English with A Dutch Accent - Hear Dutch Characters from Plays
Hear me speak English with a Dutch accent; it is a bit embarrassing to me,
I cringe a little when I hear it,
but I guess it is of some use to actors and voice coaches.
General Pointers
Formal
Analysis of the Dutch Accent by Kathryn Maes of the Denver
Center Theatre Company -
Words List
Vincent in Brighton
The Names: Vincent van Gogh - Eugenie - Ursula
We had been at sea for seventeen days when the first storm hit.
The crew and I worked very hard to bring the ship under control and took
care to make each of our actions deliberately.
The waves were crashing over the sides and stern as we fought to ride
the crest and get over the top.
It was then I heard the skipper cry out for help from
somewhere in the rain.
By the time I could see him, the large crate of glass had been resting
on his chest for nearly a minute and in one glance I could see his
eyes had gone lifeless.
With only our wit standing between us and certain death, we regained
control of the ship and steered her into the wind.
Shortly thereafter, the storm passed and we made for calmer waters.
The hardest part about serving on board a small ship is the close quarters.
You have to try to stand each other for a few days and put emphasis on
the things that have to be done.
My wife, Eugenie, will often accompany me on trips now.
We have been together for almost thirty years and still she will tell me to come
home early from work because she misses me.
She is an architect and designed our home a very open space.
We found the money, though it was hard, to build it the way she imagined.
Outside we tried to make use of the pastoral view of the bottom of the
valley by framing it with plants of all types.
I think it is lovely, though she would have preferred a view of water.
There is a cemetery nearby and often, with her sister Ursula, we walk
there to see the stones.
hear:first part -
second part -
third part -
in full, exaggerated
The weather is beautiful now. I think that Spring comes earlier here
than it does in Holland. All last week, when I walked to work, there
were apple trees in blossom, lilacs, hawthorns, chestnut trees. If
you love nature, you can find beauty anywhere, even in a city.
This
morning I woke at six. I went for a walk on the common. The sky was
blue and a lark was singing. I ran to the church as though I was
carried by wings.
2
Dracula (Van Helsing)
The real God taketh heed lest a Sparrow fall; but the God created
from human vanity sees no difference between an Eagle and a Sparrow.
We have met before?
You find a natural progression, yes? A Fly? A Spider? A Bird?
Then, the Maidens shine not to the eyes that are filled!
Our angel of mercy! I've heard much about you. Come let's sit and
tell me all.
Budapest?
Your fiancée is better?
Now let's see to our patient.
2
My name is Professor Abraham Van Helsing. I am an expert in diseases
of the blood.
Mr. Harker, we must face the facts. Mina has been bitten by a
vampire. And that vampire is Count Dracula.
The strength of the vampire is that people will not believe in him.
The Names: Professor Abraham van Helsing - Dracula
2
In the year of our Lord Eighteen Hundred and Ninety Two a series of
documents came into my hands while consulting upon the saddest of
medical cases. These diaries, journal entries, newspaper articles and
letters of dear friends one to another have here been placed in an
order to reveal a story so totally at variance with teh possibilities
of contemporary belief as to appear the ravings of madmen. We offer no
proofs. We ask none to believe us. You have only my word before God
that what follows is pure and simple fact ...
- ninety
You are a clever man, friend John; you reason well, and your wit is
bold; but you are too prejudiced ... It is the fault of our science
which wants to explain all; and if it explains not, then it says there
is nothing to explain ... You think there are no mysteries in life
that science cannot unlock? Let me tell you my friend, there are
things done today in electrical science which would have been deemed
unholy by the very men who discovered electricity - who themselves
would not so long before have been burned as wizards.
Do you know the mysteries of life and death? Can you tell me why, when
other spiders die small and soon, that one great spider lived for
centuries in the tower of an old Spanish church? ... Can you tell me
how in some island of the western sea there are bats who flit down on
sailors asleep on deck and in the morning these sailors are found dead
men, white as even Miss Lucy was? ... Can you tell me how the Indian
fakir has made himself to die and be buried and to live again? ... Can
you tell me why men believe in all ages and in all places that there
be some who cannot die? ... To believe in things you cannot. An
American once so defined faith: "that which enables us to believe
things we know to be untrue."
- buried
With my poor wife dead to me, but alive by the Church's law, though
no wits, all gone, even I, who am faithful husband to this now no-wife
...
2
Professor Szgany (from Budapest)
Nosferatu
Johan Szgany
Abraham van Helsing
Vlad Tepes
(2)
(Thank you Eduard Tara!)
Varna
Budapest
München
2(Munich)
Galatz
Bistritza River
Borgo Pass
Dracula
The German:
Gott im Himmel!
(God in Heaven!)
Mein Gott!
2(My God!)
Halt! Ein Feuer. Die Ausländer haben sich hier ein Feuer
gemacht.
2 (Stop! A Fire. The foreigners have made a fire here.)
Ila's Lines
This is Ila Niehaus from Secretary General Gam's office. The
Secretary General wishes you to know that Mr. Momed Salah is ill and
will not be speaking today.
Anders, ...that time when Skovland hid the keys to the embassy car.
Two days, one car. We couldn't go anywhere. It was as if Norway
stopped, that's what you said. Due to a practical joke.
Prosky's jaw's locked on every ambassador, trying to
convince them not to attend Salah's speech. What if terrorists
attack? He wants a call.
First time I've been in here today.
We've worked together for 22 years. I know how to keep him calm.
Anders had hip surgery 18 months ago. He's having trouble standing still.
Mrs. Bob Cratchit's Wild Christmas Binge (by Christopher Durang)
Merry Christmas, my darling husband. Even though we have no money, I
have managed to buy you a Christmas gift, darling Edvar. Look- a watch
fob for the cherished timepiece that your father gave you.
You don't like it?
Oh, Edvar. You bought me a Christmas gift by selling your watch. I am
so touched. What did you get me?
I sold my hair in order to buy you a Christmas present.
It is. We've both given up things we love in order to buy presents
which are now useless. How I hate Christmas.
I'd love to. But I sold my father's gun last year to buy you arrows,
don't you remember?
And of course, I don't have arthritis. Darling, wait! We still have
the arrows! Why don't we impale ourselves on them as a way of dying?
2
The Wedding Party
Judith Herzberg: The Wedding Party
Ada She hasn't slept with a man for over thirty years, so what does
she know of life?
2 Or did she have a man, how am I to know?
2 Do you want to use my perfume?
I dropped the bottle in the washbasin and the bottle didn't
break but the washbasin broke.
Then I cleaned up the splinters of glass, how can there be
splinters of glass when the bottle didn't break?
2 And I cut myself deeply but it didn't bleed and that was rather worrying.
2 Have you seen these beautiful flowers?
2 I think they're awful.
Would you like to have my awful flowers?
2
Dutch has the identical-looking word splinters23
so pronunciation might tend towards that
Deathtrap in Massachusetts (Helga ten Dorp)
(Helga ten Dorp)
For hours now I feel the pain from here. And more than pain. Since
eight-thirty, when begins The Merv Griffin Show. I am on it next week:
you will watch?
2
Thursday night. Peter Hurkos also. What they want him for, I do not
know. I call the Information but the lady will tell me not you
number. I call Paul but he is not at home: he is in place with red
walls, eating with chopsticks. I call the Information again. I
say "Is urgent psychic." She say, "Guess number?" I try, but only I see
the two-two-six, which is everbody, ja? So I come here now.
hear both paragraphs:regular -
exaggerated -
exaggerated 2 -
mild
The Names: Helga ten Dorp - Peter Hurkos - Merv Griffin - Paul
23
David Sedaris's short story, Six To Eight Black Men
Listen, you might want to pack a few of your things together before
you go to bed. The former bishop from Turkey will be coming along with
six to eight black men. They might put some candy in your shoes, they
might stuff you in a sack and take you to Spain, or they might just
pretend to kick you. We don't know for sure, but we want you to be
prepared.
2345
Van Gelder (Murder at Café Noir)
Mr Schickelmeier, yes
Meneer (Mr and Sir)
Yes! The eyes, that nose, Mrs Schickelmeier's missing daughter, Nancy.
Mevrouw (Mrs)
That's right, your name is Sheila. Nancy is your mother. I just left
her in Sint Maarten where she's "recovering." She's always recovering,
your mother.
moeder (mother)
It's really a question of what you don't want, isn't it? I read in the
paper about this unfortunate death of Mr Gavreau. He was a business
acquaintance of mine.
business relation
It's even more Dutch when you say:
'He was a business relation of me'
We don't have that construction with the
possessive in Dutch, we say
"De vrienden van m'n vader" not "The friends of
my father's" -
The friends of my father
Hij is een vriend van me - he is a friend of me
Hij was een vriend van me - he was a friend of me
I's criminal what an impetuous girl might do to her poor father's
reputation. Surprising what business opportunities a spur of the
moment trip might bring, yes?
impulsive girl
reputatie (reputation)
Madame Toureau, yes?
Meneer Van Gelder. Perhaps you've heard André speak of me?
Then perhaps we could talk, in private.
My gun, Mr Rick?
(Name of Play Unknown)
Gellhorn
- Gellhorn? 2
Chou-en-Lai wants to see you and Hemingway. Make sure you're not
followed. Just walk, we'll find you.
2
+ But hurry!
23
Get in, please.
23
Would you mind putting these on?
2
Chou has many enemies. It's better not to know how to find him.
2
Arsenic and Old Lace
I understand you have a room to rent?
Are you the lady of the house?
My name is Gibbs.
May I see your room?
That won't do much good if I don't like the room.
Haven't got a home. Live in a hotel. Don't like it.
Haven't got any family.
Yip, I'm a presbyterian. Used to be.
Is there always this much noise?
I'd really like to see the room.
Never touch it.
Elderberry wine ... mmm ... haven't tasted elberberry wine
since I was a boy. Thank you. Do you have your own elderberry bushes?
Do you serve meals? exaggerated
Miep Gies
Just to o give an idea of the accent I recorded a few of Miep Gies's lines in
'The Diary of Anne Frank' - but it's not meant to be spoken - Miep
Gies spoke Dutch to Mr Frank.
I've been asked for Dutch accent tips by actors playing Anne Frank's
horrible ordeal, and I've told them it would be wrong and detract from the play
if the actors would try to speak English with Dutch accents. We've all
seen war
movies with German soldiers speaking English with a German accent
to each other - when you think of it that doesn't seem right.
In plays or movies, I think Dutchmen (or any non-native speakers of
English) should only speak English with a Dutch (or their own
country's) accent when in the
reality that is depicted they would speak English, like when talking
to Americans or English people or others who don't speak Dutch. I
think it would be best for actors to speak a class- and region-neutral
'newscaster' English when playing foreigners speaking their own
language - but, thinking it over, when they speak to English-speakers
they should adopt an accent? Doesn't seem right either.
Mr. Frank ... the most wonderful news ... the invasion has begun!
Did you hear that everybody ...? Did you hear what I said? The invasion
has begun! The invasion! It began early this morning! The radio! The
B.B.C! They said they landed on the coast of Normandy! British,
Americans, French, Dutch, Poles, Norwegians ... all of them! More than
four thousand ships! Churchill spoke, the Genera l Eisenhower! D-Day
they call it! I'm going to tell Mr. Kraler ... This'll be better than
any blood transfusion!
Are you all right, Mr. Frank? Everyone in the office has gone
home ... It's after six. Don't stay up here Mr. Frank. What's the use of
torturing yourself like this?
What do you mean? Where are you going? Where? Mr. Frank, you
can't leave here! This is your home! Amsterdam is your home. Your
business is here, waiting for you ... You're needed here ... Now that the
war is over, there are things that ...
No. No. It wasn't suffering. You can't say we suffered. Mr.
Frank, did you see? There are some of your papers here. We found them
in a heap of rubbish on the floor after ... after you left.
Oh it will take a while
To make me smile
'fore I can find
The peace of mind
To relax, take things as they come
Oh, it will take a while
Songs By Others
Late Fifties - note the 'British' accent - before American TV, Rock
and Pop gave most Dutchmen an American accent.
Het Leids Studenten Cabaret:
Places -
Cursing
Or go to the 'Music' directory
'Cold War Interview'
20 Minutes of me talking about growing up in the Cold War
(Sorry about the low volume and background noise)
2