ETIOPÍA (Los Cristianos Ortodoxos) - Dubbed Spanish-language documentary

[dzheremi]

This came up in my YouTube feed just now and so far it's pretty interesting (I am at about 8 minutes in). If any of you speak/understand Spanish, you might get something out of it. It seems like it was originally in English and then dubbed over with Spanish narration (you can hear the English under the Spanish translator when the presenter is talking to the cab driver ~ 1:30).

I like seeing the cab driver demonstrate the manner of Orthodox veneration of the cross at around 1:45, because we do the same in the Coptic Orthodox Church, which is the mother of the Ethiopian Orthodox Church. And then the presenter asks him "Do you need to kiss the cross?" "Yes." And the presenter seems surprised that the driver says he goes to church every day to pray before starting his work day. What better way is there to start anything? If I lived in Ethiopia, I would do the same!

 

[Silmarien]

This came up in my YouTube feed just now and so far it's pretty interesting (I am at about 8 minutes in). If any of you speak/understand Spanish, you might get something out of it. It seems like it was originally in English and then dubbed over with Spanish narration (you can hear the English under the Spanish translator when the presenter is talking to the cab driver ~ 1:30).

I don't think so, actually. English is the language of international journalism, so it's normal to hear it in that sort of scenario no matter what the original language is. If anything, the reporter seems to have a bit of a French accent there, and his name is apparently Philippe, so it might be a French program with bits of English dubbed into Spanish!

Very interesting, thank you for sharing it! I will have to stop trying to identify the reporter's accent and watch the rest of it.

 

[dzheremi]

I think you are probably right, Silmarien. See, I'm thinking in Spanish because that's the language it is presented in (and also I don't know French), so when I heard the guide Makeda call him by his name, I thought Felipe. I wasn't even listening for his accent in particular, though obviously it makes sense that he would speak to the driver in English rather than whatever his native language probably is, since probably more Ethiopians know English than most other European languages. (Most of the remaining Italian speakers are probably older folks in Eritrea and the border areas closest to it, since Eritrea had a much more pronounced Italian influence from Italy's failed attempt at colonizing the area than Ethiopia did, though both countries make their own versions of lasagna which I am told is amazing.)

 

[Silmarien]

Oh, I had not gotten to the part with Makeda, but had opened the actual Youtube page to see what channel this came from, and saw that his name was given as "Philippe" there. The original audio with Makeda is definitely in French, though.

I'd immediately thought that the interview was going to be done in English no matter what since I've read Spanish language stuff about Ethiopia before. I don't know if you're familiar with the author/reporter Javier Reverte, but he's got various books about his wild adventures in Africa, and most communication with the locals is done in English. (Interestingly, the importance of the Queen of Sheba in Ethiopia comes up there as well.)

 

[dzheremi]

I think I've heard his name before (it sounds vaguely familiar, though I wouldn't have been able to place it), but I don't know Javier Reverte's work. Thank you. I'll check it out.

Yes, the Queen of Sheba comes up in basically everything connected to the history of Ethiopia and Eritrea, since her meeting with King David produced Menelik, like it says in the video. I have always wondered if Ethiopians consider that story to be historical or more like a foundational legend, but I've never gotten up the courage to actually ask any of my Ethiopian friends. I can't think of a polite way to do it, y'know. "Soooo...y'know the story around the foundation of the Solomonic line...errr...I mean, the absolutely factual historical event..."

 

[Silmarien]

I think I've heard his name before (it sounds vaguely familiar, though I wouldn't have been able to place it), but I don't know Javier Reverte's work. Thank you. I'll check it out.

No problem!

Actually, while I've got you here, I was thinking about you a little while back. I've been studying classical Greek lately, and found a short, online introductory class on it in Spanish a month or so ago. I'm assuming you already read it, since you seem to be interested in liturgical languages broadly and I'm pretty sure I've heard you mention Greek before, but I thought I'd mention it just in case I'm misremembering or you only speak modern Greek.

Yes, the Queen of Sheba comes up in basically everything connected to the history of Ethiopia and Eritrea, since her meeting with King David produced Menelik, like it says in the video. I have always wondered if Ethiopians consider that story to be historical or more like a foundational legend, but I've never gotten up the courage to actually ask any of my Ethiopian friends. I can't think of a polite way to do it, y'know. "Soooo...y'know the story around the foundation of the Solomonic line...errr...I mean, the absolutely factual historical event..."

Hahaha, yes. I can imagine that being a bit awkward.

 

[mmksparbud]

I don't think so, actually. English is the language of international journalism, so it's normal to hear it in that sort of scenario no matter what the original language is. If anything, the reporter seems to have a bit of a French accent there, and his name is apparently Philippe, so it might be a French program with bits of English dubbed into Spanish!

Very interesting, thank you for sharing it! I will have to stop trying to identify the reporter's accent and watch the rest of it.

No, I do not detect a French accent at all---sounds more like the Spanish spoken around Spain. You can hear the very slight Spanish "lisp." Not as pronounced as those in Spain though.

 

[Silmarien]

No, I do not detect a French accent at all---sounds more like the Spanish spoken around Spain. You can hear the very slight Spanish "lisp." Not as pronounced as those in Spain though.

Oh, the program is definitely from Spain, but I'm not picking up any Spanish accent in the English or French that is being dubbed over. I'm nowhere near as good at placing accents in French as in Spanish, but he does mention France somewhere in the middle of the program, so I'm pretty sure that's where he's from.

 

[dzheremi]

No, I do not detect a French accent at all---sounds more like the Spanish spoken around Spain. You can hear the very slight Spanish "lisp." Not as pronounced as those in Spain though.

Maybe I'm just very sensitive to that sound, but it didn't seem slight to me.