[geeks] Phrasebooks

[Geoffrey S. Mendelson]

On Sun, Dec 30, 2007 at 01:55:32PM -0500, Shannon Hendrix wrote:
> Have you looked at those little travel translators?  The last one I  
> looked at seemed more focused on that sort of thing.

Over the years, my wife has bought them and found them unsuitable
for anything but translating while sitting at a desk, reading
a newspaper or book. They are just too slow and unwieldy.

> 
> Still, an interesting idea since probably no one resource has all you  
> need.

That's true, I'm hoping to at least collect a list of phrases that
geeks need, which most people would ignore.

> It's too bad there are not more open projects like this, about  
> creating data rather than code.
> 
> Maybe that's a new business for you: create a travel-wiki for this and  
> sell ads.

ok, I'll think about it. :-)

> > "Were can I check my email for free?"
> > "Do you have free WiFi here"?
> > "Do you sell an adapter for my power plug?"
> > "Do you have a replacement power cord/supply for my iPod/laptop/cell  
> > phone?"
> > "Can you unlock my cell phone?"
> > "Do you sell cheap pay as you go SIM's?"
> > "Do you have VoIP phone I can use to call home?"
> 
> Where is the nearest <XXX> embassy?
> 
> Where is the bathroom/restroom/cleanest ditch?
> 
> Where is the nearest computer store?
> 
> Where is the nearest gas station?
> 
> There are tons of common questions.  It would be a lot of effort to  
> compile a list, since some languages don't work like English.  In  
> English it is relatively easy to use canned phrases and just add noun  
> phrases to compile a list of questions.

That's true, what I was hoping to do was collect the questions and
then circulate them around.


> Not sure about some other languages like hebrew, arabic, various asian  
> languages, etc.

Hebrew is difficult because there is no verb to be. For example,
"ani b'derech" (I in road) could mean "I'm standing in the street", 
"I'm on my way", "I'm in transit", and so on. The phrase "let's
go "Yallah" is actually Arabic and is used as "let's go", "move
yourself" and at the end of a phone call by some people. 

> > Also not to offend anyone, but from what I have seen on TV and been
> > reading, a whole section on the purchase and use of condoms.
> 
> That's funny.

Why (you can answer off list)? I see condom commercals on foreign
TV (we get England, France, Spain, Germany, Russian, India, 
a generic Pacific rim station  and so on).

I've seen high school girls at the local "drug store" handing them
out to other high school girls (as a sales promotion), and until 
Al Gore did his thing, we were bombabrded with AIDS being the cause
of the comming destruction of civilization. 

BTW, in most of Europe, and here prostitution is legal, but soliciting
customers for someone else is not. 

Geoff.
-- 
Geoffrey S. Mendelson, Jerusalem, Israel gsm at mendelson.com  N3OWJ/4X1GM
IL Voice: (07)-7424-1667 U.S. Voice: 1-215-821-1838 
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