Just to see what would happen, I tried Dr. van de Sande's original
message in Google's translation engine:
Dear or dear friend, relationship or whatever but, cher amis
It is again time for the seasonal needs. As you may know is that
since 1990 a rhymed recipe. Previously we sent each PTT
to everybody, now we do it mainly to people without
email address. You should not extend to those unfortunates, so a
heilwensch Hans & Gerdie. Sukkelt Maybe there's a note
back, but nowhere in accounting. It may also be that your mailings 2
, because making lists is not easy. This then
excuse. In any case desirable and beautiful holidays
Best regards
Sort of gets the gist of it.
On Dec 20, 2008, at 12:29 PM, [email protected] wrote:
Following our discussion of the mystery of the message in Dutch, I
took
the bold step of writing directly to our correspondent, Dr. Hans
van de
Sande. He promptly provided a cordial reply which, with his
permission,
I'm sending on to the list.
As I had guessed, he is a member of TIPS, and this message was sent
out
by accident to us, but as he notes, he doesn't know how it
happened. I
did assure him that he should not feel "severely reprimanded", as
his e-
mail caused us only a little amusement and curiosity, certainly not
concern. He also asked me to extend his good wishes for a merry
Christmas
and happy new year to all TIPsters. In return, I'd like to welcome
him to
TIPS, his joining helping to make this a truly international list.
(It's
not that I don't love Americans, it's just that there are so many of
you).
Stephen
------- Forwarded message follows -------
Date sent: Sat, 20 Dec 2008 01:36:24 +0100
From: hans van de sande <[email protected]>
To: [email protected]
Subject: Re: excuses for a misdirected merry christmas and happy 2009
Dear Stephen,
Though feeling rather severely reprimanded, neverthelees I am also
a bit
proud in having finally reached you all. Several times, while
reading the
very interesting TIPS mail, I felt moved towards doing my bit, but
invariably the mail was refused or something else backfired. And now,
unwittingly, I finally succeeded.
The mail which so unfortunatedly disturbed the peace of my fellow
tipsters was intended for private use, it being my custom to send
christmas greetings to friends and relations in the form of a poetic
recipe, this time for a puree of potatoes and celery. How on earth you
all landed on my personal list of mail addresses I must find out,
but be
assured that I regret having so carelessly violated the customs of my
fellow professors of psychology.
In your commentary you tried to solve the enigma of the message. If
wanted, I could try to make a poem-recipe in English, but a rough and
quick translation is:
Recipe for a mash of two tubers ( and definitely not "two squeezed").
In these crisis ridden times everyone is up to his ears in the mash
(Dutch expression for being in dire straits) If this mash would taste
well it would be a bit of a consolation. Therefore this recipe:
steal a
celeriac and potatoes, being to destitute to buy them. Bring them
in the
brand new kitchen that you installed before the crash, peel and
boil with
salt. Then add mascarpone and old grated cheese, and among the
remains of
your whealth you may find some truffle oil which you also may add.
Then
mash, eat and you will then welcome even more financial disasters.
As the above does not rhyme and only the main message is given, it
loses
in the translation, of course. Your wife is a wonder, she did a neat
translation, only the word "portee" was meant to mean: meaning
instead of
range, which last indeed is the common meaning, if you still follow
me.
In the hope that this mishap will open up the road towards my
contributing more to the TIPS list, and making use of this occasion to
wish you and all yours a very merry Christmas and new year, I remain
yours truly
Hans van de Sande
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Stephen L. Black, Ph.D.
Professor of Psychology, Emeritus
Bishop's University e-mail: [email protected]
2600 College St.
Sherbrooke QC J1M 1Z7
Canada
Subscribe to discussion list (TIPS) for the teaching of
psychology at http://flightline.highline.edu/sfrantz/tips/
----------------------------------------------------------------------
-
---
To make changes to your subscription contact:
Bill Southerly ([email protected])<-><->
Paul Brandon
Emeritus Professor of Psychology
Minnesota State University, Mankato
[email protected]
---
To make changes to your subscription contact:
Bill Southerly ([email protected])
