The BBC website is running a quiz where you listen to a World Cup chant and guess the country. Once you've guessed, they provide the translation: for instance, for Croatia, the touching ballard 'Call, just call, all your sokolovi, they would give their life for you.' This gave me an idea for a quiz of my own. Here are twelve World Cup chants. Which ones are genuine translations, at least according to the BBC, and which have I made up out of my head? Answers in the comments section. Let me know how well you did.
(Oh, you can play this and then the BBC quiz without spoiling it, but not the other way round. So do this one first.)
BRAZIL
R. R. R. R. We could beat you just with our players beginning with R.
CZECH REPUBLIC
Czech Republic is the winner in the championship because the Czechs are the best in the world. It's very beautiful and it has good people.
GERMANY
'54, '74, '90, 2006. We will sing together and with our hearts in our hands and the passion in our knees we will be the world champions
GHANA
Ghana, Ghana. Thanks to him, thanks to him, let's give thanks to God because this ground he has loved and he does forever and his mercies are bountiful.
IRAN
The football team of Iran with their cool players, we will win the game and we would die for Iran in this situation.
ITALY
There are very little silver fish all over the pitch, very little silver fish, very little silver fish. There are very little silver fish all over the pitch, and we know who released them.
MEXICO
Aye, aye, aye. Sing and don't cry because singing gives a happy heart. Sing don't cry.
NETHERLANDS
Netherlands, Netherlands, you are the champions. We all love orange because of your achievements.
TOGO
We won’t win the cup! We won’t win the cup! We won’t win the cup, but we’re happy to be here, and we’re having a joyful time!
SAUDI ARABIA
Win the championship, or don't come home; win the cup or cease to call yourself Saudis.
SERBIA AND MONTENEGRO
The best striker in the world – he is from Serbia. The best centre-forward in the world – he is from Montenegro. How happy we are that they are brought together.
USA
USA. USA. Let’s go score some goals today.
Monday, 26 June 2006
Finland, Finland, Finland; the country where I quite want to be...
Posted by John Finnemore at 2:11 am
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ANSWERS
Brazil: False.
Czech Rep: Real. Not sure that logic's completely water-tight, actually...
Germany: Real. Very passionate knees, the Germans.
Ghana: Real. Hard to see this one catching on in Millwall though.
Iran: Real. But, er, let's hope it doesn't come to that, shall we?
Italy: False.
Mexico: Real. Aw, cheer up, you doleful Mexicans!
Netherlands: Real. See, Mexicans? The Dutch can teach you how to be happy again! It can be one of their achievements.
Togo: False.
Saudia Arabia: False.
Serbia and Montenegro: False.
USA: False. I hope.
I started well - got the first eight right - but then it all went down hill. I think the problem is they all start sounding plausible after a while.
If anything Germans have passionate legs. Well, according to the song at least. And they only sing about one leg, not two. o_O
Shame on the BBC for this terrible terrible mistranslation!
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