A Christmas joke, and the dynamics of jokes in different languages
Here's an example of why some jokes only work in one language until a "crude" translation can be found. Here is the joke as it was written in French. It is the original joke.
Un représentant sonne à la porte d'une maison...
La petite Elodie 4 ans ouvre la porte :
- Bonjour Mademoiselle je suis Maurice Durand représentant des aspirateurs Aspirex. Je pourrais voir ta maman ?
- Ben nan maman fait le tapin en ce moment.
- Glups... Et par hasard peut-être ta grand-mère habite ici et je pourrais la voir ?
- Ben nan non plus elle fait le tapin avec maman !
- Reglups... Est-ce que tu as une grande soeur que je pourrais voir ?
- Oui j'ai ma grande soeur Ingrid : elle a 12 ans. Mais elle fait le tapin avec maman et mamie.
- Bon ! et ton papa je peux le voir ?
- Mais non il est avec maman, mamie et Ingrid. Il fait le tapin avec elles !
- He bien ça alors jamais vu ça... Drôle de famille ! Et où ils font le tapin ?
- Ben dans le talon : ils tont en train de décorer le tapin de Noël..
Now, here is the translation of the joke according to Babelfish.
A representative sounds with the door of a house...
Small Elodie 4 years opens the door:
- Hello Miss I am Maurice Durand representing of the Aspirex vacuum cleaners.
I could see your mom?
- Ben nan mom makes the tapin in this moment.
- Glups... And by does chance perhaps your grandmother live here and I could see it?
- Ben nan either it makes the tapin with mom!
- Reglups... Do you have an older sister whom I could see?
- Yes I have my Ingrid older sister: she is 12 years old. But it makes the tapin with mom and granny.
- Good! and can your dad I see it?
- But not it is with mom, granny and Ingrid. It makes the tapin with them!
- He well that then never considering that... Funny of family! And where they make the tapin?
- Ben in the heel: they tont decorating the tapin with Christmas.
Here is a decent translation so the words make sense, but the joke doesn't make sense. This is because the joke has to do with a mispronunciation.
A representative knocks on the door of a house.
A little four year old answers the door.
- Hello Miss, I am Maurice Durand of Asperix vacuums.
- Can I see your mom?
- My mom is being a prostitute right now.
- Gulp. By any chance does your grandmother live here and can I see her?
- No, she is being a prostitute with my mom.
- Gulp. Do you have an older sister that I can see?
- Yes, she's 12, but she's being a prostitute with my mom and my grandmother.
- Good grief! And can I see your father?
- Yes, but he's with the rest of the family. He's doing the same thing with them.
- I have never seen that! What a strange family! Where do they be prostitutes?
- There's in the living room, decorating the Christmas tree.
Now, here is the joke in English to make it make sense.
A representive knocks on the door of a house.
A small four year old girl answers the door.
- Hi, I am Maurice Durand of Asperix vacuums. May I speak to your mother?
- No, my mom is being a hooker right now.
- Oh my! By any chance, does your grandmother live with you?
- Yes.
- Can I speak to her?
- No, she is being a hooker with my mom.
- Oh my! Do you have an older sister that I may speak with?
- I have a 12 year old sister, but she is being a hooker with my mom and my grandmother.
- Good grief! May I speak with your father?
- He's with the rest of the family being a hooker, too!
- I have never seen such a thing! What a strange family! Where are they being hookers?
- In the living room! They are putting hooks on Christmas ornaments!
The original French has to do with the fact that faire le sapin would mean "decorate the tree" and "faire le tapin" is to practice prostitution. That is why at the end of the French joke, a person who knows French will understand when they hear "talon" which is "heel" but should be "salon" which is "living room." The little girl says "t" instead of "s."
Stein Auf!
Bridget
p.s. - I've been without a voice since Wednesday night and I still do not have one. I need my voice back for Christmas eve!
Un représentant sonne à la porte d'une maison...
La petite Elodie 4 ans ouvre la porte :
- Bonjour Mademoiselle je suis Maurice Durand représentant des aspirateurs Aspirex. Je pourrais voir ta maman ?
- Ben nan maman fait le tapin en ce moment.
- Glups... Et par hasard peut-être ta grand-mère habite ici et je pourrais la voir ?
- Ben nan non plus elle fait le tapin avec maman !
- Reglups... Est-ce que tu as une grande soeur que je pourrais voir ?
- Oui j'ai ma grande soeur Ingrid : elle a 12 ans. Mais elle fait le tapin avec maman et mamie.
- Bon ! et ton papa je peux le voir ?
- Mais non il est avec maman, mamie et Ingrid. Il fait le tapin avec elles !
- He bien ça alors jamais vu ça... Drôle de famille ! Et où ils font le tapin ?
- Ben dans le talon : ils tont en train de décorer le tapin de Noël..
Now, here is the translation of the joke according to Babelfish.
A representative sounds with the door of a house...
Small Elodie 4 years opens the door:
- Hello Miss I am Maurice Durand representing of the Aspirex vacuum cleaners.
I could see your mom?
- Ben nan mom makes the tapin in this moment.
- Glups... And by does chance perhaps your grandmother live here and I could see it?
- Ben nan either it makes the tapin with mom!
- Reglups... Do you have an older sister whom I could see?
- Yes I have my Ingrid older sister: she is 12 years old. But it makes the tapin with mom and granny.
- Good! and can your dad I see it?
- But not it is with mom, granny and Ingrid. It makes the tapin with them!
- He well that then never considering that... Funny of family! And where they make the tapin?
- Ben in the heel: they tont decorating the tapin with Christmas.
Here is a decent translation so the words make sense, but the joke doesn't make sense. This is because the joke has to do with a mispronunciation.
A representative knocks on the door of a house.
A little four year old answers the door.
- Hello Miss, I am Maurice Durand of Asperix vacuums.
- Can I see your mom?
- My mom is being a prostitute right now.
- Gulp. By any chance does your grandmother live here and can I see her?
- No, she is being a prostitute with my mom.
- Gulp. Do you have an older sister that I can see?
- Yes, she's 12, but she's being a prostitute with my mom and my grandmother.
- Good grief! And can I see your father?
- Yes, but he's with the rest of the family. He's doing the same thing with them.
- I have never seen that! What a strange family! Where do they be prostitutes?
- There's in the living room, decorating the Christmas tree.
Now, here is the joke in English to make it make sense.
A representive knocks on the door of a house.
A small four year old girl answers the door.
- Hi, I am Maurice Durand of Asperix vacuums. May I speak to your mother?
- No, my mom is being a hooker right now.
- Oh my! By any chance, does your grandmother live with you?
- Yes.
- Can I speak to her?
- No, she is being a hooker with my mom.
- Oh my! Do you have an older sister that I may speak with?
- I have a 12 year old sister, but she is being a hooker with my mom and my grandmother.
- Good grief! May I speak with your father?
- He's with the rest of the family being a hooker, too!
- I have never seen such a thing! What a strange family! Where are they being hookers?
- In the living room! They are putting hooks on Christmas ornaments!
The original French has to do with the fact that faire le sapin would mean "decorate the tree" and "faire le tapin" is to practice prostitution. That is why at the end of the French joke, a person who knows French will understand when they hear "talon" which is "heel" but should be "salon" which is "living room." The little girl says "t" instead of "s."
Stein Auf!
Bridget
p.s. - I've been without a voice since Wednesday night and I still do not have one. I need my voice back for Christmas eve!