# slant-eyed cunt



## xindiriz

In the beginning of THE LONG-DISTANCE RUNNER by GRACE PALEY we find this expresion:

(...) I wanted to go far and fast, not as fast as bicycles and trains, not as far as Taipei, Hingwen, places like that, *islands of the slant-eyed cunt*, as sailors in bus stations say when speaking of travel, (...)

Could you help me with the translation into Galician or Spanish?
Thanks a lot .


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## robjh22

Good heavens ....

Islas del coño de ojos almendrados?


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## Bevj

Supongo que se refiere a chicas orientales.......
No se me ocurre una traducción exacta, pues no son los coños que tienen los ojos almendrados y no estoy segura de la preposición que se debe usar.
Claro, 'cunt' en inglés puede referirse a una persona directamente (muy, muy peyorativa la palabra) mientras no creo que se pueda decir 'eres un coño' en español.

Así que mi intento es 'islas de putas con ojos almendrados' (aúnque esta frase no es tan fea como la original).


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## robjh22

> 'islas de putas con ojos almendrados'



Mucho mejor. Bien hecho, Bev.


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## Warezchino

La traduccion seria "... esas islas de las putas ojos-rasgados"


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## mijoch

Because there are people who use that sort of language to refer to oriental ladies, doesn't automatically imply that they're "putas".

M.


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## grubble

Bevj said:


> Claro, 'cunt' en inglés puede referirse a una persona directamente (muy, muy peyorativa la palabra) mientras no creo que se pueda decir 'eres un coño' en español.


When angrily referring to a person (man or woman) this is a very bad insult. However in this case the term is used even more insultingly in that it implies that these women have no being, function or worth other than for sexual gratification.


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## ewie

Me parece a mí que todo el mundo no ve lo esencial del original:
_islas del coño diagonal/oblicuo_

... ancient joke among sailors.


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## elirlandes

No se refiere precisamente a "putas" y realmente es muy feo y despectivo. Creo que hay que incluir la palabra "coño" y una forma despectiva para decir oriental. Para mí, "slant-eyed" es despectivo de forma que  ojos-rasgados o  ojos-almendrados no es.

Yo diría:
"las islas de los coños chinos" (en España, "chino" cubre todo tipo de oriental, no solo los naturales de ese páis).
"las islas de los coños chinorris"
"las islas de los coños de amarillas/asiaticas/orientales"


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## grubble

ewie said:


> Me parece a mí que todo el mundo no ve lo esencial del original:
> _islas del coño diagonal/oblicuo_
> 
> ... ancient joke among sailors.


I don't understand this Ewie. I think you are saying that sailors say that the women's vulvas are asymmetrical but, as a joke, that doesn't make sense to me.


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## jakare

What Ewie says is a common "creencia" (popular, not only among sailors)


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## Warezchino

mijoch said:


> Because there are people who use that sort of language to refer to oriental ladies, doesn't automatically imply that they're "putas".
> 
> 
> 
> M.



I totally agree, but in this case, the word "cunt" doesn't mean ladies, does it?

It means "vaginas" in a very pejorative way, and therein lies the problem.

En el mejor de los casos, pudieramos decir, "...esas islas de vaginas ojos-rasgados" para referirse a mujeres asiaticas, independientemente de su actividad sexual.


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## Antpax

Warezchino said:


> I totally agree, but in this case, the word "cunt" doesn't mean ladies, does it?
> 
> It means "vaginas" in a very pejorative way, and therein lies the problem.
> 
> En el mejor de los casos, pudieramos decir, "...esas islas de vaginas ojos-rasgados" para referirse a mujeres asiaticas, independientemente de su actividad sexual.



Hola:

Creo que voy a disentir. Me temo que "vagina" es una palabra neutra en español, pero no lo es en inglés. Yo iría más por los ejemplos que propuso elirlandes, o algo como "islas de chochitos de ojos rasgados". 

Saludos.

Ant


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## fenixpollo

In the context of phrase in the first post of this thread, the word "cunt" means "women". It is the women who are "slant-eyed", not their vaginas (vaginas don't have eyes, even in colloquial speech). 

It is one of the most offensive phrases I have ever heard in English.


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## Warezchino

Antpax said:


> Hola:
> 
> Creo que voy a disentir. Me temo que "vagina" es una palabra neutra en español, pero no lo es en inglés. Yo iría más por los ejemplos que propuso elirlandes, o algo como "islas de chochitos de ojos rasgados".
> 
> Saludos.
> 
> Ant



Hola, gracias por el reply, pero ahora tengo una duda, en espanol que es un "chochito"

Saludos


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## Antpax

Warezchino said:


> Hola, gracias por el reply, pero ahora tengo una duda, en espanol que es un "chochito"
> 
> Saludos



Hola:

Chocho = Coño. Puse "chochito" en diminutivo para hacer la frase algo más despectiva, pero parece que no se entendería en todo el mundo hispanohablante.

Saludos.

Ant


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## Warezchino

fenixpollo said:


> In the context of phrase in the first post of this thread, the word "cunt" means "women". It is the women who are "slant-eyed", not their vaginas (vaginas don't have eyes, even in colloquial speech).
> 
> It is one of the most offensive phrases I have ever heard in English.



Hi, thanks for the reply, I didn't know that this very offensive phrase, but in the funny side, a vagina looks like a "slant-eye" isn't it?. Maybe this is the joke.


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## grubble

Antpax said:


> ... "islas de chochitos de ojos rasgados".
> ...


I agree 

RAE
chocho
...
(Del mozár. šóš, y este del lat. salsus, salado, por prepararse así habitualmente).
1. m. altramuz (‖ fruto).
2. m. Confite, peladilla o cualquier dulce pequeño.
*3. m. vulg. vulva.*
http://buscon.rae.es/draeI/SrvltConsulta?TIPO_BUS=3&LEMA=chocho


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## Warezchino

Antpax said:


> Hola:
> 
> Chocho = Coño. Puse "chochito" en diminutivo para hacer la frase algo más despectiva, pero parece que no se entendería en todo el mundo hispanohablante.
> 
> Saludos.
> 
> Ant



Y me supongo que coño en espanol de espana es igual a vagina en espanol de Mexico, cierto?

Chochito en espanol de Mexico, es lo que el doctor de medicina homeopata te da para tu enfermedad, es como un dulce muy pequenito.

Saludos


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## fenixpollo

Warezchino said:


> Hi, thanks for the reply, I didn't know that this very offensive phrase, but in the funny side, a vagina looks like a "slant-eye" isn't it?. Maybe this is the joke.


It's not a joke. The speaker is trying to refer offensively to the women who live on those islands. He might have said "gook bitches" or "chinese whores", and it would have the same meaning and intent.


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## grubble

Antpax said:


> Creo que voy a disentir. Me temo que "vagina" es una palabra neutra en español, pero no lo es en inglés. Yo iría más por los ejemplos que propuso elirlandes, o algo como "islas de chochitos de ojos rasgados".



"vagina" is not a bad word in English. It is used to discuss female anatomy so  people might be embarrassed to talk about it in public but it is not used in any bad way or as a swearword.


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## Warezchino

fenixpollo said:


> It's not a joke. The speaker is trying to refer offensively to the women who live on those islands. He might have said "gook bitches" or "chinese whores", and it would have the same meaning and intent.



Ok, I got it, it's not a joke, it's something very bad; so, from my point of view seems like GRACE PALEY who wrote THE LONG-DISTANCE RUNNER is a very offensive and racist person, is it right?

By the way, why "chinese whores" instead "asian whores", I mean, not necessarily chinese, right?

Regards


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## Rastnim88

Wow. I nearly dropped my cup of tea when I read that thread title. That's one of the most awful things I've ever seen written. It is a VERY strong insult, I wouldn't suggest ever using it, perhaps just forgetting it would be better.

In this context it refers to women and how the men view them as little more than vaginas, useful after a long time at sea. Normally though, for me, that word is used equally, if not more, to refer to men. 

I repeat, saying the c*** word is very, very bad, the worst word we have in our language. If it is said even once in a film in the UK it gets an 18 certificate. It is just an abhorrent word that I hate.


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## mijoch

It shows how far one can go. But there are other terms that can have the same meaning and be humorous.

I used to collect the original big coppery "honolulu pennies". Observing the later pennies one can observe that the spear held by Britannia appears to be supported on her knee.

On the "honolulu pennies"-----guess where the spear appears to be supported.

Nothing to do with nothing-----just a snippet of earlier British culture.

M.


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## Masood

fenixpollo said:


> In the context of phrase in the first post of this thread, the word "cunt" means "women".


The way I read it (British English), it could refer to men or women, i.e. people in general.


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## Almighty Egg

fenixpollo said:
			
		

> The speaker is trying to refer offensively to the women who live on those islands. He might have said "gook bitches" or "chinese whores", and it would have the same meaning and intent.



I disagree, I think the text refers explicitly to the *vulva* as being *"slant-eyed"*:

There is a myth (amongst sailors too) that Asian women's vulvas are "sideways" or slanted... like their eyes.

see these links: 
http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/1261279
http://message.snopes.com/showthread.php?t=4911
http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=slant%20slash&defid=2546434


So I would go for:
_*Las islas de los coños achinados*_
or similar.

Saludos.


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## bondia

fenixpollo said:


> In the context of phrase in the first post of this thread, the word "cunt" means "women". It is the women who are "slant-eyed"
> It is one of the most offensive phrases I have ever heard in English.


 
I agree, it is disgusting



fenixpollo said:


> It's not a joke. The speaker is trying to refer offensively to the women who live on those islands. He might have said "gook bitches" or "chinese whores", and it would have the same meaning and intent.


 
This is obviously a term used by ignorant sailors. The mind boggles at their level of bigotry, ignorance, what-have-you. Unfortunately, this was undoubtedly the case, and this was their way of referring to women, particularly to women they considered racially inferior. I don't wish to dwell on this theme but I once read somewhere that black women were referred to as "thick-lipped c...s".
Having said that, I don't doubt that they would also refer to women of their own race as c...s. That's all they were to them.
I think "gook/yellow bitches/whores" would be an _acceptable_ translation.
Sorry, I've rambled on a bit


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## Antpax

grubble said:


> "vagina" is not a bad word in English. It is used to discuss female anatomy so  people might be embarrassed to talk about it in public but it is not used in any bad way or as a swearword.



Hi,

Yes, you are right, I made a mistake when I wrote my previous post, I wanted to say "Me temo que "vagina" es una palabra neutra en español, pero *"cunt"* no lo es en inglés". I wrote too fast. My bad.

Cheers.

Ant


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## ewie

ewie said:


> Me parece a mí que todo el mundo no ve lo esencial del original:
> _islas del coño diagonal/oblicuo_
> 
> ... ancient joke among sailors.





Almighty Egg said:


> I disagree, I think the text refers explicitly to the *vulva* as being *"slant-eyed"*:
> 
> There is a myth (amongst sailors too) that asian women's vulvas are "sideways" or slanted... like their eyes.


Thanks for the corroboration, AE.  (I am ~ frankly ~ amazed that so many people _aren't_ interpreting it in this way)


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## Masood

Almighty Egg said:


> I disagree, I think the text refers explicitly to the *vulva* as being *"slant-eyed"*:
> 
> There is a myth (amongst sailors too) that Asian women's vulvas are "sideways" or slanted... like their eyes.
> 
> see these links:
> http://www.answerbag.com/q_view/1261279
> http://message.snopes.com/showthread.php?t=4911
> http://www.urbandictionary.com/define.php?term=slant%20slash&defid=2546434
> 
> 
> So I would go for:
> _*Las islas de los coños achinados*_
> or similar.
> 
> Saludos.


I see. 
I didn't know about these Sailors' myths. I agree that it can only be referring to women, then. And their vulvas in particular.


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## bondia

Almighty Egg said:


> I disagree, I think the text refers explicitly to the *vulva* as being *"slant-eyed"*:
> 
> There is a myth (amongst sailors too) that Asian women's vulvas are "sideways" or slanted... like their eyes.
> So I would go for:
> _*Las islas de los coños achinados*_
> or similar.
> Saludos.


 
[edit] Linguistics and erroneous uses
*In slipshod **colloquial** speech,* the term _vagina_ is often wrongly used to refer to the female genitals generally. The vagina is a specific _internal_ structure, whereas the vulva is the whole _exterior_ genitalia.

So, _sideways_ or _slanted_ *vulvas*? I think you're using the wrong word


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## Almighty Egg

I don't think so.
As I understand the myth it is only the outer part that is on sideways.
The inner part is business as usual.


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## bondia

Almighty Egg said:


> I don't think so.
> As I understand the myth it is only the outer part that is on sideways.
> The inner part is business as usual.


 
How can "the outer part be on sideways"? But, as we're dealing with a myth, I guess anything is possible. It might be a good idea to ask for a doctor's opinion.
As far as the inner part being "business as usual", I have nothing more to say, other than to revert to the language used by ignorant, bigoted sailors back in the 16th century.


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## gengo

Warezchino said:


> Ok, I got it, it's not a joke, it's something very bad; so, from my point of view seems like GRACE PALEY who wrote THE LONG-DISTANCE RUNNER is a very offensive and racist person, is it right?



Paley isn't saying it herself, she is quoting sailors.  That doesn't make her racist.



> By the way, why "chinese whores" instead "asian whores", I mean, not necessarily chinese, right?



Correct, but racist and insensitive people rarely bother about such distinctions.



Almighty Egg said:


> I disagree, I think the text refers explicitly to the *vulva* as being *"slant-eyed"*:



No, fenixpollo is 100% correct in all his posts in this thread.  I have actually heard this phrase used by real people, and I can assure you that they were talking about women, not their genitals (although, as others have mentioned, there is some blurring of the line here).

In American English, cunt is never used to refer to a man, and is a very vulgar synonym of woman (in one of its meanings).


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## gengo

bondia said:


> How can "the outer part be on sideways"?



It's just a joke, guys.  No one actually thinks it's true.  The joke is that because Asians have "slanted" eyes, it's "funny" to think that Asian women are slanted in other areas of their bodies.

A variation on this silly and racist theme was popular when I was a boy.  It was a sing-song that went like this.

Daddy was Chinese (the speaker lifts the outside corners of his eyes),
Mommy was Japanese (the speaker lowers the outside corners of his eyes),
Little baby was all mixed up (the speaker lowers one eye and raises the other).

People are silly.


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## Almighty Egg

So to summarise, 
"islands of the slant-eyed cunt", where "cunt" is:

a) female genitalia
b) women
c) people 

Well, the authoress is dead so we can't ask her. Shall we take a vote? 

My money is still on option a) due to the existence of a myth of "sideways genitalia", and that it was being talked about by "sailors". 

There is some ambiguity, but I think it more likely that the authoress was making a reference to this myth rather than merely making a sexist and racist comment, even if it was made by "sailors". 

Anyway... if it were used for to refer to women, in general, wouldn't it be "land of the slant-eyed cunt*s*" in plural?

Moving on...


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