Russo’s faux pas
TEXT OF STORY
SCOTT JAGOW: This week, Patricia Russo becomes the only American CEO of a blue-chip French company, the telecom firm Alcatel. But the French already have a beef with her: Russo says she won’t be learning their language. In France, that’s kinda like saying you enjoy kicking puppies. We now present The Marketplace Players:
FRENCHMAN: Mademoiselle Russo!
RUSSO: BOHN-jer.
FRENCHMAN: Stop talking. Now, you are here to learn how not to anger ze French, oui? So you can — how do you say? — “Stop kicking your foot inside of your mouth.”
RUSSO: Yes.
FRENCHMAN: Bon. First we do word association. Par example: I say “Jerry Lewis” and you say?
RUSSO: Idiot.
FRENCHMAN: Non! In France you say “genius.”
RUSSO: Why?
FRENCHMAN: Madame, we do not have all week to explain such things! Jerry Lewis?
RUSSO: Genius.
FRENCHMAN: Bon. McDonald’s.
RUSSO: Uh, french fries.
FRENCHMAN: Non — you say “Hell hole.” Iraq?
RUSSO: Quagmire.
FRENCHMAN: Ah! On this we agree. Maginot Line?
RUSSO: World War T–
FRENCHMAN: Non! If someone says “Maginot Line,” you say nothing.
RUSSO: Ah.
FRENCHMAN: Maginot Line.
[ LONG SILENCE ]
FRENCHMAN: Bon! You are a quick pupil. Come back tomorrow, we learn more.
RUSSO: Thank you, Jay-queeze.
FRENCHMAN: Jacques.
RUSSO: Mm. One last thing: How do I say, “I don’t like wine, I’d prefer a Coca-Cola?”
FRENCHMAN: Ah you say. “Pardonnez-moi, je suis un chien Americain. Je ne comprends pas rien.”
[ Translation: Forgive me, I’m an American dog, I don’t understand anything. ]
Stories You Might Like
There’s a lot happening in the world. Through it all, Marketplace is here for you.
You rely on Marketplace to break down the world’s events and tell you how it affects you in a fact-based, approachable way. We rely on your financial support to keep making that possible.
Your donation today powers the independent journalism that you rely on. For just $5/month, you can help sustain Marketplace so we can keep reporting on the things that matter to you.
