{"id":358,"date":"2010-04-11T14:38:55","date_gmt":"2010-04-11T14:38:55","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/italian\/?p=358"},"modified":"2010-04-11T14:38:55","modified_gmt":"2010-04-11T14:38:55","slug":"bureaucratic-italian-part-1-conosci-i-tuoi-diritti","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/blogs.transparent.com\/italian\/bureaucratic-italian-part-1-conosci-i-tuoi-diritti\/","title":{"rendered":"Bureaucratic Italian part 1, Conosci i tuoi Diritti?"},"content":{"rendered":"

Every now and then I write a blog  about ‘colloquial Italian’, explaining everyday language and expressions that you don’t normally find in grammar books and language classes. At the other end of the spectrum we have ‘bureaucratic Italian’, and although it won’t help you much if you want to fare due chiacchiere<\/strong> (have a chat) with the locals, it is still an important aspect of the Italian language, especially if you plan to be in Italy for long periods of time or perhaps even live here. Unfortunately, Italian bureaucracy is notoriously antiquated and convoluted, and in general the language reflects this.<\/font><\/p>\n

A few days ago when I went to visit my national health dentist I found a leaflet in the waiting area entitled ‘Consci i tuoi Diritti?’<\/strong> (Do you know your rights?’). The purpose of the leaflet is explained by the sub-heading ‘La SICUREZZA \u00e8 un impegno di TUTTI che migliora la QUALIT\u00c0 del lavoro di CIASCUNO’<\/strong> (SAFETY is a commitment for everyone that improves the QUALITY of work for EACH OF US).<\/font><\/p>\n

Now, a ‘health and safety at work’ leaflet in Italy may seem a bit eccentric, somewhat akin to wearing a paper hat in a monsoon, after all, just crossing the road on a pedestrian crossing in Italy is our national version of Russian Roulette! But let’s give credit where credit is due, at least they are trying (although of course the Italian cynic in me immediately suspects some European Union edict is at play here). Here are some excerpts from this <\/font>‘hopeful’ leaflet, let’s explore some of the language it uses:<\/font><\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
\n

Quali sono i tuoi diritti?<\/strong>
<\/font><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

What are your rights? N.B. although this is an official leaflet it tries to avoid being overly bureaucratic by using the friendly ‘tu’<\/strong> form<\/em>.
<\/font><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

essere informato sui rischi legati alla tua mansione<\/strong><\/font> <\/p>\n<\/td>\n

\n

to be informed about the risks associated with your task. N.B. mansione<\/strong> (‘task’ or ‘duty’) is more specific than the word lavoro<\/strong> (‘work’ or ‘job’)<\/em><\/font><\/p>\n<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n

\n

essere formato su come eseguire in sicurezza il tuo lavoro<\/strong><\/font><\/p>\n<\/td>\n

to be trained how to safely carry out your work. N.B. in Italian we have several verbs meaning ‘to train’, formare<\/strong> is the most appropriate one to use in this situation as it implies ‘professional training’<\/em><\/font><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
ricevere i dispositivi di protezione individuale specifici per la tua mansione (casco, cuffie, scarpe antinfortunistiche, maschere respiratorie ecc)<\/strong><\/font><\/td>\nto receive personal protection devices appropriate to your duty (helmet, headphones, safety footwear, breathing masks etc). N.B. infortunio sul lavoro<\/strong> means ‘industrial accident’, and therefore un dispositivo antinfortunistico<\/strong> is a device that protects against such accidents, hence scarpe antinfortunistiche <\/strong>(literally: anti accident shoes)<\/em> <\/font><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
essere informato sul comportamento da tenere in caso di incidenti o emergenze<\/strong><\/font><\/td>\nto be informed about what to do in case of accidents or emergency. 
N.B. ‘il comportamento da tenere <\/font>‘ <\/strong>can more literally be translated as ‘how to behave’.<\/em><\/font><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/tbody>\n<\/table>\n

In part 2 we’ll have a look at ‘I tuoi Doveri’<\/strong> (your duties) as an employee.<\/font><\/p>\n

Alla prossima<\/strong><\/font><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Every now and then I write a blog  about ‘colloquial Italian’, explaining everyday language and expressions that you don’t normally find in grammar books and language classes. At the other end of the spectrum we have ‘bureaucratic Italian’, and although it won’t help you much if you want to fare due chiacchiere (have a chat)…<\/p>\n

Continue Reading<\/a><\/p>","protected":false},"author":19,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"content-type":""},"categories":[6,619],"tags":[8202,8203,8204],"class_list":["post-358","post","type-post","status-publish","hentry","category-grammar","category-italian-language","tag-bureaucratic-italian","tag-italian-health-and-safety","tag-work-in-italy"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t\n\t\t