#10694
11/20/2000 6:10 PM
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Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 3,409
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Posts: 3,409 |
Mr Quordlepleen, at least, will understand when I suggest that Reg Dwight would be better off dead for a year for tax purposes, the same as another rock icon, Hotblack Desiderato ... but then he is/was from another time and space. And Max will know where/when!Sorry, CK (I keep wanting finish that off with Stead), I was too busy trying to arrange for AnnaStrophic to be introduced to the Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal. Anyone who could even think the words " NZ humour is similar to Oz" is surely a candidate for such an appointment.  
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#10695
11/20/2000 9:46 PM
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Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 6,511
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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hehehe... I'll take my licks, Kiwis. 
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#10696
11/20/2000 9:59 PM
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Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Posts: 11,613 |
I was too busy trying to arrange for AnnaStrophic to be introduced to the Ravenous Bugblatter Beast of Traal. Anyone who could even think the words "NZ humour is similar to Oz" is surely a candidate for such an appointment.
Now, Max, don't get in a stew. You-all'll have to forgive us our trespasses--we just don't know any better. 'Sides,
she already ran and hid.
Okay, I gather that Reg Dwight and H. Desideretc. are "rock icons" somewhere on this planet? As in, 'dumb as a...'?
Whilst on the topic of rock icons--is this the season for
retro photo shows? Linda McCartney's photos are on display here now. Maybe her agent and Elton's collaborated.
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#10697
11/20/2000 10:30 PM
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Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 3,409
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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In reply to:
Okay, I gather that Reg Dwight and H. Desideretc. are "rock icons" somewhere on this planet? As in, 'dumb as a...'?
As my last post for two days (yrch!), I shall enlighten you. Reginald Dwight is the birth name of Elton John, and Hotblack Desiderato is a character from The Hitch-Hikers' Guide to the Galaxy, he was a rock group manager/agent, who spent a year dead for tax reasons.
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#10698
11/21/2000 3:07 AM
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Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 2,788
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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L'ex portantino di un ospedale inglese, oggi cinquantaduenne, partecipa occasionalmente a film di fantascienza di serie Z e a telefilm. Ha avuto un piccolo ruoto (come guardia del corpo di Hotblack Desiato) nella riduzione televisiva della Guida Galattica per gli Autostoppisti.
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#10699
11/21/2000 8:51 AM
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Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 3,146
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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In reply to:
L'ex portantino di un ospedale inglese, oggi cinquantaduenne, partecipa occasionalmente a film di fantascienza di serie Z e a telefilm. Ha avuto un piccolo ruoto (come guardia del corpo di Hotblack Desiato) nella riduzione televisiva della Guida Galattica per gli Autostoppisti.
Hi Father Steve ... From the post title (Hotblack Desiato) - thanks for the correction; it's probably 15 years since I read the book - plus the occasion word picked out of the text, I would assume that your Italian post has something to do with the HHGTTG series. It is unique, of course, in that there are five books in the trilogy. But my Italian has never progressed much beyond "spaghetti", "ravioli" and other grastronomic terms, so I'd appreciate it if you'd translate it into English!
The idiot also known as Capfka ...
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#10700
11/21/2000 9:49 AM
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Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 1,004
old hand
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old hand
Joined: Mar 2000
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But my Italian has never progressed much beyond "spaghetti", "ravioli" and other grastronomic terms, so I'd appreciate it if you'd translate it into English!
Here you go...
The ex portantino of an English hospital, cinquantaduenne, participates today occasionally in film of science fiction of serious Zs and to telefilm. You/he/she has had a small I rotate (as watch of the body of Hotblack Desiato) in the television reduction of the Guide Galattica for the Hitchhikers.
No further comment required, surely...
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#10701
11/21/2000 11:22 AM
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Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 1,346
veteran
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veteran
Joined: Oct 2000
Posts: 1,346 |
You/he/she has had a small I rotate (as watch of the body of Hotblack Desiato) Perhaps a day will come when we can read the output from translation software with straight faces - but our lives will be very much poorer when that day comes! I'm so glad that the people responsible didn't wait on petty little matters like reliability and accuracy before releasing Babelfish into the open ocean. Incidentally, I wonder if Douglas Adams has been paid anything for use of the name Babelfish? And talking of HHGTTG again - Auntie, you needn't fear the Bugblatter Beast of Traal as long as you have a towel you can hide underneath. If you can't see it, it's so stupid it believes it can't see you. Correct remembering, Max? (..and of course the Bugblatter Beast is a mere pussycat by comparison to some felines)
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#10702
11/21/2000 11:35 AM
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Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 6,511
Carpal Tunnel
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I'm certain Babelfish and Ænigma are part of the same vast evil conspiracy.
And thanks for all the towels, Fish
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#10703
11/21/2000 3:26 PM
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Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 10,542
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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Posts: 10,542 |
>I'm certain Babelfish and Ænigma are part of the same vast evil conspiracy.
oh my yes, and that's Ævil with a capital Æ.
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#10704
11/21/2000 5:35 PM
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Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 3,146
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Nov 2000
Posts: 3,146 |
In reply to:
The ex portantino of an English hospital, cinquantaduenne, participates today occasionally in film of science fiction of serious Zs and to telefilm. You/he/she has had a small I rotate (as watch of the body of Hotblack Desiato) in the television reduction of the Guide Galattica for the Hitchhikers.
Thanks Shanks. That make it all perfectly clear. I, for one, always like to know where my towel is.
The idiot also known as Capfka ...
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#10705
11/21/2000 6:57 PM
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Joined: Sep 2000
Posts: 2,788
Carpal Tunnel
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I just looked behind my computer tower (where all of the dust-bunnies and Snickers wrappers go to live) and found a small, hard-to-read label which says "Another fine product of the Sirrius Cybernetics Corporation."
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#10706
11/22/2000 2:23 AM
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Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 3,409
Carpal Tunnel
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and found a small, hard-to-read label which says "Another fine product of the Sirrius Cybernetics Corporation."I would complain about the supererogatory "r" inserted into "Sirius" - but you would probably just RESPOND WITH, "GO STICK YOUR HEAD IN A PIG"
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#10707
11/22/2000 6:19 AM
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Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 315
enthusiast
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enthusiast
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 315 |
The true problem in that translation was that there was a mistake ( a misprinting) in the original text:
"Ha avuto un piccolo ruoto (come guardia del corpo di Hotblack Desiato) "
It has to be:
"Ha avuto un piccolo ruolo (come guardia del corpo di Hotblack Desiato) "
It means
He played a small part ( as the body guard of HD ).
Is it OK now?
Ciao
Emanuela
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#10708
11/22/2000 8:13 AM
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Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 1,004
old hand
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old hand
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 1,004 |
Emanuela
I'm not sure whether to thank you for the clarification, or to deplore the fact that, now it is clear, it doesn't sound as wonderfully surreal as it did. Any chance we could trouble you for a decent rendition of the entire paragraph?
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#10709
11/22/2000 11:31 AM
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Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 315
enthusiast
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enthusiast
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 315 |
Shanks, I can try to give " a decent rendition", even if it is clear - even in this simple case - that it will require a lot of explanations - I don't think that a translation software can take into account of the whole context...
So
That man - who was before working in an English Hospital as "portantino" ( see below)- 52 years old - works today sometimes in science fiction movies of "serie Z" (see below) and in telefilms (?? I don’t know if this is an English noun, we use this as "movie for TV") . He played a small part ( as the body guard of Hotblack Desiato) in a TV movie based on the ...
Portantino ( from portare , to bring) works carrying people who cannot walk by themselves
Something of Serie Z: the worst kind of that - since footbaal games are organized in
Serie A (the best)
Serie B ( just below)
and so on...
Serie Z does not exist, but it suggests that you cannot find anything worst...
Boring explanation, and - I imagine - no longer surreal charme at all!
Ciao
Emanuela
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#10710
11/22/2000 12:27 PM
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Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 1,004
old hand
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old hand
Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 1,004 |
So Serie A - like the English Premier League or First Division - is not exclusive to football?
And at least it was interesting inasmuch as I finally figured out that the paragraph was not about Hotblack Desiato, but about an actor (which actor?) playing him.
Thanks for that.
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#10711
11/23/2000 4:54 AM
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Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 3,065
Carpal Tunnel
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The actor wasn't playing Hotblack, but Hotblack's bodyguard (probably not a major role from what I can remember).
Bingley
Bingley
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#10712
11/24/2000 12:32 PM
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Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 2,204
Pooh-Bah
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Pooh-Bah
Joined: Aug 2000
Posts: 2,204 |
Jackie, have you been to the Louisville museum to see the new Cezanne?According to this morning's news, it is Java where you have to go to get "new" Cezannes - and Utrillos, Chagalls and Goyas. A large stash of famous paintings are on sale, purporting to have been bought from old plantation houses in Indonesia (or some such) and all of them genuine, of course. Perhaps Bingley has a line on this? My point is, of course, that there is not (I sincerely hope) a "new" Cezanne being displayed in Louisville - just their latest acquisition of an old one
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#10713
11/25/2000 6:37 AM
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Joined: Apr 2000
Posts: 3,065
Carpal Tunnel
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The auction was supposed to include works by Picasso, Renoir, and van Gogh, which had been stashed away carefully when the Japanese invaded in the Second World War and had now reappeared, plus works by various Indonesian artists. As some of the works alleged to have vanished are now in European and American museums it didn't take too long for people to realise there might be less to these works that met the eye. The auction has now been cancelled. Follow this url for The Jakarta Post's account (in English): http://www.thejakartapost.com/detailheadlines.asp?fileid=20001125.@02&irec=1 Bingley
Bingley
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#10714
11/27/2000 7:06 PM
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Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 3,467
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
Joined: Jul 2000
Posts: 3,467 |
> Jackie, have you been to the Louisville museum to see the new Cezanne?
We had joy, we had fun, we had Cezannes in the sun.....
TEd
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#10715
11/28/2000 12:44 AM
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Joined: Mar 2000
Posts: 11,613
Carpal Tunnel
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Carpal Tunnel
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We had joy, we had fun, we had Cezannes in the sun.....
And the world, don't you see, is so beautiful to me.
Terry Jacks, I think. Bubble-gum, but apt in my case.
At least the museum owns this painting. When the Armand Hammer collection traveled through, it was now museum,
now you don't.
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