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March 17, 2003English nerd, bored, or both?
As anybody who remembers the early days of video games can attest, many of them were shipped over here from Japan with translations in the documentation and game text itself which were laughably bad. The introduction text from Zero Wing [printed below] was some of the worst, and the poorly-worded "All your base are belong to us" took on a life of its own.
In A.D. 2101
War was beginning.
Captain: What happen ?
Mechanic: Somebody set up us the bomb.
Operator: We get signal.
Captain: What !
Operator: Main screen turn on.
Captain: It's You !!
Cats: How are you gentlemen !!
Cats: All your base are belong to us.
Cats: You are on the way to destruction.
Captain: What you say !!
Cats: You have no chance to survive make your time.
Cats: HA HA HA HA ....
Captain: Take off every 'zig' !!
Captain: You know what you doing.
Captain: Move 'zig'.
Captain: For great justice.
Breathtaking, no? As I was reading “Oedipus the King” and “Antigone” with my senior World Literature students, it occurred to me that Zero Wing’s intro text was a timeless masterpiece—and, as such, could probably work as a shell for summarizing Greek tragedies. Behold!
Oedipus the King
In B.C. 1000
Plague was beginning.
Oedipus: What happen?
Apollo: Somebody sexed up us the mom.
Creon: We get oracle.
Oedipus: What!
Creon: Tiresias turn on.
Oedipus: It's You!!
Tiresias: How are you gentleman!!
Tiresias: All your fates are belong to us.
Tiresias: You are on the way to destruction.
Oedipus: What you say !!
Tiresias: You have no chance to survive make your time.
Tiresias: HA HA HA HA ....
Oedipus: Take out every 'eye'!!
Creon: You know what you doing?
Oedipus: Remove 'eye'
Oedipus: For divine justice!
Antigone
In BC 980
War was ending.
Chorus: What happen?
Creon: Polynices set up us the bomb.
Chorus: We get oracle.
Captain: What!
Antigone: I disobey Creon.
Captain: It's You!!
Greek Gods: How are you gentleman!!
Greek Gods: All your corpse are belong to us.
Tiresias: You are on the way to destruction.
Creon: What you say!!
Tiresias: You have no chance to survive make your time
Antigone: HA HA HA HA ....
Captain: Take out every 'niece'!
Haemon: You know what you doing!
Creon: Move 'niece'
Creon: For late justice!
Posted by patrick at March 17, 2003 01:28 AM
CommentsHave u seen www.engrish.com
Posted by: Someguy at March 17, 2003 08:06 PM
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