Homework- Tasks on Harold Pinters Speech

1. Translation:
tiu c preedintele Bush are muli redactori de didscursuri extrem de competeni, dar
m-a oferi voluntar pentru aceast slujb eu nsumi. Propun urmtoarele adresri
scurte ctre naiune pe care el le poate face la televizor. l vd solemn, cu prul
pieptnat cu grij, serios, sigur pe el, sincer, adeseori neltor, cteodat folosind un
zmbet piezi, curios de atractiv, un om al omului de rnd. Dumnezeu este bun.
Dumnezeu este minunat. Dumnezeul meu este bun. Dumnezeul lui Bin Laden este
ru. Al lui este un Dumnezeu ru. Dumnezeul lui Saddam a fost ru, exceptnd faptul
c el nu a avut unul. El a fost un barbar. Noi nu suntem barbari. Noi nu decapitm
oameni. Noi credem n libertate. Aa face i Dumnezeu. Eu nu sunt un barbar. Eu sunt
liderul ales n mod democratic al unei democraii iubitoare de libertate. Noi suntem o
societate miloas. Noi druim electrocutri cu mil i cu mil facem injecia letal.
Noi suntem o naiune minunat. Eu nu sunt un dictator. El este. Eu nu sunt un barbar.
El este. i el este. Toi sunt. Eu posed autoritate moral. Vezi pumnul acesta? Aceasta
este autoritatea mea moral. i tu s nu uii asta.
2. Translate/ Paraphrase:
a) contention- discordie, motiv de ceart
b) the truth has considerable bearing on where the world stands now- adevrul are o
importan considerabil n lumea contemporan
c) that it had concluded it had carte blanche to do what it liked- Aciunile Statelor
Unite au clarificat n toat lumea faptul c aceast naiunea avea putere deplin s
fac ce i convenea.
d) even while it was happening it wasn't happening- chiar i atunci cnd se ntmpla,
nu se ntmpla
e) vicious- imorale
f) You have to hand it to America- Trebuie s te lai pe mna Americii.
g) I put to you that the United States is without doubt the greatest show on the roadTe asigur c America este fr ndoial cel mai tare circ existent.
h) out on its own- este extenuat
i) scintillating- sclipitoare
j) to keep thought at bay- a ine gndurile la distan
k) a truly voluptuous cushion of reassurance- o luxuriant pern a siguranei
l) devious- sinuoas
m) without fear or favour- fr team sau privilegiu
n) critical dissent- dezacord critic
o) supine Great Britain- obosita Mare Britanie
p) a bandit act- o aciune mieleasc
q) blatant state terrorism- un strident act de terorism statal
r) place death well away on the back burner- nu au lsat moartea deoparte
s) of no moment- insignifiani
t) they are blank- ei sunt nuli

u) winning, sincere, often beguiling, sometimes employing a wry smile, curiously

attractive, a man's man- sigur pe el, sincer, adeseori neltor, cteodat folosind
un zmbet piezi, curios de atractiv, un om al omului de rnd
v) you are open to all the winds- eti deschis tuturor vnturilor
w) out on a limb- la risc
x) unflinching, unswerving, fierce intellectual determination- o ferm, constant i
agresiv dominare intelectual
y) a crucial obligation which devolves upon us all- o obligaie crucial ce ne implic
pe toi
3. According to Pinter, what is the relationship between art and reality?
According to Pinter, the relationship between art and reality is related to the
exploration of reality through art, so nothing is true or false, it can be both of them so
basically it is not a difference between truth or lies.
4. What is the difference between artistic and political language?
The difference between artistic and political language is the fact that the political
language doesnt search the truth but a bunch of lies, so if the artistic language doesnt
make the difference between truth and lies, the political language is meant to
manipulate people through their promises and lies.
5. Discuss the tone and context of the following: It never happened. Nothing ever
happened. Even while it was happening it wasn't happening.
The tone of these sentences is an ironic one and it refers to the power that US has, so
whatever crimes it commits, they remain unknown, they manipulate people through
media so they wont find out what US really does to other states.
6. Two metaphors in the text refer to the position of the citizen/writer in the present-day
world, the cushion and the mirror. Discuss their motivation and appropriateness in the
context.
The cushion refers to the lies that American citizens are used to, they are manipulated
and the cushion is the comfort that they enjoy, they dont think beyond the curtains so
they believe that their nation is the greatest.
The mirror reflects the writer or the citizen, but what he sees is just a reflection, not
the truth and we, as citizens, we have to find the real society, to break the mirror.
7. What kind of play would most likely contain the made-up presidential speech that
Pinter is proposing for Bush?
I think that a satire play would contain the made up speech that Pinter is proposing for
Bush, its slightly comic but it makes political statements and it explains in a both
comic and tragical way how US manipulates the society.
8. In your opinion, are political statements an appropriate part of a Nobel Prize speech?
Why? Why not? Can you think of similar examples of famous artists turning political
in prize acceptance speeches?

In my opinion, political statements are on one hand appropiate, because its presented
the opinion of an intelligent person, and if he has a word to say, it means that as
always, the political life is corrupt. On the other hand, its not appropiate, because the
speech becomes famous, the politicians find out and they will try to do everything to
put that person down. Despite this, I believe that this kind of speech wakes up people
from their cushions and it makes them think twice about the society were all living
in.