Das Verb “to avenge sb/sth” bedeutet “jdn/etw rächen” und es wird vom OALD definiert als:

“to punish or hurt somebody in return for something bad or wrong that they have done to you, your family or friends”

Das Substantiv “avenger” bedeutet entsprechend Rächer. Da ich das Wort in letzter Zeit öfters falsch mit der Betonung auf der ersten Silbe ausgesprochen gehört habe, gibt es hier noch einen Aussprachehinweis.

Ausgesprochen wird “avenger” mit der Betonung auf der zweiten Silbe [əˈvendʒə(r)]. Im Trailer des kürzlich angelaufenen Spielfilms “The Avengers” kann man die richtige Aussprache nach 0:51 Min. hören. (‘It’s called the Avengers initiative’).

Der britische Thronfolger Prince Charles hat sich gestern bei BBC Scotland als Wetteransager betätigt und im Mittagsfernsehen humorvoll das Wetter für Schottland präsentiert.

Er begann mit den Worten:

‘Well it’s an unsettled picture as we head towards the end of the week. This afternoon it will be cold, wet and windy across most of Scotland. We are under the influence of low pressure and this weather front pushing northwards is bringing clouds and outbreaks of rain. The rain, of course, will be heaviest over the borders and around Edinburgh, where it could lead to difficult conditions on the roads. In the west rain will be lighter and patchier, there will be maybe a few drier interludes over Dumfries House in Ayrshire.’

An dieser Stelle unterbrach er den abgelesenen Text mit einem

‘ah-ha!’

und fuhr dann fort mit

‘There will be snow for the higher ground of the Highlands and Aberdeenshire. There will be the potential for a few flurries over Balmoral…’

Dann unterbrach er mit den Worten:

‘Who the hell wrote this script?’

und endete mit:

‘… as the afternoon goes on. The best of the drier and brighter weather will, of course, be over the northern isles and far north of the mainland. So a little hazy sunshine for the Castle of Mey and Caithness. But a cold day everywhere with temperatures of eight celcius and a brisk north easterly wind. Thank God it isn’t a bank holiday!’

Hier die Links zu den in der Vorhersage erwähnten Besitztümer in Schottland.

Dumfries House

Balmoral Castle

Castle of Mey

Vokabeltipp:

Das Substantiv “flurries” wird vom OALD als
“a small amount of snow, rain, etc. that falls for a short time and then stops” definiert und kann auf Deutsch entsprechend mit Schauer übersetzt werden.

Ein wunderbares Video des Rush-Hour-Verkehrs in Ho-Chi-Minh-Stadt, dem ehemaligen Saigon, und eine ebenso treffende Beschreibung des Verkehrs der vietnamesischen Metropole von Andrew X. Pham aus dessen Buch “Catfish and Mandala”.

“Nobody gives way to anybody. Everyone just angles, points, dives directly toward his destination, pretending it is an all-or-nothing gamble. People glare at one another and fight for maneuvering space. All parties are equally determined to get the right-of-way–insist on it. They swerve away at the last possible moment, giving scant inches to spare. The victor goes forwards, no time for a victory grin, already engaging in another contest of will. Saigon traffic is Vietnamese life, a continuous charade of posturing, bluffing, fast moves, tenacity and surrenders.” ― Andrew X. Pham, Catfish and Mandala: A Two-Wheeled Voyage Through the Landscape and Memory of Vietnam

Vokabeltipps:
to give way: Vorfahrt gewähren
right-of-way: Vorfahrt
to swerve: ausscheren, ausweichen
scant: knapp, (hier: wenige)
victor: Sieger
posturing: Gehabe
tenacity: Beharrlichkeit, Hartnäckigkeit

via: eamonn.com

Der 8. Mai 1945 markiert das Ende des Zweiten Weltkriegs in Europa. Im Englischen wird der 8. Mai in der Regel als VE-Day bezeichnet.

“Victory in Europe Day — known as V-E Day or VE Day — commemorates 8 May 1945 (in Commonwealth countries; 7 May 1945), the date when the World War II Allies formally accepted the unconditional surrender of the armed forces of Nazi Germany and the end of Adolf Hitler’s Third Reich.” Quelle: Wikipedia

Im Video kann man sich die Rundfunkansprache des britischen Premierministers Winston Churchill anhören. Der Text lautet wie folgt:

“Yesterday morning at 2:41 a.m. at General Eisenhower’s Headquarters, General Jodl, the representative of the German High Command, and Grand Admiral Doenitz, the designated head of the German State, signed the act of unconditional surrender of all German land, sea, and air forces in Europe to the Allied Expeditionary Force, and simultaneously to the Soviet High Command.

General Bedell Smith, Chief of Staff of the United States Army, and General Francois Sevez signed the document on behalf of the Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force, and General Susloparov signed on behalf of the Russian High Command.

To-day this agreement will be ratified and confirmed at Berlin, where Air Chief Marshal Tedder, Deputy Supreme Commander of the Allied Expeditionary Force, and General de Lattre de Tassigny will sign on behalf of General Eisenhower. General Zhukov will sign on behalf of the Soviet High Command. The German representatives will be Field-Marshal Keitel, Chief of the High Command, and the Commanders-in-Chief of the German Army, Navy, and Air Forces.

Hostilities will end officially at one minute after midnight to-night (Tuesday, May 8), but in the interests of saving lives the “Cease fire” began yesterday to be sounded all along the front, and our dear Channel Islands are also to be freed to-day.

The Germans are still in places resisting the Russian troops, but should they continue to do so after midnight they will, of course, deprive themselves of the protection of the laws of war, and will be attacked from all quarters by the Allied troops. It is not surprising that on such long fronts and in the existing disorder of the enemy the commands of the German High Command should not in every case have been obeyed immediately. This does not, in our opinion, with the best military advice at our disposal, constitute any reason for withholding from the nation the facts communicated to us by General Eisenhower of the unconditional surrender already signed at Rheims, nor should it prevent us from celebrating to-day and to-morrow (Wednesday) as Victory in Europe days.

To-day, perhaps, we shall think mostly of ourselves. To-morrow we shall pay a particular tribute to our [truly - our heroic] Russian comrades, whose prowess in the field has been one of the grand contributions to the general victory.

The German war is therefore at an end. After years of intense preparation, Germany hurled herself on Poland at the beginning of September 1939; and, in pursuance of our guarantee to Poland and in common with the French Republic, Great Britain, the British Empire and Commonwealth of Nations, declared war upon this foul aggression. After gallant France had been struck down we, from this Island and from our united Empire, maintained the struggle single-handed for a whole year until we were joined by the military might of Soviet Russia, and later by the overwhelming power and resources of the United States of America.

Finally almost the whole world was combined against the evil-doers, who are now prostrate before us. Our gratitude to our splendid Allies goes forth from all our hearts in this Island and throughout the British Empire.

We may allow ourselves a brief period of rejoicing; but let us not forget for a moment the toil and efforts that lie ahead. Japan, with all her treachery and greed, remains unsubdued. The injury she has inflicted on Great Britain, the United States, and other countries, and her detestable cruelties, call for justice and retribution. We must now devote all our strength and resources to the completion of our task, both at home and abroad. Advance, Britannia! Long live the cause of freedom! God save the King!”

Quelle: Die Text der Rede ist auch auf der Website des Churchill-Centres nachzulesen. Allerdings unterscheidet sich der dort angeführte Text an ein paar wenigen Stellen von der Tonaufnahme, die man im Video hören kann.

“It is with great sadness that we confirm that musician, rapper, activist and director Adam “MCA” Yauch, founding member of Beastie Boys and also of the Milarepa Foundation that produced the Tibetan Freedom Concert benefits, and film production and distribution company Oscilloscope Laboratories, passed away in his native New York City this morning after a near-three-year battle with cancer. He was 47 years old.” beastieboys.com