3 replies to this topic

[Servidor]

Greetings

I bought something from your tribe which arrived today. It has instructions - but I do not speak your horrible Latin. It is moth and insect repellant. They are blocks of wood and it seems more or less straightforward. However, because of the value of the objects with which I need to place them in a chest - I need to be certain. So, perhaps it warns me not to have direct contact between the blocks and objects being protected from insects but rather to wrap the blocks in a thin cloth. Or maybe it says not to leave them together permanently but only for a few days and then it will work so for many months. Or something like that.

Here is the text. A translation or even a broad outline of what it says would be greatly appreciated.

Zedernholz

* angenehmer exotischer Duft

* naturalicher Schutz gegen

*Alternative zu chemischen Mottenkugeln

I understood the last one and gather this is a product description. Here are the important parts -

Hinweis:
Haufig treten atherische Ole als weiB(not actually a 'b' but a strange letter that looks like a poorly written capital Latin "B")e Kristalle an der Holzoberflache auf

Anwendungstipp
Stricksachen richtig lagern
Pullis und Strickjacken waschen.
Strickteile liegend an einem trockenen
Ort aufbewahren und die einzelnen
Lagen mit atmungsaktiven Tuchern
oder Hullen abdecken. Zedernholz in die Nahe legen.

?!

Edited by Servidor, 16 September 2012 - 10:19 PM.

[Zulfiqar-e-Ali]

Servidor, on 16 September 2012 - 10:13 PM, said:

I bought something from your tribe which arrived today. It has instructions - but I do not speak your horrible Latin

Why should I help you, o being which insults the 3rd best language on earth?  For the record, it's not even a Romance (Latin based) language.  

Servidor, on 16 September 2012 - 10:13 PM, said:

Zedernholz

Cedar wood

Servidor, on 16 September 2012 - 10:13 PM, said:

* angenehmer exotischer Duft

pleasant exotic fragrance

Servidor, on 16 September 2012 - 10:13 PM, said:

* naturalicher Schutz gegen

natural protection

Servidor, on 16 September 2012 - 10:13 PM, said:

*Alternative zu chemischen Mottenkugeln

Alternative to chemical mothballs

Servidor, on 16 September 2012 - 10:13 PM, said:

Hinweis:
Haufig treten atherische Ole als weiB(not actually a 'b' but a strange letter that looks like a poorly written capital Latin "B")e Kristalle an der Holzoberflache auf

Essential oils often appear as white crystals on the surface of wood. (ß is called "esset" and is pronounced as a double S - you also eliminated all umlauts (the dots above certain letters).  You can replace those with an e after the letter.  So Öle (oil) becomes Oele.  Best of luck.)

Servidor, on 16 September 2012 - 10:13 PM, said:

Anwendungstipp
Stricksachen richtig lagern
Pullis und Strickjacken waschen.
Strickteile liegend an einem trockenen
Ort aufbewahren und die einzelnen
Lagen mit atmungsaktiven Tuchern
oder Hullen abdecken. Zedernholz in die Nahe legen.

Method of Use:
Knitwear: store them properly
Sweaters and cardigans: wash
Knitted parts: air dry
Place and keep the individual layers with breathable Tuchern (no idea) or Hullen (donno) cover.  Put cedar wood into the area.

I couldn't translate those two words - sorry.  I hope this is satisfactory.  The charge is $20.  I would have done it for free, but you made fun of German, so I charge.  

[Servidor]

You actually speak German? I give you my thanks.

Zulfiqar-e-Ali, on 16 September 2012 - 10:26 PM, said:

Why should I help you, o being which insults the 3rd best language on earth?  For the record, it's not even a Romance (Latin based) language.

Now you know that is just not true. German is a romance language employing the Latin alphabet (with trimmings apparently) and with a good amount of words whose provenance is ultimately Latin. It is true however that it is the romance language least like Latin due to it's retention of many older words from non-Latin languages. English is the second least like Latin, again because of the number of words coming from Saxon (and elsewhere) and not Latin. Still, sixty percent of English words are derivative of Latin. I do not know the number for your barbaric insult to the human ear.

Ultimately German developed just like all the other romance languages historically. It was Latin poorly spoken locally by a less educated populace who increasingly lost sight of how to use case-functions and declensions the further time put them from the Roman Empire.

Zulfiqar-e-Ali, on 16 September 2012 - 10:26 PM, said:

Method of Use:
Knitwear: store them properly
Sweaters and cardigans: wash
Knitted parts: air dry
Place and keep the individual layers with breathable Tuchern (no idea) or Hullen (donno) cover.  Put cedar wood into the area.

I couldn't translate those two words - sorry.

Those directions are almost useless. What does it mean to "store them properly"? What does it mean wash if you are trying to keep sweaters and cardigans moth-free? Wash before wearing them again? And air dry knitted parts? What knitted parts and why are they wet? And then just at the crucial moment the two words that were key you did not translate for me. Place and keep (what?) layers with breathable blank or blank. Then put the cedar wood there. I still do not know what this means.

I do not even intend to use them to keep moths away from clothes.

But I give you my thanks for you efforts all the same.

Zulfiqar-e-Ali, on 16 September 2012 - 10:26 PM, said:

I hope this is satisfactory.  The charge is $20.  I would have done it for free, but you made fun of German, so I charge.

I did not make fun out of your tribe's misuse of their tongues. There is nothing funny about errant Latin. And - no. Your tribe is not getting any more from us. First I bought a brazier that broke in the shipping (caste iron - I need a professional to weld that again). Then they sent me my moth-repellant less one (I ordered eight and have seven). And finally the second chest is smaller than the first though I payed the same price for both. Liars and dancers! Should have stuck to my Spaniard but he does not make chests or sell moth-repellant.

My thanks again.

[Zulfiqar-e-Ali]

Servidor, on 17 September 2012 - 02:45 AM, said:

You actually speak German? I give you my thanks.

Not particularly well.  I took 3 years of German in high school and my teacher constantly said that I was the best at it.  Perhaps it was because my insistence on reading the internet only in German, listening to only German news, etc.  Oh well.  I have lost a lot of it.  It doesn't take a genius to use Google Translate.  (I used http://dict.leo.org/?lang=en - not Google Translate - to help, but I'm sure Google would have worked fine).

Servidor, on 17 September 2012 - 02:45 AM, said:

I did not make fun out of your tribe's misuse of their tongues. There is nothing funny about errant Latin. And - no. Your tribe is not getting any more from us. First I bought a brazier that broke in the shipping (caste iron - I need a professional to weld that again). Then they sent me my moth-repellant less one (I ordered eight and have seven). And finally the second chest is smaller than the first though I payed the same price for both. Liars and dancers! Should have stuck to my Spaniard but he does not make chests or sell moth-repellant.

You're blaming us for your faulty shipping people?  I'm positive that the brazier was in perfect shape until it got into the hands of people on your side.  As for the lost mothball, you're going to fault us for saving some money?  I mean, jeez.  If you really want to be ripped off, try doing business with a Jew or Chinese man.  Not only will they give you less than you asked for, but they will charge you for MORE.  And actually, it costs more to make a smaller chest.  It's more difficult to produce the smaller chest because there is less room to work.  If you wanted them to be the same size, you should have specified that.  When you just ask for a "chest", it leaves it open for interpretation.

Servidor, on 17 September 2012 - 02:45 AM, said:

My thanks again.

You are very welcome, sir.