In 1855 a little book was
published in
It starts as it means to go
on with an Introduction pouring scorn on the work of other writers of
phrasebooks "A choice of familiar dialogues, clean of gallicisms,
and despoiled phrases, it was missing yet to studious portuguese
and brazilian Youth. . . ", and continues with
lists of Useful Words, through Familiar Dialogues and Anecdotes
to Idiotisms and Proverbs. At each
stage the reader's amazed laughter increases.
Anyone who has ever read it
cannot resist quoting favourite parts. These are ours; the notes in italics are
also ours):
Chastisements.(Which even Donald Rumsfeld
might hesitate to approve.)
The dungeon
The iron collar
To decapitate
To empale
To strangle
To whip
The galleys
The torture rack
To break upon
Tho tear off the flesh
To draw to four horses.
For to ride a horse.
Very
dissatisfied customer (brandishing pistol): Here is a horse who have a bad looks. Give me
another; I will not that. He not sall know to march,
he is pursy, he is foundered. Don't you are ashamed to give me a jade as like?
he is undshoed, he is with nails up; it want to lead
to the farrier.
Terrified horse dealer: Your pistols are its loads?
An Anecdote
A
beggar, to
But enough. Read, and weep
with laughter
Download |
A
comparison with Babelfish, which is not much
better and much less funny |