#18: Border Song

[Admin]

Production #1016 - 16 Feb 87

ALF befriends a human alien, an undocumented Mexican boy brought home by Willie (MAX WRIGHT) when his office is unable to locate the lad's father.

Written By: Donald Todd
Directed By: Tom Patchett

Guest Cast: Diane Cary (Ms. Wine)
Phillip Gordon (Luis Tejada)
Earl Boen (Broom)

Title: The title is derived from a Elton John song with the same name.

[Mystiness EX]

I don't really like this episode. I don't know Spanish or French so I couldn't catch much of the content, and I'm really not interested in gardening or lost Mexican boys. The jokes aren't really all that humourous either in my opinion. ):

[ALFicionado]

Yes, this is one of the lesser episodes of the season, I agree. I liked the fact that ALF knew perfect Spanish though. Felt random and pretty funny. I give this a 3-star rating.

[samstokes80]

I saw the episode first when I was a kid, before I learned Spanish. After learning Spanish, there is a little bit that is easier to understand, but really most of what is happening can be gathered through the context and body language, so you didn't really miss much. When I get a chance, I will do a translation of all the Spanish in the episode and post it here.

By the way, ALF not only speaks English and Spanish, he also apparently knows Japanese, as he reads the Japanese instructions for assembling the artificial Christmas tree on "Oh, Tannerbaum." My fan theory on this is that Melmac has been observing Earth's culture for many years. ALF makes several references that make it obvious that he was aware of certain parts of Earth culture long before he arrived. For example, on "It isn't Easy Being Green," he mentions that he once played Don Quixote in the musical "Man of La Mancha" on Melmac. Also, Skip and Rick sing "Help Me, Rhonda" by The Beach Boys on Melmac before it is destroyed.

[samstokes80]

Here you go... these are my translations of the Spanish in the episode "Border Song." I can't guarantee 100% accuracy, but it should at least be really close.
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Willie (on the phone): Hola, Yo deber localizar un hombre nombrar Fredo Mancia. [Note: Willie's verbs are not conjugated correctly, probably because his Spanish is rough.]
(Hello, I need to locate a man named Fredo Mancia.)

----
Kate: Mi casa, su casa.
(My home is your home.)
Luis: Gracias.
(Thank you.)

----
Luis: Dios mio!
(My God!)
ALF: What are you doing here?
Luis: Tu eres un diablo! Esta casa esta embrujada como la "Amityville Horror."
(You are a devil! This house is haunted like "Amityville Horror.")
ALF: Keep it down, will ya?
Luis: Por favor, No me lastimas.
(Please, don't hurt me.)
ALF: Ves . . . amigos.
(Look ...[puts down hoe] ... friends.)
Luis: Tu hablas espanol?
(You speak Spanish?)
ALF: Yo soy ALF. Yo vengo del espacio.
(I am ALF. I come from space.)
Luis: Espacio?
(Space?)
ALF: Melmac, kaboom! ...never mind.

---
Luis: Extraterrestre?
(Extraterrestrial?)
ALF: Si.
(Yes)
Luis: Un ser extraterrestre? Por que me asustaste?
(An exraterrestrial being? Why did you scare me?)
ALF: Yo pense eres Bob Barker.
(I thought you were Bob Barker.)
Luis: The Price is Right?

---
ALF: Que estabas haciendo con esto?
(What were you doing with this? [showing him the gardening shovel])
Luis: Perdon. Los estaba regando en las plantas. La tierra es harinosa.
(Pardon me. I was watering the plants. The soil is dry.)
ALF: Aqui, ensename. Que piensas de mi jardin?
(Here, teach me. What do you think of my garden?)
Luis: Bien - podias usar mucho mas manure.
(It's good - you could use much more manure.)

--
Luis: Weeds, mal hierba!
(Weeds, "bad grass"). ["Mal hierba" literally translates as "bad grass," which is the Spanish term for weeds.]

---
Luis: No, no, no comprendo! No comprendo!
(No, no, I don't understand! I don't understand!)

---
ALF: You can help me harvest the jicama.
Luis: I hate jicama.
[Jicama is known as the Mexican yam or the Mexican turnip.]

---
Luis: No problemo.
(No problem.)

---
ALF: Hasta la vista.
(Until we see each other again.)

[Admin]

Thanks for sharing! I've always wondered what some of those lines were. I took 4 years of Spanish in high school, but I still can't speak/read/write a lick!

[Alf for lif]

Alf speak much Spanish! Luis was scared of Alf and this is the only one who knows that there is an alien in the area.