guinness and eggs - is it true?

[swedeheart]

I saw some friends the other week and we were talking about nutritional matters. One of them told a story of the kind that is sometimes true and sometimes not-so-true. It was about an old man in Wales who sustained himself solely on Guinness and on eggs from his own, few hens. His neighbours were worried about him and had a nurse talk him into coming in for some tests. When they came back, his results were the best they had ever seen (for his age group, I take it).

Anyone actually recognise the story as a true one? And, if not, could it still have been true?

[mike11111]

I do not set out to impress anyone, least of all you; nor do I use translation sites but my own knowledge.My posting in Welsh was in reply to someone who had posted in the same language. The idea that because you do not understand a language it should not be used is the kind of thinking more at home in the Khmer Rouge than here.

[naomi24]

Anne, speaking in a language that the rest of the company cannot understand is simply bad manners - just as whispering in company is bad manners.

Mike, take note.

[mike11111]

Dw i'n rhoi y gorau.
(I give up)
Hope the translation helps.

[naomi24]

Don't give up - just do yourself a favour and take note.

[theprof]

mike11111, I should have made clear that my last post referred to jomifl not you. As I acknowledged, you corrected an error that no doubt could only originate from a translation engine.

Nevertheless, I am curious as to what you mean by your "own knowledge"? What knowledge of the Welsh language do you have? If you're fluent in the language, why not disclose the fact?

As far as your final sentence is concerned, I think you need to research a little further regarding the Khymer Rouge. However, leaving that to one side, I'm afraid that someone who cannot understand any language they wish to converse or write in is best advised not to use it. Whilst everyone makes mistakes during formal learning of a language, it is important to realise that translation engines cannot provide a grammatically correct short-cut for those that have no desire to do so. Those that insist upon using such a facility, can expect criticism and/or correction from native speakers when they get it wrong. Jomifl got it wrong. That's it pure and simple.

[mike11111]

By my own knowledge I mean that I have taught myself the basics of Welsh accidence and syntax via textbooks and tapes. I do not claim to be fluent, as I am in two other languages, but I know a mistake when I see one. I fully accept your point about translation engines; I have yet to find one which can translate a sentence meaningfully into any language. Fine as dictionaries for individual words, but totally useless at stringing them together.

[theprof]

anneasquith, you're perfectly correct. No harm was done. Yet naomi24 is also correct - it is bad manners. If you were attending a wedding and two individuals were pointing towards you and speaking in an unknown tongue, what thoughts would go through your mind? What motives would you consider the individuals to have to behave in this fashion?

Now let's take that scenario to this thread? For what reason did jomifl do likewise? Any suggestions?

[mike11111]

I made a light-hearted comment in Welsh earlier in the thread in response to the jokes about the Welsh and their predilections for sheep. Horseshoes replied in like manner and jomifl tried to join in the fun, unfortunately lacking any knowledge in the language. It's no big deal; I bet if anyone was banned from posting in Arabic here, all hell would break loose.

[theprof]

I'm delighted mike1111 - you're one in a million. I took my "A" levels in an English speaking Grammar school in Wales. The school had a Deputy Head who was also the Head of Chemistry. This man had been born and brought up in Nottingham and applied to study Chemistry at Aberystwyth University which had a thriving chemistry department at that time. Following graduation, he decided to stay in Wales and became determined to speak Welsh fluently. He succeeded within a few years and even obtained an external uni degree in the language.

I've always admired this influential teacher of mine and I often recall the startle he gave people with his ability to speak Welsh with an English accent!

[swedeheart]

Belated thanks to those of you who actually kept right on talking about Guinness and eggs! ;-)

[jno]

tut, swedeheart, you'd no doubt have learnt more if you could speak Welsh... but I have to say I can't think of any reason why people shouldn't speak any language they like on here. A bit pointless perhaps if nobody else understands it; but it's a free country. Travel on the tube in London and you'll hear a dozen languages spoken in any given carriage. This is not bad manners, it is normal.

[sandyRoe]

I don't know if a diet of Guinness and eggs would provide all the nutrients a body needs. But if the gas it produced could be harnessed whoever was living on it wouldn't need to pay many heating bills.