Oana Emilia Butnareanu
Stanford University
When I was four years old, I fell in love. It was not a transient love-one that stayed by my side during the good times and vanished during the bad, but rather a love so deep that few would understand. It was not the love for a person, but the love for a language. It was the love for Spanish.
Having been born and raised behind the Iron Curtain, in a country where Western influence was limited and the official and only language was Romanian, I was on my own. Everyone around me, especially my family, had trouble understanding what could possibly draw me to such a foreign and, in their opinion, unattractive language. But as they say, love is blind, and the truth of the matter is that I wasn’t even sure what it was exactly that made Spanish so fascinating to me. The only thing I knew was that I absolutely adored hearing its perfectly articulated phrases, and trying to make sense of its sweet and tender words: serenades to my innocent ear.
Spanish entered through my door on June 16th, 1994, when a man from the local cable company came to connect our living room to the rest of the world. That day, I was introduced to “Acasa,” a Romanian cable network dedicated to broadcasting Spanish language telenovelas (soap operas) to Romanian audiences. As I learned to read, I started associating the Romanian subtitles with the Spanish dialogue, and little by little, I began understanding the language. For a little girl who had yet to discover new aspects of her own language, this was quite an accomplishment, but no one around me felt the same way. My father, enraged at my apparent “obsession” with the language, scolded me incessantly, declaring that: “We are immigrating to the United States, not to Mexico! You should spend your time learning English instead of watching that nonsense!”
Sadly, my family’s objection was only the first of many hardships I was bound to encounter. When I was nine, my immigration to the US forced me to say goodbye to what had become a huge and indispensable part of me. I needed to hear Spanish, to listen to it daily, and although Los Angeles could be considered a Spanish speaker’s paradise, my largely Romanian neighborhood allowed for little interaction with the language. For six years, destiny kept us apart, and the feelings that Spanish had evoked in me soon faded away.
But high school brought about a new era in my life, an era in which my love for Spanish was revived and greatly amplified. For an hour a day, life was put on hold, and I was able to speak and read Spanish more actively than ever. After two years of Advanced Placement Spanish, I not only understood the language to perfection, but spoke it flawlessly as well.
There are no words that can describe how proud and greatly accomplished I feel today at my ability to speak Spanish. During a recent trip to Mexico, I was mistaken more than once for one of the natives. One man, after seeing my Romanian last name, asked me if it was my husband’s, for undoubtedly, he believed, I was Mexican. Given to a Romanian girl, whose family members were oblivious to the language, and who had learned it on her own despite their objections, this was the greatest compliment of all. In the United States, Spanish is the second most spoken language and a great asset for anyone who speaks it. It is not “nonsense,” as my father had dubbed it, and being able to prove this to him has made me even prouder for loving Spanish.
My love of Spanish has influenced much of who I am today. The fight that I led against family objections and immigration to a new land has allowed me to develop an ambitious and aggressive spirit in the face of adversity. It has made me stronger, and taught me that I must always fight with unstoppable perseverance for all that is important to me. I am determined to use my love and passion for Spanish to make an impact on the world. Currently, Spanish is the primary language of 21 nations around the globe, and one of the six official languages of the UN. I want to be the link that connects these nations to the United States, and to the 40 million Americans whose native language is Spanish. I want to use my ability to speak Spanish to learn more about the people of these nations, both on a professional and personal level. No matter where the path of life takes me, I wish for Spanish to always be a part of me.
Through the years, Spanish has evolved into one of my most remarkable accomplishments. Today, I am prouder than ever of loving Spanish - of having something that distinguishes me from the rest, something that makes me unique. It is not often the case for a Romanian -American girl living in Los Angeles to exhibit such passion and devotion towards a language that is foreign to both her native and adoptive countries. Nevertheless, Spanish is a big part of whom I am today, and an even bigger part of who I will be in the future.
“A Different Kind of love”
«Другой вид любви»
Oana Emilia Butnareanu
Оана Эмилия Бутнаряну
Stanford University
Стэндфордский Университет
When I was four years old, I fell in love.
Когда мне было четыре года, я влюбилась.
It was not a transient love-one that stayed by my side during the good times and vanished during the bad, but rather a love so deep that few would understand.
Это была не преходящая любовь, которая оставалась со мной в хорошие времена и исчезала в плохие, а любовь настолько глубокая, что мало кто мог ее понять.
It was not the love for a person, but the love for a language. It was the love for Spanish.
Это была не любовь к человеку, а любовь к языку. Это была любовь к испанскому.
Having been born and raised behind the Iron Curtain, in a country where Western influence was limited and the official and only language was Romanian, I was on my own.
Родившись и выросши за железным занавесом, в стране, где западное влияние было ограничено, а официальным и единственным языком был румынский, я была предоставлена самой себе.
Everyone around me, especially my family, had trouble understanding what could possibly draw me to such a foreign and, in their opinion, unattractive language.
Все вокруг меня, особенно моя семья, с трудом понимали, что могло привлечь меня к такому иностранному и, по их мнению, непривлекательному языку.
But as they say, love is blind, and the truth of the matter is that I wasn’t even sure what it was exactly that made Spanish so fascinating to me.
Но, как говорится, любовь слепа, и правда в том, что я даже не была уверена, что именно делает испанский язык таким привлекательным для меня.
The only thing I knew was that I absolutely adored hearing its perfectly articulated phrases, and trying to make sense of its sweet and tender words: serenades to my innocent ear.
Единственное, что я знала, так это то, что я совершенно обожала слушать его прекрасно артикулированные фразы и пытаться понять смысл его милых и нежных слов: серенады для моего невинного уха.
Spanish entered through my door on June 16th, 1994, when a man from the local cable company came to connect our living room to the rest of the world.
Испанский вошел в мою дверь 16 июня 1994 года, когда пришел человек из местной кабельной компании, чтобы соединить нашу гостиную с остальным миром.
That day, I was introduced to “Acasa,” a Romanian cable network dedicated to broadcasting Spanish language telenovelas (soap operas) to Romanian audiences.
В тот день меня познакомили с Acasa, румынской кабельной сетью, предназначенной для трансляции теленовелл (мыльных опер) на испанском языке для румынской аудитории.
As I learned to read, I started associating the Romanian subtitles with the Spanish dialogue, and little by little, I began understanding the language.
Когда я научилась читать, румынские субтитры стали ассоциироваться у меня с испанскими диалогами, и постепенно я начала понимать язык.
For a little girl who had yet to discover new aspects of her own language, this was quite an accomplishment, but no one around me felt the same way.
Для маленькой девочки, которой еще предстояло открыть для себя новые аспекты своего собственного языка, это было большим достижением, но никто вокруг меня не чувствовал того же.
My father, enraged at my apparent “obsession” with the language, scolded me incessantly, declaring that: “We are immigrating to the United States, not to Mexico! You should spend your time learning English instead of watching that nonsense!”
Мой отец, взбешенный моей явной «одержимостью» языком, беспрестанно ругал меня, заявляя, что: «Мы иммигрируем в США, а не в Мексику! Ты должна тратить свое время на изучение английского языка вместо того, чтобы смотреть этот бред!»
Sadly, my family’s objection was only the first of many hardships I was bound to encounter.
К сожалению, возражение моей семьи было лишь первой из многих трудностей, с которыми мне пришлось столкнуться.
When I was nine, my immigration to the US forced me to say goodbye to what had become a huge and indispensable part of me.
Когда мне было девять лет, иммиграция в США заставила меня распрощаться с тем, что стало огромной и неотъемлемой частью меня.
I needed to hear Spanish, to listen to it daily, and although Los Angeles could be considered a Spanish speaker’s paradise, my largely Romanian neighborhood allowed for little interaction with the language.
Мне нужно было слышать испанский язык, слушать его каждый день, и хотя Лос-Анджелес можно было считать раем для испаноговорящих, мой преимущественно румынский район позволял мало общаться с языком.
For six years, destiny kept us apart, and the feelings that Spanish had evoked in me soon faded away.
На шесть лет судьба разлучила нас, и чувства, которые вызывал во мне испанский язык, вскоре угасли.
But high school brought about a new era in my life, an era in which my love for Spanish was revived and greatly amplified.
Но средняя школа открыла новую эру в моей жизни, эру, когда моя любовь к испанскому возродилась и значительно усилилась.
For an hour a day, life was put on hold, and I was able to speak and read Spanish more actively than ever.
На час в день жизнь приостанавливалась, и я могла говорить и читать по-испански более активно, чем когда-либо.
After two years of Advanced Placement Spanish, I not only understood the language to perfection, but spoke it flawlessly as well.
После двух лет изучения испанского языка на уровне Advanced Placement я не только в совершенстве поняла язык, но и безупречно на нем говорила.
There are no words that can describe how proud and greatly accomplished I feel today at my ability to speak Spanish.
Нет слов, которые могли бы описать, как я горжусь тем, что могу говорить по-испански.
During a recent trip to Mexico, I was mistaken more than once for one of the natives.
Во время недавней поездки в Мексику меня не раз принимали за одну из местных.
One man, after seeing my Romanian last name, asked me if it was my husband’s, for undoubtedly, he believed, I was Mexican.
Один мужчина, увидев мою румынскую фамилию, спросил меня, не принадлежит ли она моему мужу, поскольку он, несомненно, считал, что я мексиканка.
Given to a Romanian girl, whose family members were oblivious to the language, and who had learned it on her own despite their objections, this was the greatest compliment of all.
Подаренный румынской девушке, члены семьи которой не знали языка и которая выучила его самостоятельно, несмотря на их возражения, это был величайший комплимент из всех возможных.
In the United States, Spanish is the second most spoken language and a great asset for anyone who speaks it.
В Соединенных Штатах испанский язык является вторым по распространенности языком и является большим преимуществом для всех, кто на нем говорит.
It is not “nonsense,” as my father had dubbed it, and being able to prove this to him has made me even prouder for loving Spanish.
Это не «ерунда», как назвал это мой отец, и возможность доказать ему это заставила меня еще больше гордиться тем, что я люблю испанский язык.
My love of Spanish has influenced much of who I am today.
Моя любовь к испанскому языку во многом повлияла на то, кем я являюсь сегодня.
The fight that I led against family objections and immigration to a new land has allowed me to develop an ambitious and aggressive spirit in the face of adversity.
Борьба, которую я вела против возражений семьи и иммиграция в новую страну, позволила мне развить амбициозный и агрессивный дух перед лицом невзгод.
It has made me stronger, and taught me that I must always fight with unstoppable perseverance for all that is important to me.
Это сделало меня сильнее и научило меня, что я всегда должна бороться с непреодолимой настойчивостью за все, что важно для меня.
I am determined to use my love and passion for Spanish to make an impact on the world.
Я полна решимости использовать свою любовь и страсть к испанскому языку, чтобы повлиять на мир.
Currently, Spanish is the primary language of 21 nations around the globe, and one of the six official languages of the UN.
В настоящее время испанский язык является основным языком 21 страны мира и одним из шести официальных языков ООН.
I want to be the link that connects these nations to the United States, and to the 40 million Americans whose native language is Spanish.
Я хочу быть связующим звеном, соединяющим эти страны с Соединенными Штатами и с 40 миллионами американцев, чей родной язык — испанский.
I want to use my ability to speak Spanish to learn more about the people of these nations, both on a professional and personal level.
Я хочу использовать свои способности говорить по-испански, чтобы узнать больше о людях этих стран, как на профессиональном, так и на личном уровне.
No matter where the path of life takes me, I wish for Spanish to always be a part of me.
Куда бы меня ни привел жизненный путь, я хочу, чтобы испанский язык всегда был частью меня.
Through the years, Spanish has evolved into one of my most remarkable accomplishments.
С годами испанский язык превратился в одно из моих самых замечательных достижений.
Today, I am prouder than ever of loving Spanish - of having something that distinguishes me from the rest, something that makes me unique.
Сегодня я больше, чем когда-либо, горжусь тем, что люблю испанский язык, что у меня есть что-то, что отличает меня от остальных, что-то, что делает меня уникальной.
It is not often the case for a Romanian -American girl living in Los Angeles to exhibit such passion and devotion towards a language that is foreign to both her native and adoptive countries.
Нечасто случается, чтобы румынско-американская девушка, живущая в Лос-Анджелесе, проявляла такую страсть и преданность языку, который чужд как ее родному, так и языку приемной страны.
Nevertheless, Spanish is a big part of whom I am today, and an even bigger part of who I will be in the future.
Тем не менее, испанский большая часть того, кем я являюсь сегодня, и еще большая часть того, кем я буду в будущем.
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