Most detailed pictures ever of Phobos taken by Mars Express / Sonda europea envía imágenes únicas de luna Phobos en Marte

Thursday, July 31, 2008


Those of us over on space.com's forums have been looking forward to this flyby for quite some time. Mars Express had its closest flyby yet of Mars' larger moon, Phobos, flying within 100 km and sending back some remarkably detailed images. Here's the link to ESA's page on the flyby.

First of all, to see how the flyby worked, take a look at this .gif animation.

Phobos is under 10,000 km away from the surface of Mars, which is about 35 times closer than our Moon, though it's much smaller of course. Wikipedia has some information on Mars looks like from Phobos and vice versa:

As seen from Phobos, Mars would appear 6,400 times larger and 2,500 times brighter than the full Moon appears from Earth, taking up a quarter of the width of a celestial hemisphere.

Phobos orbits Mars below the synchronous orbit radius, meaning that it moves around Mars faster than Mars itself rotates. Therefore it rises in the west, moves comparatively rapidly across the sky (in 4 h 15 min or less) and sets in the east, approximately twice a day (every 11 h 6 min). Since it is close to the surface and in an equatorial orbit, it cannot be seen above the horizon from latitudes greater than 70.4°.

As seen from Mars' equator, Phobos would be one-third the angular diameter of the full Moon as seen from Earth. Observers at higher Martian latitudes would see a smaller angular diameter because they would be significantly further away from Phobos. Phobos' apparent size would actually vary by up to 45% as it passed overhead, due to its proximity to Mars' surface: for an equatorial observer, for example, Phobos would be about 0.14° upon rising and swell to 0.20° by the time it reaches the zenith. By comparison, the Sun would have an apparent size of about 0.35° in the Martian sky.

Okay, now for one of the pictures:


Soon we'll also be able to see the surface of the moon and obtain samples from its surface:
Scientific bounty

In observing Phobos, Mars Express benefits from its highly elliptical orbit which takes it from a closest distance of 270 km from the planet to a maximum of
10 000 km (from the centre of Mars), crossing the 6000 km orbit of the martian moon. Mars Express imaged the far-side of Phobos (with respect to Mars) for the first time after NASA’s Viking mission in the 1970s, by flying outside the spacecraft’s orbit around Mars.

Phobos-Grunt (roughly translated as Phobos soil), a Russian sample-return mission, is due for launch in 2009. It is expected to land on the far-side of Phobos at a region between 5° south to 5° north, and 230° west to 235° west.

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Occitan and Interlingua have a lot of similarities


Has anybody else that knows an IAL like Interlingua and Occidental noticed that Occitan is really, really easy to read? Here is the Universal Declaration of Human rights in Occitan and Interlingua, and with a slightly modified version of Occitan on the right where I've made it a bit closer to Interlingua in terms of article usage and removing pluralization on adjectives.

There are a ton of other small Romance languages in the area from southern France to northern Italy and Switzerland, but none of them are as close to recognizable at first sight as Occitan.

Occitan InterlinguaModified Occitan
Considerant que de reconéisser la dignitat inerenta a totes los membres de la familha umana e lors dreches egals e inalienables constituís lo fondament de la libertat, de la justícia e de la patz dins lo mond, Considerante que le recognoscentia del dignitate inherente a tote le membros del familia human e de lor derectos equal e inalienabile constitue le fundamento del libertate, del justitia e del pace in le mundo, Considerant que de reconéisser le dignitat inerenta a tote le membres del familha umana e lor dreches egal e inalienable constituís le fondament del libertat, del justícia e del patz dins le mond,

Considerant que de desconéisser e mespresar los dreches de l'òme a menat a de barbaritats otrajantas per la consciéncia de l'umanitat e que l'aveniment d'un mond ont los èssers umans seràn liures de parlar e de creire, deliurats de la terror e de la misèria, es estat proclamat coma l'aspiracion mai nauta de l'òme,

Considerante que le ignorantia e le disprecio del derectos human ha resultate in actos de barbaria que ultragia le conscientia del humanitate, e que le advenimento de un mundo in le qual le esseres human essera libere de parlar e de creder, liberate del terror e del miseria, ha essite proclamate como le plus alte aspiration del homine,

Considerant que de desconéisser e mespresar le dreches del òme a menat a de barbaritats otrajanta per le consciéncia del umanitat e que le aveniment de un mond ont los èssers umans seràn liures de parlar e de creire, deliurats del terror e del misèria, es estat proclamat coma le aspiracion mai nauta del òme,

Considerant qu'es essencial que los dreches de l'òme siàn aparats per un regime de drech per tal que l'òme siá pas obligat al suprème recors de se revoltar contra la tirania e l'opression,

Considerante que il es essential que le derectos human es protegite per medio de un regime de derecto, a fin que le homine non es compellite al ultime recurso del rebellion contra le tyrannia e le oppression,

Considerant que es essencial que le dreches del òme siàn aparats per un regime de drech per tal que le òme siá pas obligat al suprème recors de se revoltar contra le tirania e le opression,

Considerant qu'es essencial d'encoratjar lo desvolopament de relacions amicalas entre las nacions,

Considerante que il es essential promover le disveloppamento de relationes amical inter le nationes,

Considerant que es essencial de encoratjar le desvolopament de relacions amical entre le nacions,

Considerant que, dins la Carta, los pòbles de las Nacions Unidas an tornat proclamar lor fe dins los dreches fondamentals de l'òme, dins la dignitat e la valor de la persona umana, dins l'egalitat dels dreches dels òmes e de las femnas, e que se son declarats resolguts a favorir lo progrès social e a instaurar de melhoras condicions de vida dins una libertat mai bèla,

Considerante que in le Charta le populos del Nationes Unite ha reaffirmate lor fide in le derectos human fundamental, in le dignitate e in le valor del persona human, in le equalitate del derectos del homines e del feminas, e que illos se ha declarate resolute a promover le progresso social e a instaurar melior conditiones de vita in un libertate plus grande,

Considerant que, dins le Carta, le pòbles del Nacions Unida an tornat proclamar lor fe dins le dreches fondamental del òme, dins le dignitat e le valor del persona umana, dins le egalitat del dreches del òmes e del femnas, e que se son declarats resolguts a favorir le progrès social e a instaurar de melhora condicions de vida dins un libertat mai bèla,

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Lithuania to support Georgia's membership to NATO / Litvanya, Gürcistan'ın NATO Üyeliğine destek verecek



Today's news translated from Turkish is from haberler.com, and is about a week old. Georgia's definitely a country I'd like to visit.

LİTVANYA, GÜRCİSTAN'IN NATO ÜYELİĞİNE DESTEK VERECEK
Lithuania to support Georgia's membership to NATO


Litvanya askeri yetkilileri, Gürcistan'ın NATO üyeliğine destek vereceklerini açıkladı. Başkent Vilnüs'te resmi ziyarette bulunan Gürcistan Genelkurmay Başkanı Zaza Gogaviya ile bir araya gelen Litvanya Genelkurmay Başkanı Valdas Tutkus, ülkesinin Tiflis'in NATO üyeliğini aktif destek verdiğini hatırlattı. Kendilerinin NATO tecrübesi çerçevesinde Gürcistan'a her türlü yardımı vermeye hazır olduklarının altını çizen Litvanya Genelkurmay Başkanı, "Litvanya, Gürcistan'ın NATO üyeliği konusunda bu ülkeye aktif bir şekilde destek veriyor. NATO konusunda kendi tecrübelerimizi Tiflis'le paylaşmaya hazırız. Bir zamanlar Polonya ve Çek Cumhuriyeti de kendi NATO tecrübelerini bizimle paylaşmıştı. diye konuştu.
Lithuanian military authorities have revealed that they will support Georgia's membership to NATO. In an official visit to the Lithuanian capital of Vilnius, Georgia's chief of joint staff Zaza Gogava (ზაზა გოგავა) and Lithuania's chief of general staff Valdas Tutkus met with each other, where the latter reiterated his country's active support for Tblisi's membership to NATO. Stressing that they were ready to give Georgia all types of support based on their experience with NATO, the chief of general staff said that "Lithuania will be actively supporting Georgia on its issue of membership in NATO. We are ready to share our experience on NATO with Tbilisi. For a time Poland and the Czech Republic also shared their experience on NATO with us."

Litvanya ve Gürcü genelkurmay başkanları görüşmede ayrıca, uluslararası askeri operasyon ve tatbikatlarda yer alma konularını da masa yatırdı. Litvanya Genelkurmay Başkanı Valdas Tutkus, ülkesinin Gürcistan'ın uluslararası askeri misyonlarındaki faaliyetleriyle ilgili deneyimlerine ilgi gösterdiğini kaydetti.
In the meeting between the Lithuanian and Georgian chiefs of staff, issues on international military operations and training were also on the table. Valdas Tutkus said that his country was interested in Georgia's experiences in its activities on international military missions.
Başta Irak'ta olmak üzere Gürcistan'ın uluslararası askeri misyonlarda 2 binden fazla askeri görev yapmakta.
Beginning with Iraq, Georgia has sent over 2000 troops on international military missions.
Gürcistan ve Ukrayna'nın NATO üyeliği Nisan ayında Romanya'nın başkenti Bükreş'te gerçekleşen zirvede Aralık ayına ertelenmişti. Yıl sonunda yapılacak NATO zirvesinde bu iki ülkenin de üyelik yolunda son aşama olan 'Üyelik Asiyon Planı'na dahil edilmesi bekleniyor. Moskova, Ukrayna ve Gürcistan'ın NATO üyeliğine karşı çıkıyor.
Georgia and Ukraine's NATO (discussion on) membership was postponed until December in NATO's summit in Bucrest, the capital of Romania, in April. In the NATO summit to take place at the end of the year, these two countries are to be included in the Membership Action Plan, the highest position on the road to membership. Moscow is opposed to the membership of Ukraine and Georgia in NATO.


Rkinis Rigi (iron row) in Old Tbilisi.
Fonte del image: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Hpim3433.jpg

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New stats on how many Basque people actually speak Basque / Euskara


Last week an article came out on a new survey on the Basque language and how it's been faring over the past few years. And the news is good:

In this population group, a distinction is made in terms of their level of knowledge between: 775.000 Basque speakers –who understand and speak Basque well– and 459.000 almost-Basque-speakers, with a good or medium level of comprehension but with difficulties when speaking.
Basque speakers increased by 118,000 people with respect to 2001, whereas the number of almost-Basque speakers decreased by 11,000.
Then per territory:
If an analysis is made of Basque speakers per territory, Gipuzkoa maintains itself in 2006 as the first territory with a majority of the population speaking Basque, totalling 52.9%, followed by Bizkaia with 31,3% and Alava with 25.1%.
On the other hand, with respect to 2001, Alava turned out to be the territory with the biggest increase in Basque speakers, 8.9%, followed by Bizkaia with 6.4% and Gipuzkoa with 1.5%.
Here are there respective locations if you're curious. First Gipuzkoa:


Then Bizkaia:
And Alava:

This is very good news for me because I plan to learn Basque eventually and it's depressing when a language you want to learn (Blackfoot for example, the native language from the area where I grew up) is slowly dying. That doesn't seem to be the case with Basque. An extra 100,000+ speakers over five years is not too shabby. We IAL advocates would love an increase of that magnitude.

Sample of Basque:

Barack Hussein Obama Jr. (Honolulu, Hawai, AEB, 1961ko abuztuaren 4a - ) Hawain jaiotzako politikari estatubatuarra da. Gaur egun Illinois estatuko Senadorea da. AEBtako Senatuko bosgarren legelari beltza da eta hirugarrena berreraikuntzatik. Ameriketako Estatu Batuetako Alderdi Demokratak izan duen bigarren senatari beltza da. 2007an Ameriketako Estatu Batuetako presidente izateko hautagaitza aurkeztu zuen eta Hillary Clintonekin lehiatu zen Alderdi Demokrataren ordezkari izatea hauteskundetan. 2008ko ekainaren 5ean primariak irabazi zituen eta hautagaia izateko aukera guztiak irabazi zituen. John McCainen aurkako lehian aukeratua izatekotan AEBko lehenengo presidente afroamerikarra izango litzateke.

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What does the Nicene Creed sound like in Greek?


I was curious about this and lucky for me YouTube has everything. I was able to find two videos with the Nicene Creed in Greek. First of all the original in Greek:

Πιστεύω εἰς ἕνα Θεόν, Πατέρα, Παντοκράτορα, ποιητὴν οὐρανοῦ καὶ γῆς, ὁρατῶν τε πάντων καὶ ἀοράτων.
Καὶ εἰς ἕνα Κύριον Ἰησοῦν Χριστόν, τὸν Υἱὸν τοῦ Θεοῦ τὸν μονογενῆ, τὸν ἐκ τοῦ Πατρὸς γεννηθέντα πρὸ πάντων τῶν αἰώνων·
φῶς ἐκ φωτός, Θεὸν ἀληθινὸν ἐκ Θεοῦ ἀληθινοῦ, γεννηθέντα οὐ ποιηθέντα, ὁμοούσιον τῷ Πατρί, δι' οὗ τὰ πάντα ἐγένετο.
Τὸν δι' ἡμᾶς τοὺς ἀνθρώπους καὶ διὰ τὴν ἡμετέραν σωτηρίαν κατελθόντα ἐκ τῶν οὐρανῶν καὶ σαρκωθέντα
ἐκ Πνεύματος Ἁγίου καὶ Μαρίας τῆς Παρθένου καὶ ἐνανθρωπήσαντα.
Σταυρωθέντα τε ὑπὲρ ἡμῶν ἐπὶ Ποντίου Πιλάτου, καὶ παθόντα καὶ ταφέντα.
Καὶ ἀναστάντα τῇ τρίτῃ ἡμέρα κατὰ τὰς Γραφάς.
Καὶ ἀνελθόντα εἰς τοὺς οὐρανοὺς καὶ καθεζόμενον ἐκ δεξιῶν τοῦ Πατρός.
Καὶ πάλιν ἐρχόμενον μετὰ δόξης κρῖναι ζῶντας καὶ νεκρούς, οὗ τῆς βασιλείας οὐκ ἔσται τέλος.
Καὶ εἰς τὸ Πνεῦμα τὸ Ἅγιον, τὸ κύριον, τὸ ζωοποιόν,
τὸ ἐκ τοῦ Πατρὸς ἐκπορευόμενον,
τὸ σὺν Πατρὶ καὶ Υἱῷ συμπροσκυνούμενον καὶ συνδοξαζόμενον,
τὸ λαλῆσαν διὰ τῶν προφητῶν.
Εἰς μίαν, Ἁγίαν, Καθολικὴν καὶ Ἀποστολικὴν Ἐκκλησίαν.
Ὁμολογῶ ἓν βάπτισμα εἰς ἄφεσιν ἁμαρτιῶν.
Προσδοκῶ ἀνάστασιν νεκρῶν.
Καὶ ζωὴν τοῦ μέλλοντος αἰῶνος.
Ἀμήν.
Then using this tool online converts most of it into Latin characters if you're more used to those:
pisteύomen eἰs ἕna Theόn, patέra, pantokrάtora, poihtὴn oὐranoῦ kaὶ gῆs, ὁratῶn te pάntwn kaὶ ἀorάtwn.

Kaὶ eἰs ἕna Kύrion Ἰhsoῦn Christόn, tὸn Yἱὸn toῦ Theoῦ tὸn monogenῆ, tὸn ἐk toῦ patrὸs gennhthέnta prὸ pάntwn tῶn aἰώnwn· fῶs ἐk fwtόs, Theὸn ἀlhthinὸn ἐk Theoῦ ἀlhthinoῦ, gennhthέnta oὐ poihthέnta, ὁmooύsion tῷ patrί, di' oὗ tὰ pάnta ἐgέneto.

Tὸn di' ἡmᾶs toὺs ἀnthrώpoys kaὶ diὰ tὴn ἡmetέran swthrίan katelthόnta ἐk tῶn oὐranῶn kaὶ sarkwthέnta ἐk pneύmatos Ἁgίoy kaὶ Marίas tῆs parthέnoy kaὶ ἐnanthrwpήsanta.

Stayrwthέnta te ὑpὲr ἡmῶn ἐpὶ pontίoy pilάtoy, kaὶ pathόnta kaὶ tafέnta.

Kaὶ ἀnastάnta tῇ trίtῃ ἡmέra katὰ tὰs Grafάs.

Kaὶ ἀnelthόnta eἰs toὺs oὐranoὺs kaὶ kathezόmenon ἐk dexiῶn toῦ patrόs.

Kaὶ pάlin ἐrchόmenon metὰ dόxhs krῖnai zῶntas kaὶ nekroύs, oὗ tῆs basileίas oὐk ἔstai tέlos.

Kaὶ eἰs tὸ pneῦma tὸ Ἅgion, tὸ kύrion, tὸ zwopoiόn, tὸ ἐk toῦ patrὸs ἐkporeyόmenon, tὸ sὺn patrὶ kaὶ Yἱῷ symproskynoύmenon kaὶ syndoxazόmenon, tὸ lalῆsan diὰ tῶn profhtῶn.

Eἰs mίan, Ἁgίan, Katholikὴn kaὶ Ἀpostolikὴn Ἐkklhsίan.

Ὁmologῶ ἓn bάptisma eἰs ἄfesin ἁmartiῶn.

prosdokῶ ἀnάstasin nekrῶn.

Kaὶ zwὴn toῦ mέllontos aἰῶnos.

Ἀmήn.
Okay, now for the videos. The first one is this one, recited by Benedict XVI and Bartholomew I. Too bad it wasn't just one of them recorded, because that's much easier to hear.



The second one is by someone learning Greek who has quite a few videos on YouTube of himself speaking it. Looking at the responses most say he's quite good. Here it is:

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How much has interest in international auxiliary languages grown since 1985?


That's hard to tell, but there's a way to compare the interest in them compared to other non-IAL subjects. Google Groups offers an advanced search that goes all the way back to 1981, so I've gone over a few IAL-related and non-IAL related terms from 1985 to 2008 to compare the rate of increase between them all. Since it's July 30th 2008 right now the start date was set to January 1st of 1981 and the first end date to search at was set as July 30th 1985, then 1990, and so on until 2005, then the last shows the three years between 2005 and 2008.

The rate of increase between the date before is shown in percent below. Note that this isn't an attempt to compare IALs between each other, but rather the interest in IALs compared to regular concepts. The non-IAL terms were chosen from those that had nothing to do with any large events in the past that would skew the results (Saddam Hussein, Afghanistan, World Trade Center, Monica Lewinsky, etc.).

Search
term
1985 19901995
2000
2005
2008
Avg.
rate of
increase
Esperanto 170 1480
+770%
17900
+1100%
176000
883%
314000
+78%
373000
+18%
570%
Bulgaria 79 731
+825%
27100
+3607%
235000
+767%
448000
+90%
681000
+52%
1068%
Ido language
0
17
443
+2505%
3140
+608%
5930
+88%
8590
+44%
811%
Calgary
259
3740
+1344%
54700
+1362%
549000
+903%
1900000
+245%
2150000
+13%
773%
Occidental
interlingue



55
183
+232%
273
+49%
140%
Novial

5
53
+960%
655
+1135%
1020
+55%
1430
+40%
547%
Spanish
845
4430
+424%
114000
+2473%
3510000
+2980%
3340000
-4%
4760000
+42%
1183%
Lojban
0
38
602
+1484%
8740
+1351%
46100
+427%
62700
+36%
824%
Mongolia
27
297
+1000%
5090
+1613%
50300
+888%
102000
+102%
156000
+52%
731%
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
--
Avg. increase
of IAL-related
content






578%
Avg. increase
of non-IAL
related content






938%


The hasty conclusion to draw from this would be that the world is relatively no more interested in IALs now than it was in the past. The one consoling factor I suppose would be that at least interest hasn't dropped off the face of the Earth in this time.

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Annual trade between Turkey and Iran to reach $21 billion by 2011 / Türkiye-İran iş hacmi 21 milyar dolara ulaşacak

Wednesday, July 30, 2008


Today's news translated from Turkish is from Yeni Şafak. Note that there's a typo in the first paragraph so it says 2001 in the original when it really means 2011.

Türkiye-İran iş hacmi 21 milyar $'a ulaşacak
Trade volume between Turkey and Iran to reach $21 billion

İran'ın Trabzon Başkonsolosu Muhammed Rafi, 2001 yılına kadar İran ile Türkiye arasındaki ticari münasebetlerin yılda 21 milyar dolara çıkacağının öngörüldüğünü söyledi. Rafi, Müstakil Sanayici ve İşadamları Derneği (MÜSİAD) Trabzon Şubesi'ni ziyaret ederek, Şube Başkanı Ahmet Sarı ile bir süre görüştü. Trabzon'un İran için her zaman önemli bir kent olduğunu belirten Rafi, "İran ile Türkiye arasında yapılan ve Trabzon kanalıyla gerçekleştirilen iktisadi ve ticari ilişkiler, uzun yıllardır sürmüş, hiçbir zaman kesintiye uğramamıştır" diye konuştu.
Iran's consul general in the city of Trabzon Muhammed Rafi said that by the year 2011 yearly trade relations between Iran and Turkey are expected to reach $21 billion. Rafi, visiting the Trabzon branch of MÜSİAD (the Independent Industrialists and Businessmen's Association), met with the branch head Ahmet Sarı for a time. Stating that the city of Trabzon was always an important one for Iran, Rafi said that "The economic trade relations between Iran and Turkey and those carried out through Trabzon have gone on for many years, and have never been cut off."
TARİHİ İŞBİRLİĞİ SÜRÜYOR
Historical cooperation continues
İran ile Türkiye arasında son yıllarda yaşanan ticari ilişkilerin göz alıcı şekilde arttığına dikkati çeken Rafi, "İki ülke arasındaki iktisadi ilişkilerin mali boyutu, 2002 yılında sadece 500 milyon dolardı. Bu rakam yıl sonunda 12 milyar dolara ulaşacak. 2011 yılına kadar ticari münasebetlerin yılda 21 milyar dolara çıkacağı öngörülüyor" dedi. MÜSİAD Trabzon Şube Başkanı Sarı, Türkiye ile İran'ın, bölgenin en güçlü iki imparatorluğunun varisleri olduğunu, tarihi İpek Yolunun ördüğü ağın, bugün de devam ettiğini söyledi.
Rafi, speaking of the spectacularly increasing trade relations between Iran and Turkey over the last years, said that "The fiscal dimension of the economic relations between the two countries was only 500 million dollars in 2002. This number will reach $12 billion by the end of the year. By the year 2011 yearly trade should reach $21 billion." The head of MÜSİAD's Trabzon branch Sarı said that Turkey and Iran were the inheritors of the two most powerful empires in the region, and that the network woven by the historical Silk Road continued today as well.

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Happy Olavsoka / Góða Ólavsøku! Today is Ólavsøka in the Faroe Islands


Ólavsøka es un national die festal del Faroe Insules, festat ye 29 julí. It es li die quande Løgting, li Parlament Faroese, aperte su session.

Li signification litteral es Li Vigile de St. Olaf, o Vigilia Sancti Olavi in Latin, del morte de St. Olaf in li Battallie de Stiklestad in 1030, ma li Løgting predata ti eveniment. Simil a pluri altri dies festal del Faroe Insules, li vøka comensa ye li die ante, dunc sempre comensa ye 28 julí.

Ólavsøka es li die del annu quande mult Faroese amassa se ad-in li capital Tórshavn. Ta li finales del competition de remation national es fat, queles es un del spectacules major in sportes Faroese.

Li salute por Ólavøka in faroesi es Góða Ólavsøku!
Hmm? You want that in English too? Actually I translated it from here on Wikipedia:

Ólavsøka is a national holiday of the Faroe Islands, celebrated on July 29. It is the day when Løgting, the Faroese Parliament, opens its session.

The literal meaning is St. Olaf's Wake or vigilia sancti Olavi in Latin, from Saint Olaf's death at the Battle of Stiklestad in 1030 (see Olsok), but the Løgting predates this event. Like several other Faroese holidays, the vøka begins the evening before, so Ólavsøka always starts on July 28.

Ólavsøka is the day of the year when many Faroese crowd into the capital Tórshavn. There the national rowing competition finals are held, which is one of the highlights in Faroese sports.

The salute for Ólavøka in Faroese is Góða Ólavsøku!

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Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes: A Scandal in Bohemia translated into Occidental: Part 2


Time for part 2 of Sherlock Holmes: A Scandal in Bohemia translated into Occidental. Once again, this is mostly for practice as I get used to the language and I have no idea how far I'll get in the translation. It's not altogether difficult though so there is a good chance that I'll finish the whole thing. Here's part 1.

Unfortunately the dictionary is more limited than the ones I have in Interlingua, so I had a hard time finding a good term for the word wet today for example (humid just doesn't seem right). For the most part though it doesn't represent a large enough problem that it interferes with the translation (like I found some of the time with Lingua Franca Nova where the dictionary wasn't quite up to the point where I was able to write about everything I wanted to. It has improved quite a bit in this area though since 2006). Luckily there are also quite a few good Occidentalists that I'm sure could be convinced to go over the translation once it's finished to bring it up to snuff.


English Occidental
From time to time I heard some vague account of his doings: of his summons to Odessa in the case of the Trepoff murder, of his clearing up of the singular tragedy of the Atkinson brothers at Trincomalee, and finally of the mission which he had accomplished so delicately and successfully for the reigning family of Holland. Beyond these signs of his activity, however, which I merely shared with all the readers of the daily press, I knew little of my former friend and companion. De témpore a témpore yo audit quelc vag racontas de su actes: de su convocation a Odessa in li casu del mortation Trepoff, de su aclaration del tragedie singulari del fratres Atkinson in Trincomalee, e finalmen del mission quel il hat acompleet talmen delicatmen e successosimen por li reyent familie de Hollanda. Ultra ti signes de su activitá, tamen, queles yo solmen partiprendet con li letores del diari presse, yo savet poc de mi anteyan amico e compane.

One night--it was on the twentieth of March, 1888--I was returning from a journey to a patient (for I had now returned to civil practice), when my way led me through Baker Street. As I passed the well-remembered door, which must always be associated in my mind with my wooing, and with the dark incidents of the Study in Scarlet, I was seized with a keen desire to see Holmes again, and to know how he was employing his extraordinary powers. His rooms were brilliantly lit, and, even as I looked up, I saw his tall, spare figure pass twice in a dark silhouette against the blind. He was pacing the room swiftly, eagerly, with his head sunk upon his chest and his hands clasped behind him. To me, who knew his every mood and habit, his attitude and manner told their own story. He was at work again. He had risen out of his drug-created dreams and was hot upon the scent of some new problem. I rang the bell and was shown up to the chamber which had formerly been in part my own.

Un nocte--esset li 20esim de marte, 1888--yo esset retornant de un viage a un patient (pro yo hat nu retornat al practica civil), quande mi via ductet me tra Baker Street. Passante li porta bon-memorat, quel deve semper associar se in mi mente con mi cortesation, e con li incidentes tenebrosi del Studie in Scarlat, yo esset captet con un acut desire vider Holmes denov, e saver qualmen il nu employa su possenties extraordinari. Su salas esset iluminat brilliantmen, e, mem quande yo videt ad-supra, yo videt su figura alt magri passant du vezes in un obscur siluette contra li persiane.Il esset passant in li sala rapidmen e ardentmen, con su cap submerset sur su péctor e su manus intertenet in detra. A me, qui savet chascun su disposition e hábitu, su atitude e maniere narrat su proprie raconta. Il esset denov in li labor. Il hat levat se de su droge-creat somnies e esset in li persequida de alqual nov problema. Yo sonat li cloche e esset guidat a li cámera quel ante hat esset in parte li mi.

His manner was not effusive. It seldom was; but he was glad, I think, to see me. With hardly a word spoken, but with a kindly eye, he waved me to an armchair, threw across his case of cigars, and indicated a spirit case and a gasogene in the corner. Then he stood before the fire and looked me over in his singular introspective fashion.

Li maniere de Holmes ne esset efusiv. It rarmen esset talmen; ma secun me il esset joyosi vidar me. Con poc paroles parlat, ma con un ocul afabil, il directet me a un fotel con un geste del manu, jettat trans su buxe de cigarres, e indicat un etuí de sprites e un gasogene in li angul. Tande il stat avan li foy e perspectat me con su maniere singulari e introspectiv.

"Wedlock suits you," he remarked. "I think, Watson, that you have put on seven and a half pounds since I saw you."

"Matrimonie convene te," il observat. "Yo pensa, Watson, que tu ha mettet ganiat sett e demí pundes desde li témpor yo videt te."

"Seven!" I answered.

"Sett!" yo respondet.

"Indeed, I should have thought a little more. Just a trifle more, I fancy, Watson. And in practice again, I observe. You did not tell me that you intended to go into harness."

"Vermen, yo vell har pensat alquant plu. Solmen un poc plu, yo imagina, Watson. E denov in practica, yo observa. Tu ne dit a me que tu intentet ear ad-in harness."

"Then, how do you know?"

"Tande, qualmen tu save?"

"I see it, I deduce it. How do I know that you have been getting yourself very wet lately, and that you have a most clumsy and careless servant girl?"

"Yo vide it, yo deducte it. Qualmen yo save que recentmen tu ha fat te self tre saturat con aqua, e que tu have un domestica max ínhabil e ínatentiv?"

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New place to use Lingua Franca Nova

Tuesday, July 29, 2008


A few days ago somebody announced on the Lingua Franca Nova Yahoo! Group that he had created a site for LFN, and just in case you missed it, here it is.

Bonveni a la nova paje de la comunia de Lingua Franca Nova! Asi vos va pote trovar popla de tota locas de la mundo e material per aprender la lingua. La vole prinsipal de esta paje es crear un major unia entre la membros de LFN e aumentar la numero de persones parlante de esta bela lingua!
Just in case you can't read that, it says:
Welcome to the new page of the Lingua Franca Nova community! Here you will be able to find people from all places in the world and material to learn the language. The main goal of this page is to create a major union within the members of LFN and to augment the number of people speaking this beatiful language!
So here's what you can do on the site:
  • What is LFN? Introduction
  • LFN forum - a small forum within the site
  • Data on the speakers of the language - learn about who speaks the language, their age, where they live, etc.
  • Map with the members of the community - shows in which countries of the world you can find an LFN speaker
  • News in LFN
  • Photogallery
  • Videos in LFN
  • Texts, polls, etc.
So make sure to take a look about the site. You don't need to register to leave comments below the news either so maybe write something there too if you like.

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Jetpack has now been invented by inventor Glenn Martin; flies up to 2 metres in the air (higher tests coming soon), to be sold for $100,000


This is on the front page of the New York Times right now: an inventor from New Zealand has invented a jetpack that the NYT reporter was able to try out in a video that you can see on the site.

Right now it's heavy, noisy, and doesn't fly all that far, but it still works. And as the inventor said, quoting Benjamin Franklin:

So far, he said, he and his team of developers have not taken the device higher than six feet. “We set that very deliberately,” he said, to ensure that they fully understand controlling the invention before taking it to more dangerous altitudes. “If you can fly it at 3 feet, you can fly it at 3,000,” he said.

Only 12 people have flown the jetpack, and no one has gained more than three hours of experience in the air. Mr. Martin plans to take it up to 500 feet within six months. This time, he said with a smile, he will be the first.

Mr. Martin said he had no idea how his invention might ultimately be used, but he is not a man of small hopes. He repeated the story of Benjamin Franklin, on first seeing a hot-air balloon, being asked, “What good is it?” He answered, “What good is a newborn baby?”
IALs (international auxiliary languages) are the same way, by the way.

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Iran seeks alternative solution to nuclear talks / statement from parliament speaker Ali Larijani

Fonte del image: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Tehran_skyline_may_2007.jpg


Some news today from BBC Turkish:

İran alternatif çözüm arayışında
Iran seeks alternative solution
İran, nükleer müzakerelerde üçüncü bir yolun çözüme katkı sunabileceğini bildirdi.
Iran says that it could propose a third way towards a solution in the nuclear talks

Laricani
İran Meclis Başkanı Batı'ya üçüncü yol önerdi -- Iranian Parliamentary Speaker proposed a third way to the West

İran Meclis Başkanı Ali Laricani, İran ve 5 artı 1 ülkelerinin nükleer müzakerelerde ortak üçüncü bir yol bulabileceklerini söyledi.

Ali Larijani (علی اردشیر لاریجانی) the speaker of the Iranian Parliament said that a third way could be found in nuclear talks with Iran and the five plus one other countries.

İran Meclisinde konuşan Laricani, "Taraflar, kendi önerilerini de içeren ve herkesin yararına olabilecek yeni bir model üzerinde çalışmalı. Bunun için de yeni müzakerelere ihtiyaç var" ifadesini kullandı.

Larijani, speaking in the Iranian Parliament, said that "The sides need to work on a new model that can be helpful for all and includes one's own proposals as well. This is why there is a need for new talks."

Laricani, 5 artı 1 ülkelerinin teşvik paketine karşı İran'ın sunduğu önerilerin de önemli konuları içerdiğini ve bunun ciddiye alınması gerektiğini kaydetti.

Laricani, responding to the five plus one group's incentive package, said that Iran's proposal also contained important subjects and that this needed to be taken seriously.

Laricani, her iki tarafın önerilerinde ortak ve yakın birçok konu olduğunu sözlerine ekledi.

Laricani added that both sides had a lot of common ground and closeness on a lot of issues in the proposals.

AB Ortak Dış Politika ve Güvenlik Yüksek Temsilcisi Javier Solana ve İran Ulusal Yüksek Güvenlik Konseyi Genel Sekreteri ve Nükleer Başmüzakereci Said Celili, İsviçre'nin Cenevre kentinde 19 Temmuz'da bir araya gelmişti.

On the 19th of July there was a meeting in the Swiss city of Geneva between European Union's Foreign Minister and High Representative for the Common Foreign and Security Policy Javier Solana, and Iran's National High Security Council and Head Nuclear Negotiator Saeed Jalili (سعید جلیلی).

5 artı 1 ülkelerinin temsilcilerinin de hazır bulunduğu müzakerelere ilk kez katılan ABD'yi üst düzey diplomat William Burns temsil etmişti.

The American high diplomat William Burns participated in the talks prepared by the five plus one nations, the first of this type for the United States.

Müzakereleri, istenen netice elde edilmezse de "olumlu ve yapıcı" olarak değerlendiren taraflar, 2 hafta içinde yeniden bir araya gelme kararı almışlardı.

The two sides, while not getting what they wanted in the talks, called them "positive and constructive", and agreed to get together again within two weeks.

Uluslararası Atom Enerjisi Kurumu Başkanı Muhammed El Baradei ile İran Atom Enerjisi Kurumu Başkanı Gulam Rıza Ağazade de 24 Temmuz'da Viyana'da bir araya gelmişti.
Muhammed ElBaradei ( محمد البرادعي) the Director General of the International Atomic Energy Agency and the head of the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (سازمان انرژی اتمی ایران, AEOI) Gholam Reza Aghazadeh (غلامرضا آقازاده) also met on July 24th in Vienna.

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Arthur Conan Doyle's Sherlock Holmes: A Scandal in Bohemia translated into Occidental: Part 1


This is not so much a serious translation as a way to practice translating content into Occidental as I learn it, so I have no idea how far I intend to go with it. Because the more international auxiliary content online the better, however, I'll be putting parts of it online whenever I write them. Here are the first 1.8 paragraphs:

English Occidental
To Sherlock Holmes she is always the woman. I have seldom heard him mention her under any other name. In his eyes she eclipses and predominates the whole of her sex. It was not that he felt any emotion akin to love for Irene Adler. All emotions, and that one particularly, were abhorrent to his cold, precise but admirably balanced mind. He was, I take it, the most perfect reasoning and observing machine that the world has seen, but as a lover he would have placed himself in a false position. He never spoke of the softer passions, save with a gibe and a sneer. They were admirable things for the observer--excellent for drawing the veil from men's motives and actions. But for the trained reasoner to admit such intrusions into his own delicate and finely adjusted temperament was to introduce a distracting factor which might throw a doubt upon all his mental results. Grit in a sensitive instrument, or a crack in one of his own high-power lenses, would not be more disturbing than a strong emotion in a nature such as his. And yet there was but one woman to him, and that woman was the late Irene Adler, of dubious and questionable memory. A Sherlock Holmes ella es sempre li fémina. Yo ha rarmen audit il mentionar ella sub alquel altri nómine. In li ocules de il, ella eclipse e predomina li totate de su sexu. It ne es que il sentit alquel emotion simil a amore por Irene Adler. Omni emotiones, e particularimen ti emotion, esset abominabil a su mente frigid, precis, ma admirabilmen equilibrat. Il esset, secun me, li plu perfect machine de rason e observation quel li munde ha videt, ma quam un amante il vell ha mettet se in un fals position. Il nequande parlat del moll passiones, except con sarcasme e un rican. Ili esset admirabil coses por li observator--excellent por tirar li vele del motives e actiones de homen. Ma admisser li exercit observator tal intrusiones in su temperament talmen delicat e acutmen adjustat vell introducter un distractiv factor quel vell lansar un dúbite a omni su mental resultates. Sand in un sensitiv instrument, o un fende in un de su linses de alt possentie, ne vell esser plu disturbant quam un fort emotion in un tal natura de il. Ma ancor esset sol un fémina a il, e ta fémina esset li morit Irene Adler, de memorie dubitosi e contestabil.
I had seen little of Holmes lately. My marriage had drifted us away from each other. My own complete happiness, and the home-centred interests which rise up around the man who first finds himself master of his own establishment, were sufficient to absorb all my attention, while Holmes, who loathed every form of society with his whole Bohemian soul, remained in our lodgings in Baker Street, buried among his old books, and alternating from week to week between cocaine and ambition, the drowsiness of the drug, and the fierce energy of his own keen nature. He was still, as ever, deeply attracted by the study of crime, and occupied his immense faculties and extraordinary powers of observation in following out those clues, and clearing up those mysteries which had been abandoned as hopeless by the official police. Recentmen yo hat videt poc de Holmes. Mi maritage hat fat un distantie inter nos. Mi propri complet joya, e li hem-centralisat interesses queles es nascentat circum li mann qui unesim trova se self li mastre de su proprie domine, esset suficent pro absorpter omni mi atention, durante que Holmes, qui detestat chascun forme de societá con su tot bohemian anim, restat in nos logimentes in Baker Street, interrat inter su old libres, e alternant de semane a semane inter cocaine e ambitie, li somnolentie del droge, e li furiosi energie de su proprie acut natura. Il esset támen, quam sempre, profundmen atraet del strudie de crímine, e ocupat su inmens facultates e extraordinari possenties de observation in sequer ti indicies, e aclarar ti misteries queles hat esset abandonat sin espera del oficial policie.

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MSNBC interview with president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (محمود احمدی‌نژاد) of Iran


A seven-minute video with president Mahmoud Ahmadinejad (محمود احمدی‌نژاد,) of Iran was released today on MSNBC and is quite interesting. He seems much more relaxed than the last time he had an interview on American headline news in 2006. It's a much different atmosphere now of course, as George Bush's term is coming to an end quite soon, Iran is having elections in 2009 (where Admadinejad wants to be re-elected so appearing as presidential as possible is probably uppermost in his mind) and the first official talks were held between the two since 1979.

That's also a nice presidential palace. Also, no offense to Tehran but I'd rather walk the streets of Esfahan than Tehran if I had to choose only one.


“Today, we see new behavior shown by the United States […] My question is: is such behavior rooted in a new approach? In other words, mutual respect, cooperation and justice. Or is this approach a continuation in the confrontation with Iranian people but in a new guise?

“[…] If the approach changes, we will be facing a new situation, and the response from the Iranian people will be a positive one.”

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More on some of the planets / dwarf planets / Plutoids / whatever out there in the Solar System near the Kuiper Belt

Ceres videt del Hubble Spacie-Telescop. Li constraste ha esset augmentat por revelar detallies del superficie.


I wrote a bit in June about some of the large bodies out near the Kuiper Belt that reach some thousands of kilometres in diameter but many of which don't even have names and remain mostly unknown to people that don't read about space everyday and have grown up on a simple view of a Solar System with nine planet. Space.com today has a bit about what to call these bodies, which is an intensely boring debate aside from the fact that a mission is probably more likely to have its funding approved if it's visiting a planet compared to a dwarf planet, even if it's the same body (i.e. if Pluto had been demoted to dwarf planet status back in the 1980s or so it's possible that New Horizons might never have been approved. Speculation on my part of course).

What's interesting about the article though is that it has a bit of info on most of these bodies, and since they're quite newly discovered it's good to read over again just in case your memory has become a bit foggy on one or more of them:
Dwarf planets and plutoids

In addition to Pluto, the dwarf planet population of the solar system currently includes Ceres, Eris, Makemake and another world currently dubbed 2003 EL61.

* Named after a Roman goddess of grain, Ceres was discovered in 1801 and was initially considered a planet until astronomers began to spot other asteroids circling the sun in nearby orbits. While a dwarf planet, the round, potentially water-ice bearing space rock does not qualify as a plutoid because it circles the sun well inside the orbit of Neptune.

* Unlike Ceres, Eris (ee'-ris) does qualify as both dwarf planet and plutoid. It is about 70 miles (112 km) wider than Pluto, orbits the sun from about 9 billion miles (14 billion km) away and is one of the brightest objects in the Kuiper Belt.

The object's moon, Dysnomia, is named after the daughter of Eris, who served as the spirit of lawlessness.

* Makemake (pronounced MAH-keh MAH-keh) is the newest dwarf planet and plutoid to gain a name. The tiny red-hued world is though to be covered with a layer of frozen methane and is smaller and dimmer than Pluto.

Waiting in the wings

The list doesn't stop there. There are still more objects waiting for wings for either their own classification or official name:

* While it doesn't have an official name yet, 2003 EL61 is an object also discovered by Brown's team and an independent group led by Jose-Luis Ortiz of the Sierra Nevada Observatory in Spain. It has its own moon, is about 32 percent as massive as Pluto and about 70 percent that of Pluto's 1,413-mile (2,274-km) diameter. But it's also shaped like an ice-covered football, making it one weird, distant space cookie.

* Then there's Sedna (sed'nah), an object about three-fourths the size of Pluto that is so far out from the sun it takes about 10,500 years to make a single orbit. Sedna is about 1,100 miles (1,770 km) wide and circles the sun on an extremely eccentric orbit that ranges between 8 billion miles (12.9 billion km) and 84 billion miles (135 billion km). Brown's team led the discovery of that object in 2004 and named it after the Inuit goddess of the sea. Sedna does not qualify as a plutoid because of what some astronomers see as a quirky threshold for how much sunlight it reflects: Sedna is too dim.

* Quaoar (KWAH-o-ar), another find by Brown and co-discoverer Chad Trujillo, is 780 miles (1,250 km) wide, half the size of Pluto and takes 288 years to orbit the sun from about 4 billion miles (6.5 billion km) away. It was named after the creation force of the Tongva tribe of the Los Angeles basin.

* Brown's team also found Orcus (awr-kuhs), or 2004 DW, an object about 994 miles (1,600 km). It is nearly 47 AU from the Sun, was discovered in 2004, and is so Pluto-like in its attributes that astronomers named it after the Etruscan counterpart of the Roman underworld deity.

* And there's still Varuna, or KBO 20000 Varuna, an icy object 40 percent as large as Pluto and 560 miles (900 km) wide that was first spotted in 2000 by astronomers using the Spacewatch telescope in Arizona.

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French author says that Italian and French do not come from Latin

Monday, July 28, 2008


I just noticed a link to this blog on Interlng an hour or so ago. It's a French author named Yves Cortez who has published a book called “Le français ne vient pas du latin” ("French doesn't come from Latin") on his view that Latin did not diverge into the Romance languages of today, but that rather the Romans wrote in Latin but spoke in Italian, and that Italian is actually a separate branch of the Indo-European spectrum, and thus not diverging from Latin but always existed alongside it.

The blog is in French but there is an English page here explaining the book's premise:

However linguists, who are aware of substantial divergences between Latin and the Romance languages both in terms of syntax and glossary, have taken a first step towards supporting a different theory. They had to appeal to the concept of “Vulgar Latin”, which is supposed to be the spoken language resulting from Classical Latin. It is the former that is purported to have given rise to the Romance languages.

I agree with these linguists on one single point, namely that Classical Latin could not have evolved into the Romance languages, but I disagree on the rest:

- What we wrongly call “Vulgar Latin” is none other than Italian

- This Italian did not develop from Latin, but is a distinct Indo-European language

- So the Romans were bilingual, speaking Italian and writing Latin

- The Romans gave their Empire two languages: a spoken language which was Italian and a written one, Latin
I see there's also a fairly long thread here about his view on the origin of the words "guerre" and "guerra".

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Can the Occidental language claim to be a modern Latin?


What do you think? I think it could make this claim just as well as Interlingua can. Here's a quick translation I've done of Ave Maria to Occidental; compare it to the English version and you see just how much more similar Occidental is to Latin than English.

Something tells me it would be a good idea to translate one of the online copyright-free Latin textbooks into Occidental (or Interlingua), then join it together with a course in English for Occ which would then make the IAL into a bridge language in between English and Latin.

Here's the video:



Latin:
Áve María, grátia pléna, Dóminus técum. Benedícta tu in muliéribus, et benedíctus frúctus véntris túi, Iésus.
Sáncta María, Máter Déi, óra pro nóbis peccatóribus, nunc et in hóra mórtis nóstrae. Ámen.

Occidental:
Ave Maria, plen de gracie, li dómino es con te. Tu es benedit inter féminas, e benedit es li fructe de tu ventre, Iesus.
Sant Maria, Matre de Deo, prega por nos peccatores, nu e in li hor de nos morte. Amen.

English:
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women, and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

There's no word ave in Occidental by the way, but hail in English looks a bit awkward too when you think about it. Just staying with ave would look much better.

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News in Occidental from late July 2008 on B-52 bomber in Guam, arrest of Radovan Karadzic, the European Union, etc.

Li Universitá de Guam. Image-fonte: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:UOG_campus.JPG

Every once in a while you'll see some news in Occidental on their Yahoo! Group here, and to give the language more publicity I put it up here and translate it into English.

LI 21IM DE JULÍ 2008, LUNEDÍ
The 21st of July 2008, Monday
- Un strategic bombarda-avion US-américan de long distantie B-52 ha cadet homatine che li base militari US-américan in li ínsul Guam. Probábilmen omni six membres del equip ha perdit su vive. Li ínsul Guam es in li Pacífic Oceane ye circum six mill kilometres sud-westmen de Hawaii.
A strategic American long-distance B-52 bomber has crashed this morning in the American military base in the island of Guam. Most likely all six members of the group have lost their lives. The island Guam is in the Pacific Ocean about 6000 kilometres southwest of Hawaii.
- Radovan Karadžić, un fugitor accusat pro crímines militari del Júdicie Críminal International por li ex-Yugoslavia, ha esset arrestat in Serbia.
Radovan Karadžić, a fugitive accused of military crimes from the International Criminal Court of the ex-Yugoslavia, has been arrested in Serbia.
- Russia e China ha subscrit un pacte demarcant lor frontiera long ye 4 300 kilometres e finient plu quam 40 annus de negociationes.
Russia and China have signed a pact demarcating their long border 4,300 in length and finished after over 40 years of negotiations.
LI 23IM DE JULÍ 2008, VENERDÍ
The 23rd of July 2008, Wednesday
- Li Union Europan ha cessat payamentes a du agentias bulgaric pro suspectiones pri corruption e crímine organisat.
The European Union has stopped payments to two Bulgarian agencies due to suspicion of corruption and organized crime.

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"Why Esperanto Is Different" somehow links Occidental language to Naziism

Sunday, July 27, 2008

How? By simply putting the two of them together in the same paragraph in the hopes that it will somehow associate the one with the other. It's actually quite fascinating in its brazenness and yet lack of a single valid reason why the two are supposed to be related. First the title:

4. OCCIDENTAL - The Reaction of Classicists, Linguists with a Grudge and the Nazis
Ooh, Occidental is related to Nazis, I'm all ears. The article continues:
The reaction to Esperanto’s success evident in the Ido project was to deepen and grow darker with the advent of nationalist extremism in Europe and the anti-Semitism of the Nazis. For Hitler, the explanation was much simpler, as expressed in his autobiography Mein Kampf, published in 1925.…

As long as the Jew has not become the master of the other peoples, he must speak their languages whether he likes it or not, but as soon as they became his slaves, they would all have to learn a universal language (Esperanto, for instance!),
Got it, Hitler didn't like Jews and didn't like Esperanto either. Next?
Hitler had struck a raw nerve with other German nationalists and right wing intellectuals in other nations who opposed Esperanto due to its relative success among the working class and the Jewish background and internationalist sentiments of its founder. Edgar de Wahl, an Estonian linguist, praised Esperanto but objected strongly to what he felt was its “unnatural” non-Western character. His own proposal termed Occidental set the tone for other similar proposals that rejected the “schematic“ nature of Esperanto, one of the most attractive features for ease of learning the language but aesthetically rejected by all those who demanded a devised language that would appear “natural."
Er...what? The first sentence is about Hitler and Esperanto, then all of a sudden it completely switches gears and goes into a simple introduction to why Occidental was created. Maybe I can do the same thing. Let's link Esperanto to the outbreak of World War I:
The world's first international Esperanto congress took place in 1905 when 688 Esperantists from twenty countries travelled to Boulogne-sur-Mer (France) and demonstrated that Esperanto, hitherto only used for correspondence and at small gatherings, was also a successful international language for large, multi-national meetings. Less than 10 years later Archduke Franz Ferdinand of Austria, heir to the Austro-Hungarian throne, and his wife, Sophie, Duchess of Hohenberg, were shot dead in Sarajevo, capital of Bosnia and Herzegovina, by Gavrilo Princip, one of a group of six assassins coordinated by Danilo Ilić. The bombing and murders of June 28 led to the outbreak of World War I a month later, a global war which took place primarily in Europe from 1914 to 1918. Over 40 million casualties resulted, including approximately 20 million military and civilian deaths.
Hey, it works! Not to mention that Occidental was created in 1922 before there was such a thing as Naziism. Wikipedia in Esperanto sets the author straight:
Sekve, ankaŭ la lastajn volapukistojn kaj idistoj de Germanio, tiam jam tre malviglajn, naziistoj persekutis. Do, ili kontraŭbatalis ne nur Esperanton, sed eĉ la ideon mem pri internacia lingvo.
The article is full of unsubstantiated allegations / errors of this nature. Here's another obvious one:
3. The IDO “HERESY” - Active French Opposition to Esperanto in the League of Nations
Uh, the League of Nations didn't exist until 12 years after Ido was created. Sure, there was French opposition in the League of Nations but once again you don't get to link the two together just by writing them next to each other.

So, how many other errors and unsubstantiated allegations can you find in the article?

----

Edit: Olivier has added some relevant information to the subject so I'll just add it here:

Sellamat Dave ed dank ob publievs tod article con relevant observations!

I can add some unsubstantiated allegations.

In the same years when Ido was created (1908), Zamenhof was awarded the prestigious "Palmes Académiques" by the French Minister of Education. Those interested by theories of government conspiracy should better watch the new X-Files movie.

The "French plot theory" at the League of Nations is exaggerated, and even wrong. Don't forget that, at this time, there were proportionally far less French speaking countries represented at the LoN than today at the UN since colonies were not independent...

Another version is provided by Von Wahl himself:
http://amor.rz.hu-berlin.de/~h0444wow/odw/odw013.html#a10

The League of Nations had indeed appointed a Commission to review the feasibility of the adoption of Esperanto, but the Report was catastrophic for this one, emphazising the artificiality and the barbarian outlook of Zamenhof's invention.

And that's the only truth (today, we could add its eurocentricism).

Why don't Esperantists publish this report instead of accusing the French authorities which rewarded Zamenhof?

Olivier
http://sambahsa-mundialect-org.blogspot.com

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Robert Graves the Greek Myths in English, French, Gothic, Ancient Greek, Indo-European, Latin, Sambahsa-mundialect, and Sanskrit

Image source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Image:Phrixos_und_Helle.jpg


The ever-talented Olivier Simon, the creator of Sambahsa-mundialect, has sent me a translation of a paragraph from Robert Graves' The Greek Myths from French into Gothic, Ancient Greek, Indo-European, Latin, Sambahsa-mundialect, and Sanskrit. I put the French version into the automatic translator and fixed up the incorrect parts, though I'm not going to bother changing the names and place names.

Here they are:

English:

"This Phrixos was a handsome young man, which had Biadicé as a loving aunt, the woman of Cretheus; as he had refused his advances, she accused him of trying to rape her. The Béotiens, believing that what Biadicé told was true, approved the wise decision of Apollo to sacrifice an expiatory victim and demanded the death of Phrixos. Here, Athamas, crying heavily, led Phrixos to the summit of the mountain. He was on the verge of having his throat cut when Hercules came running and pulled the sacrificial flint from his hand: "My father Zeus, Herakles exclaimed, abhors human sacrifices! "Nevertheless Phrixos would have perished in spite of this intervention, if a ram golden winged hadn't suddenly rushed at the top of Mount Olympus to save him:

"Climb on my back," said the ram, and immediately Phrixos obeyed.

"Bring me also, cried Hellé, do not leave me at the mercy of my father! "

Texte original (d’après R.Graves, Les mythes grecs) :

« Ce Phrixos était un beau jeune homme, dont s’était éprise sa tante Biadicé, la femme de Créthée ; comme il avait refusé ses avances, elle l’accusa d’avoir essayé de la violer. Les Béotiens, croyant que ce que racontait Biadicé était vrai, approuvèrent la sage décision d’Apollon de sacrifier une victime expiatoire et demandèrent la mort de Phrixos. Là-dessus, Athamas, pleurant abondamment, conduisit Phrixos au sommet de la montagne. Il était sur le point de lui trancher la gorge quand Héraclès arriva en courant et arracha le silex sacrificiel de sa main : « Mon père Zeus, s’exclama Héraclès, a horreur des sacrifices humains ! » Néanmoins Phrixos aurait péri malgré cette intervention, si un bélier d’or ailé ne s’était soudain précipité du haut de l’Olympe pour le sauver :

« Grimpe sur mon dos », dit le bélier, et aussitôt Phrixos obéit.

« Emporte-moi aussi, implora Hellé, ne me laisse pas à la merci de mon père ! »

Gothic:

Sa Friksus was skauns juggalaù§s §izei sô fadarswistar is Biadika, Kre§iwis qinô, fria§wàmildei was ; untê §ôs bidôs afwarp, wrohida ei dugann ija gawaldan. Boiotans, §àiei galaùbi§êdun ei Biadika sunja qa§, andnêmun Appoljins snutrana mun afar hvamma tibr hunsli§ wàir§an skuldêdeiwa jah gabêdjun Friksaùs dau§u. §anuh filutagrjands A§ams tiauh Friksu du fàirgunjis giblin. Skuldêdeiwa §anna kusman is kappôn nibài Herakles duatrênni jah hunslasah us §àim handiwê is hniaùpi. « Tius, fadar meins, Herakles hrôpida, fijài§ manniska hunsla ! » Akei Friksus dau§nôdêdi auk mi§ §amma ingreipa nibài gul§eins fidleins wi§rus fram Olimpa draùsi swa-ei ina bàirgi.

« Hlaup ana §ata tiuhi mein ! » qa§ wi§rus, jah Friksus ufhausida andwair§o.

« Bàir mik auk mi§ §is, Hella ba§, ni lêtas mik in waldufnja §is fadrs meinis ! ».

Ancient Greek:

Houtos ho Phrixos ên kalos neanias, hô hê têthis autou Biadikê, hê gunê tou Kretheôs ealôkei ; hôs êrnêto tas aitêseis autês, katêgorêsen autou peirathênai tou biazesthai autên. Hoi Boiotes, pisteuontes hoti hê Biadikê êlêtheuen, epênesan to sophon bouleuma tou Apollônos tou thuesthai katharsion kai êtêsanto ton thanaton tou Phrixou. Meta touto, ho Athamas ho dakruôn aphthonôs êgagen ton Phrixon epi tên akrôreian. Emellen temnein ton larugga autou en tô ton Hêraklea prosedramen kai apespasen ton lithon tês thusias ek toin kheroin autou : « Ho patêr mou, ho Zeus, ho Hêraklês aneboêsen, bdeluttetai tas thusias tas anthrôpeias ! ». Homôs, ho Phrixos an apolôlê, kaiper paragignomenos, ei krios khrusous pterôtos mê embalê kata tês akras tou Olumpou pros to sôzein auton.

« Anarrikhêsai epi ton nôton mou ! » eipen ho krios, kai autika ho Phrixos hupekousen.

« Apofere kai se, hê Hellê apekalesen, mê lipês eme tê exousia tou patros mou ! »

Indo-European:

So Bhriksos êst kalos yuwenis leubhos p@truwiây swây Gwiadikây, esrey Kredheows ; tôy ksubhusey budhôns swôns emembhseto iskwusey yebhtum îm. Boiotes, kred didhêntes Gwiadikâm werobhânti@m, epriyer Apollônos dnsrom modom diprosio spendiosio eprkskerkwe Bhriksosio mrtum. Nâ plukwid plangonts Adhamas edukset Bhriksom gyorakrom. Êst temtusos eyos gutr kwôm Heraklewos drât adi ewouletkwe diprokestrom ghesrbhyôm eyos : « Diewi, P@teri menoy, Heraklewos ewoukwet, kados sont ghomenôs spondôs ! » Tou Bhriksos mryeto tâ@ gwmti@ nspktâ@ mê kenekos petrgtos wedhris okuptyet Olumpakrod salwe@tum im.

« Skande gurnom menom ! » wedhris bhât, kitodkwe Bhriksos klouset.

« Bhere emekwe kom, Hellâ emoldhet, mê linkwyes me kratoy p@tros menosio!”.

Latin :

Ille Phrixus pulcher juvenis erat cujus amita Biadica, uxor Crethei, amore capta erat ; quoniam is sollicitationes recusaverat, eum accusavit quod ei vim adhibere tentavisset. Boeoti, credentes Biadicam verum dicere, sapientem Apollonis sententiam piamenti immolandi approbaverunt atque mortem Phrixi poposcerunt. Tum Athamas abundanter lacrimans Phrixum summum ad montem duxit. Hujus jugulum secturus erat cum Herculus accurrit ac e manibus silicem sacrificii eripuit : « Pater meus Juppiter, exclamavit Herculus, sacrificia humana detestatur ! » Tamen Phrixus perivisset quanquam intercesserat nisi aries aureus alatus repente de Olympo se praecipitavisset qui eum salvaverit.

« Scande in tergus ! » ait aries, et statim Phrixus oboedivit.

« Aufer me quoque, Hella imploravit, ne me relinquas in arbitrio patris mei ! »

Sambahsa-mundialect :

So Phrixos eet un bell yuwen dia quom eis tante Biadike, esor os Kretheus, se hieb enliubht ; dat is hieb refusen ays beuds, ia accusit iom ob peitus dwinghyehbhe iam. I Boiots, credeihnd od quo Biadike lohg eet ver, approbeer Apollons hakime decision os maule un diber ed bud Phrixios mohrt. Itak, Athamas, plukwid plangend, duxit Phrixum ad id ghyorakro. Vahsit tehme eis gurgule kun Heraklais accurs ed rohv id maulflint ex eis hands : « Zeus mien pater, scricit Heraklais, hat menscen mauls in horror ! » Lakin Phrixos habiet nohcen speit tod intervention sei un golden pterct hamel ne se habiet stayg precipiten ud id Olympakro kay salve iom.

« Skand ep mien regv ! » iey is hamel, ed fauran Phrixos obedih.

« Behr meschi con te, implorit Helle, mae linkwas me ei mercie miens pater ! ».

Sanskrit :

Esa BhrikSo âsît sundaras kumaro yaM pitrbhaginî Biadiçâ, Kradhor jâyâ, avanat ; taM protsâhakân protikSiptavantaM paryavadîd yatanaM dûSayituM tâm. BoyotâH, manyanto BiadiçâM satyavâdâm, abhyanandiSur Apallño dakSaM niçcayaM medhyasya baler huvanîyasya câprkSaN BhrikSasya mrtyum. Ato bahu rodano ‘Dhamo BhrikSam anaiSîd giryagram. Tadâsît kartiSyams tadgalam yadâ Heraçravopâdhâvîc câgrhad asiM tadhastâbhyâm : « Pitâ me Dyaus, Heraçravo vyakrukSat, dveSti manuSyânâM homân ! » Tadapi BhrikSo ‘bhaviSyad huto yadapi Heraçravo ‘ntarjagâma mâbhaviSyad haimo garudurano âpapadvân Olumpâgrâd uddhartuM tam.

« Skanda prStham ! » avadîd uraNaH, ca BhrikSo ‘nvarodhiSta sadyaH.

« Bhara ca mâM samyak, ayâciSta Hellâ, mâ ricyâ mâM pitur adhikare ! ».

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East Iceland turns up gold ring from the Middle Ages / Un anillo de oro descubierto en Islandia


I don't know anything about gold rings from the Middle Ages in Iceland so I'll just provide the link to the article:

Archeologists discovered a gold ring in a grave in Skriduklaustur in east Iceland where there used to be a monastery. The discovery is considered significant because very few gold rings have been found in archeological excavations in Iceland.

“It looks like a normal wedding ring, but it has been decorated a little,” archeologist Steinunn Kristjánsdóttir, who is responsible for the current excavation project in Skriduklaustur, told Morgunbladid.

The ring is engraved with a leafy pattern and Kristjánsdóttir believes that indicates that the ring was made in the 16th or 17th century.
Where is Skriðuklaustur? Right here. It's so small that it doesn't have its own page on Wikipedia in English, though it does in Icelandic:

Skriðuklaustur er menningar- og fræðasetur og fornfrægt stórbýli í Fljótsdalshreppi á Austurlandi. Þar var klaustur frá 1493 til 1552. Klaustureignirnar runnu við siðskiptin til Danakonungs og urðu að sérstöku léni, Skriðuklausturléni. Kirkja var á Skriðuklaustri frá 1496 til 1792.

Gunnar Gunnarsson settist að á Skriðuklaustri árið 1939. Hann lét reisa húsið, sem þar stendur árið 1939 en það er teiknað af þýska arkitektinum Fritz Höger. Húsið er 315 grunnfleti, tvær hæðir og ris, alls yfir 30 herbergi. Árið 1967 var annað íbúðarhús byggt á jörðinni og hlaut nafnið Skriða.

Gunnar ánafnaði ríkissjóði jörðinni með því skilyrði m.a., að nýting hennar yrði til menningarauka („Jarðeign þessi skal vera ævarandi eign íslenzka ríkisins. Hún skal hagnýtt á þann hátt, að til menningarauka horfi, t.d. að rekin sé þar tilraunastarfsemi í landbúnaði, byggðasafn, bókasafn, skjalasafn, listasafn, skóli, sjúkrahús, hressingarhæli, barnahæli eða elliheimili.“). Tilraunabú í sauðfjár- og jarðrækt á vegum RALA var rekið þar frá 1949 til 1990.

Stofnun Gunnars Gunnarssonar var sett á laggirnar árið 1997.

By the way, here's a tip for what you do if you have a document in Icelandic and you really want to know what it says. Take the text and turn ð and Þ into d, then turn all the other characters with the accent on the top into ones without (so í into i, é into e, etc.). Then turn ö into ø. Now you have something that looks a wee bit more like Norwegian. The result is the following:
Skriduklaustur er menningar- og frædasetur og fornfrægt storbyli i Fljotsdalshreppi a Austurlandi. dar var klaustur fra 1493 til 1552. Klaustureignirnar runnu vid sidskiptin til Danakonungs og urdu ad serstøku leni, Skriduklausturleni. Kirkja var a Skriduklaustri fra 1496 til 1792.

Gunnar Gunnarsson settist ad a Skriduklaustri arid 1939. Hann let reisa husid, sem dar stendur arid 1939 en dad er teiknad af dyska arkitektinum Fritz Høger. Husid er 315 m² grunnfleti, tvær hædir og ris, alls yfir 30 herbergi. arid 1967 var annad ibudarhus byggt a jørdinni og hlaut nafnid Skrida.

Gunnar anafnadi rikissjodi jørdinni med dvi skilyrdi m.a., ad nyting hennar yrdi til menningarauka („Jardeign dessi skal vera ævarandi eign islenzka rikisins. Hun skal hagnytt a dann hatt, ad til menningarauka horfi, t.d. ad rekin se dar tilraunastarfsemi i landbunadi, byggdasafn, bokasafn, skjalasafn, listasafn, skoli, sjukrahus, hressingarhæli, barnahæli eda elliheimili.“). Tilraunabu i saudfjar- og jardrækt a vegum RALA var rekid dar fra 1949 til 1990.

Stofnun Gunnars Gunnarssonar var sett a laggirnar arid 1997.
Okay, now we feed this into Google's automatic translation service. One day it'll probably have Icelandic-English but right now in 2008 it doesn't. Here's what it turns out:
Skriduklaustur is menningar and frædasetur and fornfrægt storbyli in Fljotsdalshreppi a Austurlandi. DAR was klaustur from 1493 to 1552. Klaustureignirnar runnu wide sidskiptin to Danakonungs and urdu ad serstøku leni, Skriduklausturleni. Kirkja was a Skriduklaustri from 1496 to 1792.

Gunnar Gunnarsson settist ad a Skriduklaustri arid 1939. Hann let go husid, sem dar stendur arid 1939 a dad is teiknad of dyska arkitektinum Fritz High. Husid is 315 m² grunnfleti, tværs hædir and rice, all yfir 30 herbergi. arid 1967 was annad ibudarhus byggt a jørdinni and hlaut nafnid Skrida.

Gunnar anafnadi rikissjodi jørdinni with dvi skilyrdi Monday, the ad nyting her yrdi to menningarauka ( "Jardeign dessi should be ævarandi own islenzka rikisins. She should hagnytt a dann had, ad to menningarauka horfi for example, ad rekin see dar tilraunastarfsemi in landbunadi, byggdasafn, bokasafn , Skjalasafn, listasafn, skoli, sjukrahus, hressingarhæli, barnahæli eda elliheimili. "). Tilraunabu in saudfjar and jardrækt a vegum RALA was rekid DAR from 1949 to 1990.

Stofnun Gunnars Gunnarsson was seen a laggirnar arid 1997.
Okay, it still largely makes no sense, but some parts of it do.

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Venus Express now moving closer to Venus / Venus Express, todavía mas cerca de Venus / translated into Interlingua

Venus Express has been in orbit around the planet Venus for two years now and it's finally about to move into a much closer orbit. The new orbit around the planet will be in between 185 and 300 km. To give an idea how close that is, the International Space Station is almost 400 km above the Earth and the view of the Earth from there looks like this:

ESA is quite good at carrying out science, not so good at providing updates. But then again Venus Express isn't really releasing any pictures that would be interesting to the average person not interested in space, since you can't see anything but clouds from above Venus anyway.

The original article is here in Spanish, and I've translated it into English and Interlingua, imagining a period of time in the near future where an international auxiliary language has been approved and is coming into use but English and Spanish are still strong and often seen alongside in press releases.



Español English Interlingua
Desde esta semana, los controladores de la sonda Venus Express han estado ejecutando una serie de maniobras para llevar progresivamente a la sonda más cerca de su planeta anfitrión. Con la nueva órbita, la sonda será capaz de observar regiones inexploradas e investigar fenómenos que antes no estaban a su alcance. Since this week, the controllers of the craft Venus Express have been implementing a series of maneuvers to bring the probe progressively closer to its host planet. With the new orbit, the craft will be able to observe unexplored regions and investigate phenomena that were not previously available to them.
Depost iste septimana, le controlatores del sonda Venus Express ha executate un serie de manovras pro lo ducer progressivemente plus proxime a su planeta. Con le nove orbita, le sonda essera capace de observar regiones inexplorate e investigar phenomenos que previemente non esseva disponibile.

Las maniobras operacionales para llevar la sonda mas cerca del planeta serán ejecutadas a lo largo de mes de Julio, para alcanzar la nueva órbita en el 4 de Agosto.

The operational maneuvers to bring the craft closer to the planet will be implemented throughout the month of July, to achieve the new orbit on the 4th of August.
Le manovras operational pro ducer le sonda plus proxime al planeta essera facite primarimente in le mense de julio, pro complir le nove orbita in le 4 de augusto.

Hasta ahora, Venus Express ha estado en una órbita polar excéntrica: en su punto mas cercano (pericentro) la sonda estaba entre 250 y 400 km del planeta, mientras que en la mas alejada (apocentro) llegaba a unos 66.000 km. El pericentro estaba localizado a 84º norte.

Until now, Venus Express has been in a polar eccentric orbit: in its closest point (the pericentre) the craft was between 250 and 400 km from the planet, whereas in the most distance (the apocentre) it reaches about 66,000 km. The pericentre is localized at 84º north.
Usque a ora, Venus Express ha essite in un orbita polar eccentric: in su puncto le plus proxime (pericentro) le sonda esseva inter 250 e 400 km del planeta, ma in le plus distante puncto (apocentro) illo attingeva circa 66,000 km. Le pericentro es localizate a 84º nord.

Esta órbita excéntrica se ha sideñado para facilitar la observación del hemisferio sur durante periodos extensos de tiempo y, a más cercanas distancias, del hemisferio norte, particularmente de su región polar.

This eccentric orbit is being done(?) to facilitate the observation of the southern hemisphere over extended periods of time and, at closer distances, of the northern hemisphere, particularly its polar region.
Iste orbita eccentric es facite pro facilitar le observation del hemispherio sud durante extensive periodos de tempore e, al distantias le plus proxime, del hemispherio nord, particularmente de su region polar.

Se bajará la altura del pericentro hasta llegar a los 185 y 300 km. Esta modificación permitirá disponer de un buen punto de observación para poder conseguir las siguientes metas científicas:

  • Estudiar el campo magnético en la región polar norte.
  • Estudiar a mayor profundidad el ambiente del plasma en la ionosfera.
  • Deducir, indirectamente, la densidad de la atmósfera del planeta midiendo la fuerza de frenado aerodinámico ejercida por la misma sobre la sonda cuando se desplace por zonas más cercanas al planeta.
It will lower the height of the pericentre to reach in between 185 and 300 km. This modification will provide a good observation point in order to achieve the following scientific goals:

  • Study the magnetic field in the polar north region.
  • Study in further depth the environment of the plasma in the ionosphere.
  • Find out, indirectly, the density of the atmosphere of the planet by measuring the aerodynamic braking force exerted on the probe when it travels in areas closer to the planet.

Illo bassara le altitude del pericentro usque a attinger inter 185 e 300 km. Iste modification permittera un bon puncto de observation pro poter complir le sequente scopos scientific:
  • Studiar le campo magnetic in le region polar nord.
  • Studiar in plus profunditate le ambiente del plasma in le ionosphera.
  • Deducer, indirectemente, le densitate del atmosphera del planeta per mesurar le fortia de freno aerodynamic empleate al sonda quando illo se move a zonas plus proxime al planeta.

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