Took a little story about an incident which had happened and did a Babelfish AltaVista translation of it into French and then back into English. (The original text is somewhere below.)Note: March 21, 2004 I heard GOOGLE-ISH on NPR, a story by author and NPR commentator, Tim Brookes.
The Knife before Christmas
It was the Christmas day before who I arrived at the house of MJ' S in the afternoon early. At a certain point, I repèré a knife not very familiar on the meter of kitchen and asked for MJ about it. It said, " you know that it was very strange. I heard the mail come by the slit to approximately 10:30 and was very astonished because that was very early so that the mail arrives."
Little one later, when it started from the kitchen, it saw that what had come by the mailslot but a large punching tool had not been the mail. It had fallen perfectly directly, perpendicular to the gate, with the blade moving towards the street. Perplexed, it tried to imagine what continued. It did not know if to worry, to think that somebody gave him a certain kind of warning, or that probably I had lent the knife to one of his neighbors, unbeknownst with me, and that they were right returning it.
I thought that it was very, very strange and completely worrisome. I had not lent the knife to no matter whom. I even never remembered to have seen it front. One of my thoughts was to call the font to record it, and also with discover if this had arrived differently to no matter whom in the zone. (and I had not equal had the precaution to employ a fabric to take it, thus between the handling of MJ' S of it and of the mien, I was sure that all the obviousness of fingerprint would have been destroyed.)
Another thought was that probably somebody for some reason had thought that MJ had left with the knife with a part the last week, and returned it. There was certainly no reason so that no matter who thinks this, but it was about the only possible explanation which I could propose. It had attended the annual part of Christmas de Riverwood the week before (it had been a rather strange occasion during its this year because the part was held in its old house which was just sold this last June.)
What to make but to call the new owners and to ask whether no matter who there knew anything about the knife. Immediate relief! Indeed, the person who answered on the telephone said that it had delivered the knife, but was startled to learn that it had delivered it to the house of MJ' S. Another neighbor, the Sally H., had called their house to enquérir himself about a knife which had been left with the part. W. indicated to Sally that it had found one and would slacken it except function at its house. The only problem was that it had the instuctions forgery on the subject behind of which house to provide it. It even said me that that the house of MJ' S did not really seem to be that the woman on the telephone had described, however it had advanced and had put in any event the knife by the slit... At all events, solved mystery, and without the need for interposition of font!
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Le couteau avant Noël
C'était la veille de Noël que je arrivé à la maison de MJ's dans l'après-midi tôt. À un certain point, j'ai repèré un couteau peu familier sur le compteur de cuisine et ai demandé MJ à son sujet. Elle a dit, " vous savez qu'il était très étrange. J'ai entendu le courrier venir par la fente à environ 10:30 et ai été tout étonné parce que cela était très tôt pour que le courrier arrive. "
Peu un plus tard, quand elle partait de la cuisine, elle a vu que ce qui était venu par le mailslot n'avait pas été le courrier mais un grand couteau de découpage. Il était tombé parfaitement directement, perpendiculaire à la porte, avec la lame se dirigeant vers la rue. Perplexed, elle a essayé d'imaginer ce qui continuait. Elle n'a pas su si s'inquiéter, pour penser que quelqu'un lui donnait un certain genre d'avertissement, ou que probablement j'avais prêté le couteau à un de ses voisins, unbeknownst à moi, et qu'ils étaient justes le renvoyant.
J'ai pensé qu'il était très, très étrange et tout à fait worrisome. Je n'avais pas prêté le couteau à n'importe qui. Je ne me suis pas même rappelé jamais d'l'avoir vu avant. Un de mes pensées devait appeler la police pour l'enregistrer, et également à découvrez si ceci était arrivé autrement à n'importe qui dans la zone. (et j'ai eu pas égal ai eu la prévoyance pour employer un tissu pour le prendre, ainsi entre la manipulation de MJ's d'elle et du mien, j'étais sûr que toute l'évidence d'empreinte digitale aurait été détruite.)
Une autre pensée était que probablement quelqu'un pour quelque raison avait pensé que MJ avait laissé au couteau à une partie la semaine dernière, et la renvoyait. Il n'y avait certainement aucune raison pour que n'importe qui pense ceci, mais il était au sujet de la seule explication possible laquelle je pourrais proposer. Elle avait assisté à la partie annuelle de Noël de Riverwood la semaine avant. (c'avait été une occasion plutôt étrange pendant sa cette année parce que la partie a été tenue dans sa vieille maison qui a été juste vendue ce juin passé.)
Ce qui à faire mais pour appeler les nouveaux propriétaires et pour demander si n'importe qui là savait n'importe quoi au sujet du couteau. Soulagement immédiat! En effet, la personne qui a répondu au téléphone a dit qu'elle avait livré le couteau, mais était startled pour apprendre qu'elle l'avait livré à la maison de MJ's. Un autre voisin, le sally H., avait appelé leur maison pour s'enquérir au sujet d'un couteau qui avait été laissé à la partie. W. a indiqué à sally qu'elle avait trouvé un et le relâcherait hors fonction à sa maison. Le seul problème était qu'elle a eu les instuctions faux au sujet derrière de quelle maison pour le fournir. Elle m'a même dit que que la maison de MJ's n'a pas vraiment semblé être celle la femme au téléphone avait décrit, pourtant elle avait avancé et avait mis de toute façon le couteau par la fente... Quoi qu'il en soit, mystère résolu, et sans le besoin d'interposition de police!
...................................................
Here is the original:
The Knife before Christmas
It was Christmas Eve. I'd arrived at MJ's house in the early afternoon. At some point, I spotted an unfamiliar knife on the kitchen counter and asked MJ about it. She said, "You know it was very strange. I heard the mail coming through the slot at about 10:30 and was quite surprised because that was very early for the mail to be arriving."
A little later, when she was leaving the kitchen, she saw that what had come through the mailslot had not been the mail but a large carving knife. It had fallen perfectly straight, perpendicular to the door, with the blade pointing towards the street. Perplexed, she tried to imagine what was going on. She didn't know whether to worry, to think that someone was giving her some kind of warning, or that possibly I had loaned the knife to one of her neighbors, unbeknownst to her, and that they were just returning it.
I thought it was very, very strange and quite worrisome. I had not loaned the knife to anyone. I didn't even remember ever having seen it before. One of my thoughts was to call the police to report it, and also to find out whether this had happened to anyone else in the area. (And I hadn't even had the foresight to use a cloth to pick it up , so between MJ's handling of it and mine, I was sure that all the fingerprint evidence would have been destroyed.)
Another thought was that possibly someone had for some reason thought that MJ had left the knife at a party last week, and was returning it. There was certainly no reason for anyone to have thought this, but it was about the only possible explanation that I could come up with. She had attended the annual Riverwood Christmas party the week before. (It had been a rather strange occasion for her this year because the party was held in her old house which was just sold this past June.)
What to do but call the new owners and ask if anyone there knew anything about the knife. Immediate relief! Indeed, the person who answered the phone said she had delivered the knife, but was startled to learn that she had delivered it to MJ's house. Another neighbor, Sally H., had called their house to inquire about a knife that had been left behind at the party. W. told Sally that she had found one and would drop it off at her house. The only problem was that she had gotten the instuctions wrong about which house to deliver it to. She even told me that MJ's house didn't really seem to be the one the woman on the phone had been describing, yet she had gone ahead and put the knife through the slot anyhow... Anyway, mystery solved, and with no need for police intervention!
Further Notes (not translated):
(I believe Sally had said it was the third driveway on the left, and she no doubt had said to leave the knife in the mailbox. MJ's driveway is the fourth on the left, going the other direction on 27th street, and there is no mailBOX, just a slot in the door.)
She said she'd come over to retrieve the knife, which in the meantime she had realized was not the right knife after all. When she arrived at the door, she was carrying an even bigger knife which her daughter had told her was the knife that had been left behind, The one she had put through MJ's slot was actually one belonging to the household where the party had been held.
----freetranslation.com translation:
Le Couteau avant Noël Il était la Veille de Noël. J'étais arrivé à la maison de MJ dans l'après-midi premier. A quelque point, je spotted un couteau inconnu sur le compteur de cuisine et a demandé à MJ d'il. Elle a dit, "Vous savez qu'il était très étrange. J'ai entendu le courrier qui vient par l'entaille à de 10:30 et a été étonné tout à fait parce que cela était très premier pour le courrier à est arriver." Un petit plus tard, quand elle partait la cuisine, elle a vu que que qu'était venu par le mailslot n'avait pas été le courrier mais un grand couteau qui taillent. Il était tombé parfaitement droit, la perpendiculaire à la porte, avec la lame qui indique vers la rue. Perplexed, elle a essayé à s'imagine que que continuait. Elle n'a pas su si à l'inquiétude, à penser que quelqu'un lui donnait quelque genre d'avertissement, ou cela probablement j'avais prêté le couteau à celui de ses voisins, unbeknownst me, et qu'ils viennent de retourners il. J'ai pensé il était très, très étrange et tout à fait worrisome. Je n'avais pas prêté le couteau à n'importe qui. Je ne me suis pas souvenu même de jamais le vu avant. Celui de mes pensées était à l'appel la police au rapport il, et aussi à découvrir si ceci était arrivé à n'importe qui autrement dans le domaine. (Et je n'avais pas eu même la prévoyance à l'usage un tissu à le choisit en haut, donc entre MJ contrôle de cela et le mien, j'étais sûr que toute l'évidence d'empreinte digitale aurait été détruite.) Un autre a pensé était que probablement quelqu'un a eu pour quelque raison a pensé que MJ a eu part le couteau à une semaine dernière de parti, et le retournait. Il n'y avait pas que la raison pour n'importe qui à a pensé ceci, mais il était de la seule explication possible que je pourrais proposer. Elle avait assisté le parti de Noël de Riverwood annuel la semaine avant. (Il avait été une occasion plutôt étrange pour elle cette année parce que le parti a été tenu dans sa vieille maison qui vient de vendre ce juin passé.) Qu'à fait mais appelle les nouveaux propriétaires et demande si n'importe qui a su là-bas n'importe quoi du couteau. Soulagement immédiat! En effet, la personne qui a répondu au téléphone a dit qu'elle avait livré le couteau, mais a été surpris à apprendre qu'elle l'avait livré à la maison de MJ. Un autre voisin, H de Sortie., avait appelé leur maison à demande d'un couteau qui avait été gauche derrière au parti. W. la Sortie dite qu'elle avait trouvé un et le tomberait d'à sa maison. Le seul problème était qu'elle avait reçu le tort de instuctions de qui emmagasine à le livre à. Elle m'a dit même cette maison de MJ vraiment n'a pas eu l'air d'est l'une la femme sur le téléphone décrivait, pourtant elle était allé de l'avant et a mis le couteau par l'entaille quand même.. Quand même, le mystère a résolu, et avec aucun besoin pour l'intervention de police! (Je crois que la Sortie avait dit qu'il était la troisième entrée de garage sur le gauche, et elle avait dit sans aucun doute à part le couteau dans la boîte à lettres. L'entrée de garage de MJ est le quart sur le gauche, aller l'autre direction sur la rue 27th, et il n'y a pas de boîte à lettres, seulement une entaille dans la porte.) Elle a dit qu'elle viendrait à rapporte le couteau, qui entretemps elle s'était rendu compte n'était pas le bon couteau après tout. Quand elle est arrivée à la porte, elle portait un même plus grand couteau que sa fille avait dit elle était le couteau qui avait été gauche derrière, L'un elle avait mis par l'entaille de MJ était en fait un est au ménage où le parti avait été tenu.
----------- Your Original Text ----------------
The Knife before Christmas It was Christmas Eve. I'd arrived at MJ's house in the early afternoon. At some point, I spotted an unfamiliar knife on the kitchen counter and asked MJ about it. She said, "You know it was very strange. I heard the mail coming through the slot at about 10:30 and was quite surprised because that was very early for the mail to be arriving." A little later, when she was leaving the kitchen, she saw that what had come through the mailslot had not been the mail but a large carving knife. It had fallen perfectly straight, perpendicular to the door, with the blade pointing towards the street. Perplexed, she tried to imagine what was going on. She didn't know whether to worry, to think that someone was giving her some kind of warning, or that possibly I had loaned the knife to one of her neighbors, unbeknownst to me, and that they were just returning it. I thought it was very, very strange and quite worrisome. I had not loaned the knife to anyone. I didn't even remember ever having seen it before. One of my thoughts was to call the police to report it, and also to find out whether this had happened to anyone else in the area. (And I hadn't even had the foresight to use a cloth to pick it up , so between MJ's handling of it and mine, I was sure that all the fingerprint evidence would have been destroyed.) Another thought was that possibly someone had for some reason thought that MJ had left the knife at a party last week, and was returning it. There was certainly no reason for anyone to have thought this, but it was about the only possible explanation that I could come up with. She had attended the annual Riverwood Christmas party the week before. (It had been a rather strange occasion for her this year because the party was held in her old house which was just sold this past June.) What to do but call the new owners and ask if anyone there knew anything about the knife. Immediate relief! Indeed, the person who answered the phone said she had delivered the knife, but was startled to learn that she had delivered it to MJ's house. Another neighbor, Sally H., had called their house to inquire about a knife that had been left behind at the party. W. told Sally that she had found one and would drop it off at her house. The only problem was that she had gotten the instuctions wrong about which house to deliver it to. She even told me that MJ's house didn't really seem to be the one the woman on the phone had been describing, yet she had gone ahead and put the knife through the slot anyhow... Anyway, mystery solved, and with no need for police intervention! (I believe Sally had said it was the third driveway on the left, and she no doubt had said to leave the knife in the mailbox. MJ's driveway is the fourth on the left, going the other direction on 27th street, and there is no mailBOX, just a slot in the door.) She said she'd come over to retrieve the knife, which in the meantime she had realized was not the right knife after all. When she arrived at the door, she was carrying an even bigger knife which her daughter had told her was the knife that had been left behind, The one she had put through MJ's slot was actually one belonging to the household where the party had been held.
ANd then back:
-- Translation Results by Transparent Language --
The Knife before Christmas It was the Christmas Eve. Arrived j'étais to the MJ house in the l' first afternoon. To some point, I spotted an unknown knife on the cooking compteur and required to d'il MJ. She said, "You qu'il savez was very strange. J'ai heard the mail that comes by l'entaille to 10:30 and was astonished completely because that was very first for the mail to is to arrive." A small one later, when she partait cook it, she saw that that qu'était come by the n'avait mailslot been not the mail but a big knife that cut. It had fallen perfectly straight, the perpendicular one to the door, with the blade that indicates towards the street. Perplexed, she tried to s'imagine that that continued. She not known n'a if to l'inquiétude, to think that someone him donnait some d'avertissement kind, or that probably j'avais lent the knife to the one of its neighbors, unbeknownst me, and qu'ils come from return it. Thought j'ai it was very, very strange and completely worrisome. I n'avais not lent the knife to n'importe that. I did not remember even of never the view before. The one of my thoughts was to l'appel the police to the report it, and also to discover if this had arrived to n'importe that otherwise in the domain. (And I not had n'avais even the foresight to l'usage a fabric to the chooses in top, therefore between MJ checks of that and mine, sure j'étais that all l'évidence digital d'empreinte would have been destroyed.) Another thought was that probably someone had for some reason thought that MJ had leaves the knife to a part week dernière,
It was Christmas Eve. I'd arrived at MJ's house in the early afternoon. At some point, I spotted an unfamiliar knife on the kitchen counter and asked MJ about it. She said, "You know it was very strange. I heard the mail coming through the slot at about 10:30 and was quite surprised because that was very early for the mail to be arriving." A little later, when she was leaving the kitchen, she saw that what had come through the mailslot had not been the mail but a large carving knife. It had fallen perfectly straight, perpendicular to the door, with the blade pointing towards the street. Perplexed, she tried to imagine what was going on. She didn't know whether to worry, to think that someone was giving her some kind of warning, or that possibly I had loaned the knife to one of her neighbors, unbeknownst to me, and that they were just returning it. I thought it was very, very strange and quite worrisome. I had not loaned the knife to anyone. I didn't even remember ever having seen it before. One of my thoughts was to call the police to report it, and also to find out whether this had happened to anyone else in the area. (And I hadn't even had the foresight to use a cloth to pick it up , so between MJ's handling of it and mine, I was sure that all the fingerprint evidence would have been destroyed.) Another thought was that possibly someone had for some reason thought that MJ had left the knife at a party last week, and was returning it. There was certainly no reason for anyone to have thought this, but it was about the only possible explanation that I could come up with. She had attended the annual Riverwood Christmas party the week before. (It had been a rather strange occasion for her this year because the party was held in her old house which was just sold this past June.) What to do but call the new owners and ask if anyone there knew anything about the knife. Immediate relief! Indeed, the person who answered the phone said she had delivered the knife, but was startled to learn that she had delivered it to MJ's house. Another neighbor, Sally H., had called their house to inquire about a knife that had been left behind at the party. W. told Sally that she had found one and would drop it off at her house. The only problem was that she had gotten the instuctions wrong about which house to deliver it to. She even told me that MJ's house didn't really seem to be the one the woman on the phone had been describing, yet she had gone ahead and put the knife through the slot anyhow... Anyway, mystery solved, and with no need for police intervention! (I believe Sally had said it was the third driveway on the left, and she no doubt had said to leave the knife in the mailbox. MJ's driveway is the fourth on the left, going the other direction on 27th street, and there is no mailBOX, just a slot in the door.) She said she'd come over to retrieve the knife, which, in the meantime, she had realized was not the right knife after all. When she arrived at the door, she was carrying an even bigger knife which her daughter had told her was the knife that had been left behind, The one she had put through MJ's slot was actually one belonging to the household where the party had been held.
--February 2001