Snippet of humor from German class. Apparently the word for vacuum cleaner in German in a separable prefix verb which translates literally into "dust sucker." While translating German sentences into English, someone made the mistake of translating just a bit too literally. Instead of translating properly that "Josie vacuums the floor," he translated the more literal "Josie sucks dust." Then someone had to translate a sentence that went something along the lines of "The picture is small but pretty." Bronson starts busting up and repeating all class: "I too am small but pretty!"
It must suck to try to teach a foreign language to American university students. Our assignment the other day was to come up with two sentences using a two-way directional verb, one using dative case and one using accusative. While I believe the rest of the world would have just come up with pretty basic sentences, my class came up with wonderful sentences like: "The silverwear is dancing on the floor," "The car drove in front of my outdoor couch," and my group's couplet of "My pen is behind the dishwasher. I placed my pen behind the dishwasher." Our sentence was based around the aesthetic beauty of the sounds of the key nouns "Kuli" which means pen and "Geschirrspulmaschine" which is dishwasher. Guh-shear-shpool-machine-uh.
I find it funny that the 700 Club gives children in foreign countries, where they have missions, English names. Jose, after that fine fellow St. Joseph, just isn't good enough. No, that sounds all foreign. Instead, we'll call this little fellow Alan. Much more appropriate, indeed.
Yesterday's Poetry in Motion Entry:
Summer's dreams are fading fast
As if they race the sunset.
posted by Sarie @
11:49 PM
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