Serge, Do not despair. The translator takes the simple question in English "Does the right wing dip when you move the stick to the left?" turns it into the Spanish "¿Moja el ala derecho cuando usted mueve el palo a la izquierda?" which then translates it back into English as "It wets the right wing when you move the stick to the left?" It is easy to see how diplomacy between nations can be so difficult with problems like this. This is too much fun! In English: "Is she too old for a lap-dance?" is translated into French as: "Est-elle trop vieille pour une genoux-danse ?" which translates back into English as: "The is she too old towards the knees dances of a?" I think I dated her once... Let's try some English to Dutch, "Sit down, shut up and hang on because we are going for a ride." becomes in Dutch "Neerzet u, sluit op en wandbekleding op omdat wij voor een rit gaan." and back to English as "Put down you, closes on and wall cover on because we for a ride go." which probably wouldn't impress a Texas girl much. Then again, if you translate the Dutch above to Italian and then to English, it becomes "To settle it, the closings on and the lid of wall on because we for a walk goes." I think the Texas girl would be rolling on the floor by now. I don't think any translators have to worry about their jobs being taken by this thing, but I sure have had a lot of fun with it tonight. Thanks guys. And Thank God for Friday on krnet! Frank Ross, still trying to speak English after 65 years of speaking 'Meracun
Serge VIDAL <serge.vi...@sagem.com> wrote: That makes me feel pretty diminished! Translation is something I like to do, and it is by far the most difficult intellectual task I practice. --------------------------------- Brings words and photos together (easily) with PhotoMail - it's free and works with Yahoo! Mail.
