Re: Beatles Lyrics & Linquistics

Message

Light stuff, but thought I'd share this with you all - substitute certain words and languages for others where you see fit.

and friends,
enjoy the spring.

Re: Beatles Lyrics & Linquistics

donz <do...@aol.com>

sixties...@yahoo.com wrote: 

[snip] 
 > When Beatles lyrics are translated into other languages, are they 
 > easily understood?  Is there a basic template of universality about 
 > these lyrics which translate with ease from one language to the next? 
 > If one were to translate the lyrics of The Beatles into an obscure 
 > aboriginal language, belonging to a people, who presumably have no 
 > knowledge of The Beatles, would the words make sense...would there be 
 > a universality about them, or would they just be a collection of words 
 > that the experience of their culture can't understand? 

David Letterman tried an experiment on his NBC show in March 1984, 
 where he had a panel of 6 language experts translate the lyrics to "A 
 Hard Day's Night" from English to Chinese to French to Spanish to 
 German to Latin, and finally, back to English. 
 The results (as far as the translators got), as performed by Paul 
 Shaffer and his band at the end of the show: 

"It's been the night of a very heavy day, and I've been working as a 
 dog; 
 It's been the night of a very heavy day, at the end I shall sleep as a 
 dog; 
 But when I come home and rest with you, I find out what you do feels 
 good. 

"I know myself to have worked a long day, to have made money to buy 
 things; 
 It's worthwhile because you hear me and what you say to me everything 
 you give me about what I dream." 

Take of it what you will. 

p.s I realize this ended up in the wrong section.  Do excuse.

Edited by Jamal Morelli - 14 April 2008 at 9:37am

Author	Message
hat2010 Senior Member Joined: 10 October 2006 Location: Neutral Zone Online Status: Offline Posts: 562	Topic: Translation Experts: Light Reading Posted: 14 April 2008 at 9:34am
	Light stuff, but thought I'd share this with you all - substitute certain words and languages for others where you see fit. and friends, enjoy the spring. Re: Beatles Lyrics & Linquistics donz <do...@aol.com> sixties...@yahoo.com wrote: [snip] > When Beatles lyrics are translated into other languages, are they > easily understood? Is there a basic template of universality about > these lyrics which translate with ease from one language to the next? > If one were to translate the lyrics of The Beatles into an obscure > aboriginal language, belonging to a people, who presumably have no > knowledge of The Beatles, would the words make sense...would there be > a universality about them, or would they just be a collection of words > that the experience of their culture can't understand? David Letterman tried an experiment on his NBC show in March 1984, where he had a panel of 6 language experts translate the lyrics to "A Hard Day's Night" from English to Chinese to French to Spanish to German to Latin, and finally, back to English. The results (as far as the translators got), as performed by Paul Shaffer and his band at the end of the show: "It's been the night of a very heavy day, and I've been working as a dog; It's been the night of a very heavy day, at the end I shall sleep as a dog; But when I come home and rest with you, I find out what you do feels good. "I know myself to have worked a long day, to have made money to buy things; It's worthwhile because you hear me and what you say to me everything you give me about what I dream." Take of it what you will. p.s I realize this ended up in the wrong section. Do excuse. Edited by Jamal Morelli - 14 April 2008 at 9:37am
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