ENGLISH IN GERMANY. Some Amusing Instances of the Abuse of the Language.

Te Aroha News, Volume V, Issue 211, 16 July 1887, Page 3 (Supplement)

ENGLISH IN GERMANY. Some Amusing Instances of the Abuse of the Language.

Tm. hiahe-^b courts of tho empiro are still hold ii Leinsic, very much to the dis-p'fi-v.'o of Berlin, whoso inhabitants natui.iliy enough, desire to magnify the < ipi:\l. ' Wishing to visit, the courts, and )>imuq- ia<.her doubtful as to my dermaii, I v, tM^ into a largo china store, in v. hose vmibv I had seen that sign .so often a viliiin.e fight, "English s]jokcn here." I - v 1 ro the young woman who came forvait] to wait on me : "You speak Eng-ii-'i. ao you not?" "Oh, yes," she ref.li<j<]. Then in very plain words I n^ked h.i i L th » courts of iuptico were in se?>ion th.i* (1 .y. She deliberated for a moment, <h< m 'i'»>>vered : " You would like a larsre pin ■' In vhab I thought fbill plainer F.ii'i 1 - i, I lepeated my question. &he deh!-. ■ r"1 a little longer and said: "You \ (Ml ! like a largo plate with picture* on j' - ' in de.sjiair, I interrogated her in (t.-mvp' 1 . and found out at length that Uie liijv court 5*5 * were not then open. I was ■oir. ill of tlii« experience afterward by a 1 heard in another (German town, wlicre an American lady, wishing to obtain ludunv. -, was attracted by the same sign whu h had enticed me. Finding that the 1 uidl i iv could speak only a word or two of la-i \e i aacular, she <-aid : u But you have a on your door, 'English spoken ho. " "Oh, yes" replied the German, Ma trc English peo[)le who come here."