…Cairo stories – Mona

Mona | The Translator

In Egypt there is a saying a bout how you have to train your husband and your son. For example, how to trainthem to use a hanger to hang up their clothes, so they’re not always lying around. Or, maybe … it’s a hanger to puttheir problems on …

I am born in Pa ris and have lived in Egypt fora long time. I workas a translator for movies, mostly comedies, so l’m always looking for the Egyptian meaning of things,
the double, triple entend re and to get it through the censors, too.

For example, you can’t translate into Ara bic, “He slipped on a banana peel.” lt would not be funny. Wh at is funny is, “He slipped on an eggplant.” Because of the word play. But, it’s not funny at all in English, of course.

So the saying goes:
“Your son becomes what you bring him up to be. Your husband becomes what you get him used to doing.” As a wife you have to train your husband and your son, both will do what you trainthem to do.

I don’t know what they say a bout daughters. My daughter, she says that I made her my confidant at a too early a ge, that she doesn’t have a mother, even though I am her best friend.

I guess l’m nota very good translator for my son either. He lives with me at home, but he is just like his father. He doesn’t speak to me …