Beverage alert. If you have one in hand, do not take a sip before you listen to this. You have been warned.
Background: Madonna was interviewed by a Hungarian journalist during the filming of the movie Evita. The questions were asked in Hungarian, translated to English for her, then her answers were translated back to Hungarian. The whole interview was then written up, in Hungarian, for a newspaper in Budapest.
This interview was then translated once more from Hungarian back to English for a transcript more closely resembling a big pot of goulash.
The transcript is what French and Saunders, two comic geniuses, are reading from. I laughed so hard I ended up with a coughing jag.
thank you Julie!
For anyone wishing to have a go with their own words, there is always Babelfish. (You know, from THE HITCHHIKER'S GUIDE TO THE GALAXY.) You enter a body of text, translate it to another language and then cut and paste it and translate back again to English.
For example, if you take the first three lines of this blog, translate them to Korean, then back to English you get this:
Beverage alert. You there is 1 starts and in case, you before listening closely this, has sip and the branch dries. You were warned.
The branch dries? What does it all mean, Basil?
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9 comments:
Oh how I wish I had sound... *sigh* - it must be like my latest post, where French to Aussie doesn't do so well!!
:-)
BB
I'm mopping the tears away from my eyes as I write this. Thanks for posting, made my morning!
I heard "arms that are spreadeagled" and I was off to the races!
Tears -- *tears* -- rolling down my cheeks. I'm going to do this with some of my text, I swear.
Right after I meet my w/c.
Lawd...
(May I repost on FB?)
You betcha.
How weird is it that I was JUST thinking about you last night, Vicki dahling? I was fiddling about with Google maps, and did a trek around Vegas.
Do try Babelfish with some of your text. Just don't mix the two with alcohol. Friends don't let friends drink and read aloud.
How about I babelfish it (turned that into a mighty fine verb!) and drink while YOU read it aloud.
OMG. I'm smiling just *thinking* of it!
How about I come back to Vegas, and we both drink and read aloud? I could even write off the trip as a legitimate business expense.
Or as Babel Fish would say:
How do I come back Weijiasi, and both of us drink loudly and read? My possibly even logging out travel takes one kind of legitimate business expense.
Hi Pamela and thank you for popping into my blog and leaving such lovely comments - you made my day!
I've just nearly wee'd myself laughing at French and Saunders you wicked woman!
I've also really enjoyed reading your older posts too - great blog!
Why thank you, Ms Gnome. You don't seem so nutty.
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