A LINGUIST

NZ Truth, Issue 1215, 14 March 1929, Page 8

A LINGUIST

What He Heard In Arabic

SMITH UPSET

(Prom "N.Z. Truth's 11 Giaborne Rep.) Interpreters are not always well, paid for .their services. John James Smith translated one short sentence from the Egyptian language into the English, and he Had to' pay the. best part of £2 for the privilege. CMITH, having drunk sufficient at least to give him an appetite, arjd more than enough to detract from, his sobriety, entered the fish shop of Theodore Nicholas 'in Gisborne. When Smith was brought before ■ justices charged with using offensive language,' he gave the noy«l .explanation that Nicholas had caMed him a most objectionable name m Egyptian. ' . A disturbance ensued and the police were called upon to intervene. Smith's language being easily understood by the members of the force, whereas the same' performance m Egyptian was beyond them, he was duly arrested. It transpired m court that there wa,s some friction between 1 the pair, anfl In view of : this and the fact that Smith had- been incensed at the language of the other, he was let off with a fine of £1 and costs. ,