From: Robert Dober Date: 2009-05-13T03:31:25+09:00 Subject: Re: On the Niceties of Asking For what You Want (was Re: Want some information....) On Tue, May 12, 2009 at 3:19 PM, Rick DeNatale wrote: > On Tue, May 12, 2009 at 8:59 AM, Robert Klemme > wrote: >> 2009/5/12 Arun Kumar : >>>   I want to know about authentication in ruby. Is it possible to scrap >>> html of those sites which require basic authentication. >> >> I am not a native speaker but for all I know "want" is considered >> impolite among English speaking people. > > I wouldn't say so.  To want carries the same basic connotation as > vouloir in French, I don't know that  je veut, or je voudrais is more > impolite than say j'aimerais and I'd think that the average native > English speaker would consider both I want, or I would like to be > socially acceptable expressions of a desire for something. Let us see, you just enter the boulangerie and are in front of a very charming lady half your age, I really cannot imagine someone saying "je veux", this is really inaceptable and I have never heard it. "Je voudrais" is fine of course, "je souhaiterais" is very beautiful. I was very shocked by "I want", but I am notoriously sensible (c.f. Lazy Bastard thread). And this is the real reason I am so picky with your French here, you did *not* support me in that thread, any excuses ;))) Seriously, it is very important to know for Rubiests how to get des croissants, pains aux chocolat, brioches ou encore des chaussons pommes... when in France ou au Québec (ou avez-vous d'autres spécialités) I guess I should start preparing dinner... > > If we are talking about faux amis, one of the tricky French-English > ones is demander, which translates properly in English to "to ask" > whereas do demand in English means something more like exiger in > French, and would probably be perceived as a step up the rudeness > scale. Well as we are already OT here, I prefer true enemies aux faux amis ;). Demander is very strong indeed, it is the police who "demande les personnes de sortir". But always consider the context ;) "Pourrais-je vous demander un service, Madame." Very polite indeed. Cheers Robert > > -- > Rick DeNatale > > Blog: http://talklikeaduck.denhaven2.com/ > Twitter: http://twitter.com/RickDeNatale > WWR: http://www.workingwithrails.com/person/9021-rick-denatale > LinkedIn: http://www.linkedin.com/in/rickdenatale > > -- Si tu veux construire un bateau ... Ne rassemble pas des hommes pour aller chercher du bois, préparer des outils, répartir les tâches, alléger le travail… mais enseigne aux gens la nostalgie de l’infini de la mer. If you want to build a ship, don’t herd people together to collect wood and don’t assign them tasks and work, but rather teach them to long for the endless immensity of the sea. -- Antoine de Saint-Exupéry