Thursday, September 25, 2008

"comes the money punishment possibility"

James Joyce on the Ponterosso Bridge in Trieste
"when it meets the foreigner from the road"
(Image from Wikipedia)

At times, my students leave me baffled in the labyrinth of their wandering literary skills:
By the way recently from the world-wide various nations numerous people is pushed into in Korea and entirely the multi racial culture that is unfamiliar is formed. It accomplishes a rapid development and to Korea which is a country which now lives in opulence comes the money punishment possibility it is quickly and a dream to hold until the industrial trainee who comes in and the illegal employment sleeping field continuously it is coming in flocks. Yes from the day when it meets the foreigner from the road was already generalized.
Was the student channeling James Joyce?
Sir Tristram, violer d'amores, fr'over the short sea, had passen-core rearrived from North Armorica on this side the scraggy isthmus of Europe Minor to wielderfight his penisolate war: nor had topsawyer's rocks by the stream Oconee exaggerated themselse to Laurens County's gorgios while they went doublin their mumper all the time: nor avoice from afire bellowsed mishe mishe to tauftauf thuartpeatrick not yet, though venissoon after, had a kidscad buttended a bland old isaac: not yet, though all's fair in vanessy, were sosie sesthers wroth with twone nathandjoe. Rot a peck of pa's malt had Jhem or Shen brewed by arclight and rory end to the regginbrow was to be seen ringsome on the aquaface.
Then again wakes a useless odyssey? Oh, through the "sleeping field continuously it is coming in flocks," and there awaits my student an illustrious literary future.

Labels: , , ,

10 Comments:

At 8:36 AM, Blogger jeanie oliver said...

Jeff,
do you just have female students or do both genders attend your university?
Jeanie

 
At 8:45 AM, Blogger Horace Jeffery Hodges said...

Just femi-nines, I think.

Jeffery Hodges

* * *

 
At 10:06 AM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

"Baffled" is too mild a word for my reaction when trying to read those essays from your students.
I don't have a clue what they meant.
Cran

 
At 11:05 AM, Blogger Horace Jeffery Hodges said...

Uncle Cran, like you, I am "in wandering mazes lost" with some of these essays.

Jeffery Hodges

* * *

 
At 12:23 PM, Anonymous Anonymous said...

Honestly, that looks Babelfished. The baffling turns of phrase, the completely skewed grammar... it really looks like someone just shoved a Korean text into Babel Fish and submitted what came out the other end.

I've probably not seen as much in the way of baffling English writing as you have (my students, as a whole, are probably the best English speakers and writers at their level in Korea), but I have seen my share, and that doesn't look anything like a legitimate attempt at English composition.

(Ah, and I suppose this is as good a time as any to mention it... I don't think I'll be able to make Kent's gathering this Saturday. I've got too much on my plate to take care of. :( I'll have to send him an email.)

 
At 12:33 PM, Blogger Horace Jeffery Hodges said...

I'm sorry to hear that you won't make the BBQ. I haven't heard anything from Gord.

If you're right about the Babelfishing, then I've just found a new way to generate poetry. Simply copy and paste any old Korean text into Babelfish, click to translate, and voila! A poem. Maybe tomorrow...

Jeffery Hodges

* * *

 
At 7:16 PM, Blogger John B said...

Bebelfish would almost explain FINNEGAN'S WAKE, too.

Did the student go on to make an obscure reference to every river in Korea?

 
At 8:13 PM, Blogger Horace Jeffery Hodges said...

John B, not unless the rivers were very obliquely alluded to.

Jeffery Hodges

* * *

 
At 5:17 AM, Blogger A.H. said...

A humorous post indeed! One is nonsense and the other non sense...each passage questions the other.

 
At 6:53 AM, Blogger Horace Jeffery Hodges said...

Thanks, Eshuneutics. I also liked the juxtaposition.

Jeffery Hodges

* * *

 

Post a Comment

<< Home