There was an interesting article on Language Log today about phrasebook pronunciation; that is, the transcriptions that are supposed to help tourists say the phrases correctly. If you know French, try to work out what these are supposed to be:
poo-vay-voo muh deer kawN zhuh dwah deh-sawN-druh
oo ay lah stah-seeyoN duh may-troh
zher per trons-por-tay ma vwa-tewr sewr ser ba-to
pwee zha-vwar ewn a-vons der kray-dee
oo sawng lay areh der kar
kawnbyang der tahng dewr ler vwahyazh?
Now check:
Language Log » Phrasebook pronunciation, or, kawnbyang der tahng dewr ler vwahyazh
Of course, the main problem with phrasebooks is that even if you can make yourself understood, you probably won't understand the answer. I've always made a point of getting some books and tapes from the local library and learning a few phrases at least a month before going on holiday. Nobody expects tourists to be fluent but they usually appreciate some effort.
poo-vay-voo muh deer kawN zhuh dwah deh-sawN-druh
oo ay lah stah-seeyoN duh may-troh
zher per trons-por-tay ma vwa-tewr sewr ser ba-to
pwee zha-vwar ewn a-vons der kray-dee
oo sawng lay areh der kar
kawnbyang der tahng dewr ler vwahyazh?
Now check:
Language Log » Phrasebook pronunciation, or, kawnbyang der tahng dewr ler vwahyazh
Of course, the main problem with phrasebooks is that even if you can make yourself understood, you probably won't understand the answer. I've always made a point of getting some books and tapes from the local library and learning a few phrases at least a month before going on holiday. Nobody expects tourists to be fluent but they usually appreciate some effort.
3 comments:
"Ou est la station de metro"? That's one, and there's a 'voiture' mentioned in another. Other than that, I'm lost - typical bloody tourist!
There are games that have this as a puzzle; it can surprisingly hard even when you speak the language natively. Of course, they make it as hard as they can by changing every syllable even when they don't need to... but clearly the phrasebook is doing this too. The last one is a phrase I could translate myself, but I'd have guessed it was Chinese from what they've written, and I can't see how anyone is more likely to hit upon the correct pronunciation from "sewr" than "sur". I can see where they're coming from, but I can't think of an English word with "ewr" in it that one could use as a reference -- and nor is there an English word pronounced like "sur", which renders the task impossible. (I might have gone with "syur" for that one.) And where have all those 'g's come from?
For reference, I also got "ou est la station de metro" only; I stop at GSCE French. I can see a couple of the others now I've been told the answer.
^^Thanks!!
徵徵徵婚前徵信徵婚姻感情徵大陸抓姦徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵外遇抓姦法律諮詢家暴徵婚前徵信尋人感情挽回大陸抓姦離婚徵徵工商徵信徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵婚前徵信外遇抓姦感情挽回尋人大陸抓姦離婚家暴徵徵工商徵信法律諮詢徵徵徵跟蹤徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵工商徵信徵徵婚前徵信感情挽回外遇抓姦法律諮詢家暴尋人大陸抓姦離婚徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵大陸抓姦徵外遇徵徵徵尋人徵徵家暴徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵工商徵信法律諮詢家暴感情挽回大陸抓姦外遇婚前徵信離婚徵徵尋人徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵工商徵信徵徵徵徵徵徵外遇抓姦法律諮詢家暴婚前徵信大陸抓姦尋人感情挽回徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵外遇抓姦婚前徵信感情挽回尋人大陸抓姦工商徵信法律諮詢離婚家暴徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵工商徵信外遇抓姦法律諮詢家暴婚前徵信尋人感情挽回大陸抓姦離婚徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵婚前徵信工商徵信外遇抓姦尋人離婚家暴大陸抓姦感情挽回法律諮詢徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵離婚感情挽回婚前徵信外遇抓姦家暴尋人徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵工商徵信外遇抓姦法律諮詢家暴婚前徵信尋人感情挽回">徵大陸抓姦離婚徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵婚前徵信工商徵信外遇抓姦尋人離婚家暴大陸抓姦感情挽回法律諮詢徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵徵
Post a Comment