Miscellaneous Alice > A Bewildering Translation

[Beautiful Soup]

While sauntering round the interwebs, I stumbled into this page http://pressemitteilung.ws/node/242948 which features a hilariously bad translation of the opening of AAIW. See, admire the wordigology:

Alice was well-spring to get extraordinarily fagged out of sitting close her sister on the bank, and of having nothing to do: on a former occasion or twice she had peeped into the paperback her sister was reading, but it had no pictures or conversations in it, `and what is the from of a book,' reflecting Alice `without pictures or conversation?'

So, apart from thinking you might find it amusing (as it is preserves-packed full of wordingle sublimliness) I was wondering if any of you have any idea what the heck is going on with this site

What is it for? Why is it there? Tell me. TELL ME!

[3rdpoliceman]

It looks as though it was translated by a Wonderlander.

[Grimley Fieendish]

Could this be the product of following a Word processor's spelling/grammar advice...?
I seem to remember in the 1990's, a similar translation involving Jabberwocky, & what happens when you feed Jabberwocky's text into a word processor programme...

[Beautiful Soup]

There's lots more BTW - check it out

I think it must be a (mechanised?) translation, but I don't understand why it's there

Here's paragraph 2

So she was in the light of in her own brain (as proficiently as she could, in spite of the hot day made her have compassion for incline quite boring and dense), whether the pleasure of making a daisy-chain would be worth the discommode of getting up and picking the daisies, when suddenly a Chalk-white Rabbit with pink eyes ran even by her.

(I do so dislike the discommode of picking daisies, don't you?)

[3rdpoliceman]

A quite entertaining translation in itself! Fits Wonderland's nonsensical nature.

[~MadderforHatter~]

Was this translated from a foreign language or what?! That's so weird!

[Beautiful Soup]

Was this translated from a foreign language or what?! That's so weird!

Well, Ithink it must be translated into German and then back into English (probably by a bot) as much of the rest of the page is in German. Also, look at the way the language is formed:

she had not ever before seen a rabbit with either a waistcoat-pocket, or a keep one's eyes open for to remove into public notice of it, and scorching with conversation piece, she ran across the clearing after it

Now, that should say:

she had never before seen a rabbit with either a waistcoat-pocket, or a watch to take out of it, and burning with curiosity, she ran across the field after it

So say you had the German word for 'burning' and you wanted to translate it into English, you might well choose 'scorching' as an appropriate word.

But translate the word 'watch' into German (and you're a robot, who doesn't really understand what they're doing) and you might choose a word meaning 'look at' rather than 'timepiece', so by the time it gets back to English it's become 'keep one's eyes open for'

Mechanics aside, I just love the effect!

The poor White Rabbit's lament, "Oh dearly! Oh venerated! I shall be recent!" is fabulous (I may adopt it myself)

[KelseyJoy]

Here's how it turned out when I allowed microsoft word to "fix" the spelling and grammar "errors" in the Jabberwocky poem:

"`Taws billing, and the sloth toes
Did gyre and gamble in the wage:
All missy were the brogues,
And the mime rats outrage.

"Beware the Jabberwocky, my son!
The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jujube bird, and shun
The furious Bender snatch!"

He took his viral sword in hand:
Long time the manhole foe he sought --
So rested he by the Tutu tree,
And stood awhile in thought.

And, as in offish thought he stood,
The Jabberwocky, with eyes of flame,
Came whiffing through the tulle wood,
And bubbled as it came!

One, two! One, two! And through and through
the viral blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
He went galumphing back.

"And, has thou slain the Jabberwocky?
Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
O fray joust day! Callow! Calla!'
He chortled in his joy.

`Taws billing, and the sloth toes
Did gyre and gamble in the wage;
All missy were the brogues,
And the mime rats outrage. "

Haha! I would so like to know what a "tutu" tree looks like, and oh how much more pleasant the Jabberwock would be if he "bubbled" instead of burbled.

(I thought it was interesting that they didn't accept Jabberwock but they simply changed it to Jabberwocky)

[Guest]

Most likely the person used sites like Babel Fish translator or some other ones. This things translate line by line without much care about context.

[3rdpoliceman]

This translation of yours is probably going to murder all the puns and wordplay in it, Miss Soup.

[~MadderforHatter~]

Hahahaha I'm loving it! I wonder how much of a kick Carroll would get out of reading the translation. Probably not a big one, but no matter, I think it's hysterical. These are my favorite parts of the translation:

`Well!' mentation Alice to herself, `after such a fall as this, I shall think nothing of tumbling down stairs! How grand they'll all think me at make clear! Why, I wouldn't phrase anything nearby it, straight if I knock unpropitious the best of the cat-house free!' (Which was merest promising true.)

And this one:

`--but I shall have to expect them what the reputation of the native land is, you know. Please, Ma'am, is this Original Zealand or Australia?' (and she tried to curtsey as she spoke--fancy CURTSEYING as you're falling from stem to stern the breath! Do you think you could take care of it?) `And what an ignorant hardly ever sheila she'll assume me in the service of asking! No, it'll in no way do to apply to: perhaps I shall envisage it written up somewhere.'

Roflol, Original Zealand! That's so wrong...XD

[Bella44]

As a New Zealander that's hilarious!! He he!
Thanks for putting this up, it's had me giggling all morning

[Beautiful Soup]

No way! I've just found another one. (I'm not looking for these on purpose, I swear.) I think this one must have been translated from Hungarian

Alice was opening to socialize very fatigued of sitting by her sister on the bank, and of having nothing to do: once or twice she had peeped into the book her sister was reading, but it had no pictures or conversations in it, `and what is the shoot up of a engage,' reflecting Alice `without pictures or conversation?'

http://www.reklam-guru.hu/node/438

This is my favourite bit:

Either the splendidly was bloody incomprehensible, or she kill very slowly, for she had plenty of continually as she went down to look everywhere her and to mind-blower what was accepted to chance next.

Bloody incomprehensible indeed!

[3rdpoliceman]

Wow, THAT translation was a bit on the edgy side!

[~MadderforHatter~]

Hahahahahahahaha! These are making my day! I wonder if there are any translations for the Mad Tea Party chapter?