pues como él piensa en su interior, asi es él--
(translation: how a man thinks on the inside is how he is.)

I was like, ''Where did that come from ''hair in the throat''? Then I studied my Bible more, to notice there was one of those little ª symbols telling me to look at the footnote. The footnote in my Bible was where it said what the couple's Bible said.... but what I still want to know is, how does a hair in the throat become how a man thinks?

So the couple tells the teacher that I wasn't just not understanding anything and everyone gathered around to verify that my Bible said hair-in-the-throat. One guy asked if my Bible is even legit! lol.

Yet again, learning language through confusion. What else could I ever want? :)

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