For any who think that computers can translate human languages well: The following passage is the result of multiple online translations, specifically
English>French>Portuguese>English>German>English

If you see that the thing sets in the fantastic way responsible person
to the possible steering totalisation of writing was gotten never
against the author this to the summary is, but the poetry, which is
instructive, be based, feels futile, on the character string ", while
this had bowsprit at the times to the direction helmet " this painful
possibility, (there it could), I forms not with designated protest as
my other writing than test keeps mixed that I am unable from such
contract: (there it could), I referred it not to the strong moral
training aim of this poetry, too in such a way with precaution stamped
the arithmetic basic rules it, or to its splendid educations natural
history takes the course, which simple, over to explain prosaic is, as
if she produced. General Crier, that was almost diseased reasonable
concerning the aspects, had the habit to the credit bowsprit unshipped
the past, or two times one week to its revarnished and it a further
time product, than the moment came, it to replace, at which nobody
could not remember on board, which extremity of the boat had heard.

So stick THAT in your ear!

I had been intending to post it as a challenge, to see if the original could be identified from the end product, but decided that the frequent references to "bowsprit" made that too easy.

I know I should recognise it but I don't... [clownface emoticon - smiling on the outside, crying on the inside]

the sunshine warrior

I knew it! [snapping-fingers e]
Babelfish moonlights as Ænigma.

(I wonder if you reversed the translation, would you come back to the original?) And I admit, I have no clue what it's from. Moby Dick? Billy Budd?

Well, Max, I think I get the gist of it, but I can't think of anything that I am familiar with as to where it came from. I think the speaker is talking about writing--prose, poetry, the directions it should take, and revising it.
I have a feeling that 'General Crier' is an important clue, but it is eluding me.

Below is the original text. To be fair to systransoft.com, the makers of the translation software used at Babelfish and several other sites, the first "back and forth" translation that I attempted was disappointingly successful. I went from English to French, then back to English, and was surprised to see how readable the result was. Miffed, I decided to play mean, and make multiple translations. I will not have my preconceptions mocked!

If-and the thing is wildly possible-the charge of writing nonsense were ever brought against
the author of this brief but instructive poem, it would be based, I feel convinced, on the line
"Then the bowsprit got mixed with the rudder sometimes."
In view of this painful possibility, I will not (as I might) appeal indignantly to my other
writings as a proof that I am incapable of such a deed: I will not (as I might) point to the
strong moral purpose of this poem itself, to the arithmetical principles so cautiously
inculcated in it, or to its noble teachings in Natural History--I will take the more prosaic
course of simply explaining how it happened.
The Bellman, who was almost morbidly sensitive about appearances, used to have the
bowsprit unshipped once or twice a week to be revarnished, and it more than once happened,
when the time came for replacing it, that no one on board could remember which end of the
ship it belonged to. They knew it was not of the slightest use to appeal to the Bellman about
it-- he would only refer to his Naval Code, and read out in pathetic tones Admiralty
Instructions which none of them had ever been able to understand-- so it generally ended in
its being fastened on, anyhow, across the rudder.

I will not have my preconceptions mocked!
Hear, hear! I agree completely!

I was right--I have no clue where this came from.

I was right--I have no clue where this came from.


Ask shanks. He should know, because he is one, apparently.

You could have at least chosen a quote *some of us *might have known.

harrumph™

Oh, I know it! It's the ... er ... um, well, it comes from ... [sniff] ... where in blue blazes DOES it come from, Max-baby?

Since our very own resident specimen did not revela the answer, here a are the last few lines of the poem from the foreword of which I extracted the text for my translation exercise.

In the midst of the word he was trying to say,

In the midst of his laughter and glee,

He had softly and suddenly vanished away---

For the Snark was a Boojum, you see.