Friday, July 20, 2007

I was reading an article yesterday about translation, (yes I know this is a reenacting blog but bear with me here) and that translations from other languages into English always seem wacko to us, but this is often the case with tranlations from English to another language. I have taken the gettysburg address to prove my point. The original gettsyburg address:

Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal.

Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure. We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this.

But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate—we can not consecrate—we can not hallow—this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here. It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us—that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion—that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain—that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom—and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

Now, using Babelfish.AltaVista, I have tranlated the address from English to korean, took it in the unreadable korean form and translated it from Korean to English, and here it is:

It sleeps equally all men create and that, before 87 years it gets in this continent, and the new nation is thought it gives inside freedom, in proposition our father whom. Now we that nation or the what kind of nation will be like that and we will think and we will give like this,, we will be able to endure for a long time and multi inside company one civil war which it examines it is engaged. We meet in the company one battlefield of that warfare. We came in order to give the portion of that field, with the hazard last rest thread here flesh n them to whom that nation gives their life. That we must do this, the whole it is suitable and it is suitable. In a but, big consideration, us us the possibility of doing under dedicating which is not us the possibility of doing the new star which is not it does and ground the possibility of doing it is not under. Here it fought hard, the man who is brave, existence and thing additional one which dies it dedicated up it of the force which us whom it damages is poor, far. We think from here talking and world-wide will the enemy week, the for a long time when is not, but assuredly the possibility of forgetting here it is not. Us hazard existence, rather, here it fights and to be like this it is noble till now and here in order to give at the incomplete day which advances it is. From the lion which gives this honor we to this nation, in the providence lower part, Hus Doe who will be new birth different meaning the government of freedom and the person, by the person, the person hazard this lion from endurance inside, will not die in cry of distress and not dying we here the devotion which it decides highly this last of them being sufficient have the devotion which increases in that cause which it gives and us who go it us in the remainder company one business will give before hazard rather is here.

I trust you get the point now. :-)

Thursday, July 19, 2007


It's me, hiding, like the camper I am. :)



Here are some more of me posing.