Friday, July 5, 2013

Lost in Translation: As Long As Not!





Below is a BING English translation of a Facebook post in Chinese of my artist FB friend YanLi Lin. I changed  the line breaks (poetic license), and a few punctuations, but every word is verbatim. It must be read aloud with great gusto.
·         YanLi Lin

這世界有個叫"沒關係的小島"
小島上的人

薪水22K 只要不是我 就沒關係 不用爭去
食物有毒 只要不是我吃到 就沒關係 睜隻險避隻眼
酒駕被撞的人 只要不是我 就沒關係 罵罵就好
...
這個小島的人 很好利用 很好騙 反正啥都沒關係 只要不是發生到自己身上
可惜 這個道的居民有孩子
他們的孩子 有可能會領22K 會吃有毒的食物 會被背酒駕撞到
不過 因為這是"沒關係小島" 應該沒關係吧See More

As Long As Not!

This world has a called
"has nothing of small island"
Small island?
Shang of people!
salary 22K
As long as not!
I on has nothing without race to food toxic
As long as not!
I eat to on has nothing
open only insurance avoidance
Only eye wine driving is hit of people
As long as not!
I on has nothing
called called
on good this small island of people
is good using
is good lie anyway
what are
Has nothing
As long as not!
Occurred to themselves
Body unfortunately
This road of residents
Has children
They of children
has may will led
22K
Will eat toxic of food
Will is back
Wine driving hit.
But because this is
"has nothing small island"
Should has nothing!

10 comments:

Greg Pincus said...

has may will led, indeed. I could not have put it better had I tried, and particularly when read with great gusto.

Douglas Florian said...

And what did she mean by "I on has nothing" ?

Douglas Florian said...

I'm certainly glad "Will is back!"

Keri said...

But beware the wine driving hit! Ouch!

Vikram Madan said...

Intriguing. I ran your translation back through the translator (I did English->Marathi->Hindi->French->Chinese->English) and it turned it into "As No" - You may have just stumbled upon a new way to write poetry :)

This world is called
"There is nothing small island"
Small Island?
Shang people!
22K salary
As no!
I run to food poisoning is nothing without
As no!
I have nothing to eat
Just avoiding the open insurance
Hit the eye of people driving alcohol
As no!
I have nothing
Is said to have called
Many people on this small island
use good
Anyway good lie
What are
nothing
As no!
Was himself
Unfortunately body
Residents of the street
children
These are children
Can lead is
22K
Will eat toxic food
will be returned
Conduct Hit alcohol.
But because
"Do not let the small island"
Nothing should!

Tabatha said...

"Is good lie anyway..." Hmmm! What will you call this new form of poetry?

Mary Lee said...

"Should has nothing!"

Violet N. said...

It could be called 'eye wine.'

Michelle Heidenrich Barnes said...

Whoa... eye is mindblown.

Douglas Florian said...

From the Bing Dynasty.