Friday, April 15, 2011

Apologies to Lewis Carroll, and to Boz...

...but no apologies to Just Pocket Camera. (explanation after the poem)


JABBERWOCKY

by Lewis Carroll

(from Through the Looking-Glass and What Alice Found There, 1872) 
  `Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
  Did gyre and gimble in the wabe:
All mimsy were the borogoves,
  And the mome raths outgrabe.

"Beware the Jabberwock, my son!
  The jaws that bite, the claws that catch!
Beware the Jubjub bird, and shun
  The frumious Bandersnatch!"

He took his vorpal sword in hand:
  Long time the manxome foe he sought --
So rested he by the Tumtum tree,
  And stood awhile in thought.

And, as in uffish thought he stood,
  The Jabberwock, with eyes of flame,
Came whiffling through the tulgey wood,
  And burbled as it came!

One, two! One, two! And through and through
  The vorpal blade went snicker-snack!
He left it dead, and with its head
  He went galumphing back.

"And, has thou slain the Jabberwock?
  Come to my arms, my beamish boy!
O frabjous day! Callooh! Callay!'
  He chortled in his joy.

`Twas brillig, and the slithy toves
  Did gyre and gimble in the wabe;
All mimsy were the borogoves,
  And the mome raths outgrabe.

In case you're just joining us, here's the deal: a site called Just Pocket Camera has been stealing my posts since January of this year. While I go through the legal channels to get the site taken down, we're having  fun messing with their translation software, which takes English to new levels. A few of you suggested "Jabberwocky" might be interesting, so today we're going to find out.

****************

Well, bummer. It's not as weird as I'd hoped. Their software was flummoxed enough to give up and just re-print the words it didn't know. Here's a sample:



`Twas brillig, as well as a slithy toves
  Did movement as well as gimble in a wabe:
All mimsy were a borogoves,
  And a mome raths outgrabe.

“Beware a Jabberwock, my son!
  The jaws that bite, a nails that catch!
Beware a Jubjub bird, as well as shun
  The frumious Bandersnatch!”



He took his vorpal long knife in hand:
  Long time a manxome enemy he sought –
So complacent he by a Tumtum tree,
  And stood awhile in thought.

Et cetera. The final paragraph, though, returns us to the delightful strangeness we've come to expect:

"In box you’re only fasten us, here’s a deal: a site called Just Pocket Camera has been hidden my posts given Jan of this year. While we go by a authorised channels to get a site taken down, we’re having  fun messing with their interpretation software, that takes English to latest levels. A couple of of we referred to “Jabberwocky” competence be interesting, so currently we’re starting to find out."


Maybe we'll try some Shakespeare tomorrow. That's actual English, after all.

26 comments:

dive said...

What a fabulous portrait of Boz! And my favourite childhood poem, too. If nothing else, those awful online pirates have inspired some deliciously funny posts, Petrea. I can't wait to read their translation of this one.

Shell Sherree said...

To quote a delightful Australian movie called The Castle, this photo's going straight to the pool room.

That's rotten about those rotters, but you're making great lemonade from those lemons, Petrea.

Petrea Burchard said...

Thanks, you two. I hope I'm not boring everyone. I just hate giving up photos to them, but they've been taking it all this time anyway. The only difference is now I know about it.

I've just posted part of the translation. Disappointing, really. We flummoxed their software. Tomorrow, Shakespeare!

Anonymous said...

Boz likes it. Pity about the Jab, but you really can't make that one any stranger than it already is.

Latino Heritage said...

Love Boz.
The pirates, not so much.
I have a Welsh/English dictionary should you wish to give them a chance to try Welsh. Hmmm...also have my Polski/English dictionary. Let's give them the consonants.

Petrea Burchard said...

Hiker, you're right. You were right about the Shakespeare, too. Are you ever wrong about anything? I shouldn't give you that ammo.

LH, perhaps we can throw in a few bon mots, but I bet when their software doesn't understand it prints the word as is.

Curly said...

Lovely Boz! And I love Carroll!

Petrea Burchard said...

Thank you, Daisy!

John and I just realized we don't know which one of us took this photo.

Margaret said...

Love that picture of Boz. Boo to the content stealers.

Bellis said...

It was fun to compare the two versions of Jabberwocky though, and to work out which words had confused the software. Do you know which country this website comes from? I'd love to see it tackle something really familiar, like the National Anthem.

Petrea Burchard said...

Margaret, you really get dogs. That's what Boz is saying: "Boo."

Bellis, I don't know where the site originates. There's no contact information. I can't send them a Cease and Desist so it has to go to their webhost. I'm holding off while I wait for AdSense, but I might go ahead and send it anyway.

Susan Campisi said...

Yep, what Hiker said. It's already strange.

Boz looks like he's having a good old time.

Diana said...

The best laid plans, eh? How about some Chaucer?

Speedway said...

Daggone it, seemed like a good plan, but isn't it ironic that the translation software leaves alone mangled English, only to mangle English? Maybe it's like it sorta saw itself in the mirror, and turned to lean in real close --"Is that what I look like? A 'Jabberwokey' doppelganger?"

Mister Earl said...

P: Did you ever go to the Jabberwock in Berkeley or did it close before your time? I saw singer Patrick Skye there back in the day.

Mister Earl said...

Patrick Sky

Petrea Burchard said...

Boz is a happy dog, Susan.

I'll add Chaucer to the list of requests, Diana. Not a bad idea!

Speedway, I don't think anyone over there is paying attention.

It doesn't sound familiar, Earl.

Ms M said...

Love the photo of Boz! It fits the poem. Shakespeare will be a good choice; I'll look forward to the next bit of weirdness :-)

Book Dragon said...

I've been on jury duty so missed the beginning of your excitement. I wish you great luck! Is there anything we can do as your loyal followers?

John Sandel said...

fiiiiiiiisssshhh brrreeeeeaaaaaaath

Steve Scauzillo said...

Try posting : Get a life.

Brasil said...

I must say, you’ve got one of the best blogs I’ve seen in a long time. What I wouldn’t give to be able to create a blog that as interesting as this. I guess Ill just have to keep reading yours and hope that one day I can write on a subject with as much knowledge as you’ve got on this one!

Greg box said...

Aww, I love Alice's adventures! ^^
I have a hardback with both wonderland and through the looking glass, as well as a few extra poems and letters.

"he took his vorpal long knife in hand,"

that's an odd translation. It's like they translated it from English to (eg) hebrew, and the translated it back into english.

Petrea Burchard said...

Perhaps our tactics have worked. They didn't use my post today. I'm actually disappointed! (Fish Breath will be disappointed, too.) We might have to re-translate the Shakespeare ourselves.

Greg box: You're right, it could have been anything. It reminds me of Twain's experiments with The Celebrated Jumping Frog of Calaveras County (scroll down to "translations."

TheChieftess said...

Heh, heh!!! Don't you just love screwing with them!!!

How does one get the nerve to steal someone elses work??? There would be absolutely no satisfaction in it...and why? It's not like the offending site makes sense???

BTW...love the shot of Boz!!!

wv: ockways...perhaps the offending site is a wv gone crazy!!!

Petrea Burchard said...

Google Ads, Chieftess. They set it up to automate posts, put up the ads and sit back and collect.