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Hi, please help me."And at one point, when he said something about giving some power to   Suleiman, and that was it, and then he blew right by it, and he started   saying, I was a youngster, too, this crowd started chanting, "Leave,   leave, leave, leave." And it started mocking him."What does the expression "he blew right by it" mean?"And I was talking to certain people who said, no, no, he's really not   stepping down. You had that new head of the party, the NDP, say, oh, I   think he should step down. I mean, the old days, with the way Egypt was   run, if the head of the party said that, you could take it to the bank.So it just showed also this kind of total confusion in the ruling --   in the ruling elite. But -- and the final reason I would say is that, as   it's explained to me, the revolution has moved outside Tahrir Square.   It's one -- I'm sure you have already reported this, that you've had   labor strikes and -- and you've got demonstrations in other cities.But also, in these companies and in what's called syndicates, which   are sort of like unions -- if you're a journalist, if you're a doctor,   you're a dentist, you're a lawyer, you have to belong this to thing. And   there are always party guys who run them.And apparently today, at the press syndicate, there was a revolt   internally, and they wouldn't even let the head of it come into the   building. And then Tom Friedman, our New York Times colleague, was at   the -- at a press conference at the journalists' club, and he said that   it was almost as if the head of the syndicate there was hiding under his   desk."I tried to listen to and read this sentences, but I can't understand. I'd appreciate it if you would translate them into plain English.http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/world/jan-june11/egypt2_02-10.html

Mister Micawber · Accepted Answer

he blew right by it = he quickly started talking about other topics without explaining it.

What other words do you not understand?

Avangi · Answer

tashiroWhat does the expression "he blew right by it" mean?

The best illustration I can think of is the speeding driver who blows right through/by a stop sign/an intersection.

There's some indication of something which is supposed to catch your attention. You seem to see it, but you decide to ignore it and speed beyond it as though it suddenly didn't exist.
You blow right by it, as if you were a whirlwind. And then it's gone - forgotten.

Re the party revolt, or whatever you want to call it, we've had party organizations like this from time to time in certain cities in the US. Sometimes it would be the Mafia who would control certain trades or industries, and if you didn't follow their orders, you didn't work.
But some political party organizations have become very powerful in certain cities at certain times.
Maybe it's the Mayor of the city who gives the orders. Things can be run very strictly.

What your piece seems to be describing is a breakdown of these local political organizations, which are perceived as taking their orders from the president. The "rank and file" are now disrespecting those leaders.

Tashiro · Answer

Thank you for the quick reply.

"You had that new head of the party, the NDP, say, oh, I think he should step down."

I don't understand this sentence's meaning. In particular, I don't understand the structure and what "you" points.

"So it just showed also this kind of total confusion in the ruling -- in the ruling elite. But -- and the final reason I would say is that, as it's explained to me, the revolution has moved outside Tahrir Square."

What does it point?

"It's one -- I'm sure you have already reported this, that you've had labor strikes and -- and you've got demonstrations in other cities"

I don't understand the structure of the sentence and its meaning. What do the black-faced pronouns point?

"But also, in these companies and in what's called syndicates, which are sort of like unions -- if you're a journalist, if you're a doctor, you're a dentist, you're a lawyer, you have to belong this to thing. And there are always party guys who run them."

I have no idea what the expression "you have to belong this to thing." mean. My dictionary says beloing is an intransitive verb, but why is the object "this" put after "belong"? And what do "this" and "thing" indicate?

"And apparently today, at the press syndicate, there was a revolt internally, and they wouldn't even let the head of it come into the building. And then Tom Friedman, our New York Times colleague, was at the -- at a press conference at the journalists' club, and he said that it was almost as if the head of the syndicate there was hiding under his desk."

What is "press syndicate"? I don't understand these sentences in whole.

I'm sorry I have too many questions. I'd appreciate it if you would answer even one question.

Mister Micawber · Answer

This is a transcript of a spoken utterance, and therefore it does not have the formal grammatical structure of a written piece; there also seems to be some errors in transcription.

You had that new head of the party -- 'You had' is a general pronoun phrase equivalent to 'there was'. The meaning is 'the new head of the NDP party said (Mubarak) should resign.'

So it just showed also this kind of total confusion in the ruling -- in the ruling elite.-- 'It' refers vaguely to the previously-mentioned actions and other conflicting statements being made by various authorities during this demonstration.

It's one -- This points to nothing; the speaker has started a sentence but has not completed it; he has decided to say something different instead.

-- I'm sure you have already reported this,-- 'You' presumably refers to the media, with the reporter that is taking this interview as its representative.

if you're a journalist, if you're a doctor, you're a dentist, you're a lawyer, you have to belong this to thing.-- This is a mistranscription. It should read 'you have to belong to this thing', where 'thing' refers either to a union or to the demonstration.

, at the press syndicate, there was a revolt internally, and they wouldn't even let the head of it come into the building.- A press syndicate is a trade union of journalists. They had a meeting discussing joining or supporting the demonstration, but the head of the syndicate did not agree and was afraid that they would abuse him in some way...or something liike that.

Tashiro · Answer

Thank you so much.

CalifJim · Answer

Yay, Margaret Warner! I just heard her report this less than 24 hours ago in my very own home! I love her. She's a great journalist. I suppose you've already got your answers from everyone else, but here's my contribution in case it adds anything.

_______________

"And at one point, when he said something about giving some power to Suleiman, and that was it [That was it. = That was all he was going to do. = He was not going to do anything more than give some power to Suleiman.], and then he blew right by it [blew right by it = offered no more by way of explanation, but quickly changed the subject. it = his statement about giving power to S.], and he started saying, I was a youngster, too, this crowd started chanting, "Leave, leave, leave, leave." And it [it = the crowd] started mocking him."
...

"And I was talking to certain people who said, no, no, he's really not stepping down. You had that new head of the party, the NDP, say, "Oh, I think he should step down." [You had him say ... = One could hear him say ... = He was there, publicly saying .... you is impersonal here. you = a person; any person.] I mean, in the old days, with the way Egypt was run, if the head of the party said that, you could take it to the bank. [take it to the bank = put your deepest trust in it; believe that certainly it was true. it = what he said.]

So it just showed [it = this incident in which the head of the NDP made his statement] also this kind of total confusion in the ruling -- in the ruling elite. [The idea is that the head of the NDP spoke informally about his personal opinions, which was unusual because such people (the rulers) always used to speak only formally in their official capacity and only to communicate the government's point of view.] But -- and the final reason I would say is that, as it's explained to me, the revolution has moved outside Tahrir Square. It's one [incomplete sentence; something else has come to Margaret's mind and she stops this sentence to start a new one.]-- I'm sure you [you = Jeff = the anchor man back in the studio who she's talking to] have already reported this, that you've had [Again, the idiom "you had"/"you've had" (impersonal you) = there were (there to be observed) = there occurred] labor strikes and -- and you've got [variant of "you have"; you've got = there are] demonstrations in other cities.

But also, in these companies and in what's called syndicates, which are sort of like unions -- if you're a journalist, if you're a doctor, you're a dentist, you're a lawyer, you have to belong to this thing. [You have to be a member of one of these syndicates. This is a whole series of impersonal yous.] And there are always party guys who run them [them = the syndicates].

And apparently today, at the press syndicate [an organization of journalists], there was a revolt internally, and they wouldn't even let the head of it [the head of it = the head (leader) of the press syndicate] come into the building. And then Tom Friedman, our New York Times colleague, was at the -- at a press conference at the journalists' club, and he said that it [it = the situation which he (Tom F.) observed] was almost as if [almost as if = very similar, but it did not really happen] the head of the syndicate there was hiding under his desk. [hiding under his desk = afraid to be seen; presumably keeping away from others and remaining quiet.]"

CJ

Tashiro · Answer

Thank you.

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