Friday, July 17, 2009

Me and the Translator




Probably ... I give this more attention than it needs, in Dutch we say maybe it's: “**een scheet in een fles” but... I must write this post because I was a little embarrassed.

I placed a comment on Jen's comment* in her blog, but because the translator deceived me, the joke that I made there... became a real blunder.

Maybe I am an "old tart" but, in the first place... I interpreted what she said correct! I know what "to break up" means, I don't need the translator for this but her comment came so suddenly, it was so unexpected that I started to doubt myself. Therefore I consulted the translator with the result that I made a fool of myself.


My problem is that I can say it in English and of course my conjugations are probably not always correct but I need the translator to check my spelling. I also need sometimes the dictionary because one word can have so many meanings.

Let me say.... the translator and I... we supplement each other but, today I would give him: "een stamp onder zijn gat**"! He fooled me!

From now on... if I have doubts ... I am only going to follow my own intuition.

The translator will never have the same capacity to translate as the human brain .... even not as that of an old lady!.

Do you think that “that" will ever be possible? Do you think that the translator might ever “reason” as a human brain?

I don't!


PS: * if you are interested look for my comment in Jen's post on July 14. ( Update: Jen's blog exists no longer.)

** I invite you to use the translator! Could you find out what it really means?


15 comments:

  1. Fran dear...no one thinks you foolish! Far from it. You are learning a language and the little idiosyncrasies are difficult to master. You are being too hard on yourself!

    I'm fond of you just the way you are! Perfection is not necessary!!!!!

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  2. Yes Jeannie, of course i know that you don't think that..... but it was such a misapprehension. Oh... it's not easy to be a perfectionist Jeannie, i see my mistakes always first!
    But so i will learn. Thank you for your encouragement!

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  3. Am I the only one who thought the comment was really funny even if it had been intentional???

    :) :)

    Fran, no worries. I always assume you mean well. Always!

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  4. This is the good translation.
    Een scheet in een fles= a fart in a bottle. That means that it's not so important.
    Een stamp onder zijn gat= a kick under his butt.
    And so you will supplement the " good standard" of your Dutch vocabulary! Ha.ha.:):)

    Thank you Jen, I hope you can also laugh with this! :):)

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  5. Yes, I thought it was funny! I had a good giggle...:)

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  6. A fart in a bottle!!!!

    Jeannie, we can definitely use that in English, don't you think? HA!!! :)

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  7. Yes! That can be done--easily! :)

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  8. Hm hm, if that means that you are going to fart in a bottle... then i don't want to be in the neighborhood if you use a "large" bottle!:):):)
    LOL..

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  9. Ha Ha Ha! I wasn't going to do that BUT, just so you know...I wouldn't need a large bottle to get the results I could produce!!

    Remember what I said about less being more?

    :) :) :) :)

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  10. Oh oh Jeannie, and we granny's we should give a good example!
    I think we must tune up our conversation level but in fact:: " i" should not have to say this "i started this"!:):) I think it must be acceptable to be so now and then naughty, we mustn't be always serious
    And now I go from one extreme to an other, I will listen to Rachmaninov (piano concerto n°1&3.) He is one of my favorite classical composers!

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  11. Ha Ha...yes, let's go compose ourselves now. :)

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  12. ROFL: Now you are luring me to make an other joke with your answer, but that will not succeed! I am going to give the good example, you are a little rascal!:):)

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  13. I am a rascal. There's no denying it. :)

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  14. I love this entire conversation.

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  15. Oh oh, we are caught red-handed Jeannie!:)
    Don't you think that we give a good example Jen?
    We can laugh with "something that's not so important".:):)
    I hope you enjoyed it.

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