Wednesday, February 20, 2008

The Daily Star and Other Funny English

The Daily Star is the local English language newspaper. We have it delivered to our door every morning, and it serves as our primary source of information about the goings-on of the country and the world. The Daily Star is a fine publication which blends thoroughly researched and unbiased reporting with artfully crafted prose. It is such a pleasure to read that I’ve decided to post a few excerpts here on the Bideshi Chronicles. For best results switch your internal narrator to the voice of Abbu from The Simpsons and read on.

Headline: Even 2yr olds got plot in huge housing graft Taskforce probe unearths mind-boggling irregularities in NHA affairs

Excerpt: A taskforce of the National Coordination Committee (NCC) to Combat Corruption and Serious Crimes designated to investigate National Housing Authority (NHA) yesterday revealed corruption of the authority officials and employees as cavalier as allotting housing plots to even two-year old children…Besides, the taskforce found out that many unscrupulous allottees ended up encroaching on more land than they had been allotted, maintaining an unholy nexus with the corrupt NHA officials and employees…

Headline: Special bus service shatters hope of commuters

Photo Caption: Buses of city special service stop at the middle of the road to take or drop passengers violating the traffic rules and ignoring the safety

Excerpt: The city bus service launched about two months ago to provide special services has shattered hope of the commuters as it failed to keep its promises. The commuters are being cheated in the name of Metro Special City Service inaugurated on November 21 last year. Defiance of rules set for the vehicles under the service, harassment of commuters and realization of excess fare have become a routine picture due to the indifference of the authorities concerned…

Headline: CTG Ammo Haul Fresh Probe ordered to find real culprits court also asks CMP to appoint honest IO

Excerpt: A Chittagong court for the second time ordered further investigation into the cases filed in connection with the haul of 10 truckloads of deadly weapons and huge quantity of ammunition at Chittagong Urea Fertiliser Ltd jetty on April 2, 2004 to find out the real culprits. Mystery shrouds over the identity of the smugglers…The Court…ordered the Chittagong metropolitan Police commissioner yesterday to appoint an efficient and honest investigation officer (IO) to conduct further investigation of the case…In the order the court said further investigation is required as the time demands for it and to find out the real culprits.

In addition to the Daily Star, local signs often display quality English advertising. This one reads:

Thing Care of Her Eternal Beauty

Dear Shahzadi

Unfold is your beauty
Untold is your love…
What a paragon you are
I look on over and over

Equally moving and informative is the labeling on common food products. The back of our orange juice box reads:

Orange concentrate from selected best quality orange, blended carefully with other suitable ingredients and packed aseptically to make it a natural fruity, delicious & refreshing orange juice. For better taste, chill & shake well before serving. Revitalize, Rejuvenate & Reactivate yourself with ACME orange juice.

The instructions on Crispo’s Chocolate Custard Powder read:

  1. Take two Tablespoons of Crispo Custard Powder in a bowl
  2. Thoroughly mix Custard Powder in some milk in from the ½ liter potion
  3. Mix Sugar (four Tablesopoons or to taste) in remaining milk bring to boil.
  4. Stir Continuously as you add boiling milk in custard powder. Delicious Custard is ready.

I’m still trying to figure out what the “1/2 liter potion” is…

I also like company tag-lines on TV commercials. My favorite is:

And for beautiful hair you would want to keep touching – Dove Hair Care!

Tee-shirts are also good. Here I’m wearing one that says Man Style If You Like This. You can probably read Kelsey's. It says Wonderful Bangladesh. Jen's says Me Only Babe The Power Ober Ourselbs Let Make Something Out Of It. Make Your Own Destiny.


4 comments:

BrianKSohn said...

Ben, you could copy editor be of the paper English daily! Expertise of you help can the excellent quality prose of. Sure I of your elegant paragon editable skills.

Jason Komes said...

I was just thing care of you guys, after Pepper untold her love during a recent visit to California, unfolded. We had some dinner with other suitable ingredients and found them nourishing. Pepper and I hope to make our own destiny, as we power ober ourselbs, and perhaps we will stop by for a bisit. In all seriousness, if feasible maybe we will see you guys this summer.

Ben--I've been practicing my fingerpicking and have "picked" a bit of Doc Watson's "Deep River Blues", with your skills and a bottle of Woodfords being my inspiration.

Also, how can I become a kept man?

toodles,

jason

Jen and Ben Lamm said...

How to become a kept man:

Disclaimer: The author shall incur no liability for the physical, mental, and emotional strain that is sure to result from proper implementation of the following procedure

1. Marry a grad student (yes I know this sounds like an unlikely entry into the easy life, but read on...)

2. Swindle her into writing a proposal for a government grant to go to some godforsaken poor country where nobody would really want to go where her money will go farther.(this will make sure she gets the grant)

3. Tag along.

Donny said...

i love reading this post. 3 times already. i need to get some t-shirts like the ones you got. time to head to New Market to find the worst grammar and word choice possible.