English to French translation

Malaria

September 4, 2007

What I learnt last night during University Challenge: the word "malaria" comes from Italian mala (bad) + aria (air). It was thought that this disease was caused by foul air in marshes.

P.S: I don’t watch University Challenge as I can’t stand the humiliation of rarely getting more than one or two answers right. It’s a quiz program where very bright students struggle to answer questions like "What type of object is the end product of a star of less than 4 solar masses?" while the presentator snarls "COME ON Cambridge, it’s obvious!". I was waiting for Nigella Lawson’s new cookery program to start, she’s a lot more pleasant than Jeremy Paxman.

Comments

I totally agree with you about University Challenge, the questions are very far-fetched sometimes, but I still enjoy watching it every now and then. About Nigella Lawson's program, I don't know what you thought of it, but I found her very silly for the first time. I normally love her recipes and her books, but I found the program very weak and useless. I don't know many people who would start baking a croissant pudding when they are back from an evening with friends and wait for 20 minutes for it to cook in the oven. What about when she sat on her sofa and tried to eat her pork chop with gnocchi with just a fork (was she going to grab the chop with her fingers?) and a pile of magazines, she was struggling, wasn't she? Anyway I still like the woman especially after I watched this program about her trying to find her origins. Perhaps you saw it too. Have a nice day!

You're right, Nigella's program was completely over the top, but that's precisely why I enjoyed it. You might think the black satin peignoir was unnecessary, as were images of her eating croissant dipped in caramel, sugar and cream in bed, but she did have a nightmarish day being ferried around in taxis before spending an evening sipping champagne with famous friends.

On a more serious note, there's one thing that I do like about her program: it shows a beautiful plump woman enjoying creamy puddings and fried food in a positive context. That is extremely rare in a media dominated by images of very skinny women and often encouraging feelings of guilt in those who enjoy their food.

"What type of object is the end product of a star of less than 4 solar masses?"

A white dwarf, right?

I also agree with you on your last point. She is very feminine and is not worried about her "rondeurs". She enjoys food and promotes a very positive image indeed.

Jean-Sébastien, Bruno on the French side kindly informs us that below 1.4 Ms it indeed becomes a white dwarf. Above 3 Ms, it becomes a black hole and between between the two, it's a neutron star. Showoff.

Delighted to know that you only get two questions right on university challenge Celine. As I usually get to three I can now say that I have beaten you at something...

Well done! Now keep working on your backhand - 8 weeks til our next squash game.

Is that a starter for 10?

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