Klarinet Archive - Posting 000821.txt from 2000/08

From: "Ian Black" <clarinet1@-----.uk>
Subj: Re: [kl] Tower of Babel / Babelfish
Date: Fri, 25 Aug 2000 17:09:07 -0400

This is a continuation of the off-topic thread on language(s). Please feel free to use the delete
button (unless it broke at the time of the Marching Band thread - Oh no! What have I said?????)

----- Original Message -----
From: Neil Leupold <leupold_1@-----.com>
Subject: [kl] Tower of Babel / Babelfish

> The "Tower of Babel" is the name of the building mentioned in Genesis 11:1-9
> of the Christian Bible.
>
> <<snip>>

> In Douglas Adams's 'trilogy' (there are actually four books) "The Hitch-
> hiker's Guide to the Galaxy," he elaborates on a very strange creature,
> the babelfish, which is capable of translating any form of speech, in any
> language, into sounds that you can understand...the practical upshot of
> which is, if you stick one in your ear, you can instantly understand
> whatever is being said to you.
>

OK, OK I know I'm a pedant. I can't help it - it's just the way I am. The "Hitch-hiker" trilogy was,
in its time, a paradox, as there were four books. However, with the publication of "Mostly Harmless"
sometime in the 1990's the trilogy swelled to five. So technically there are five books in the
"Hitch-hiker's Guide to the Galaxy" "trilogy".

Have a nice day ;-)

Ian

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