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Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana.

added by human600, 2010-01-18 08:07
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Sentence #349900

eng
Time flies like an arrow; fruit flies like a banana.

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bul
Времето лети като стрела; плодовете летят като банан.
cmn
光陰飛逝如箭; 果蠅喜歡香蕉。
光阴飞逝如箭; 果蝇喜欢香蕉。
deu
Die Zeit vergeht im Fluge; der Maulwurf vergeht im Pfluge.
deu
Zeitfliegen mögen einen Pfeil; Fruchtfliegen mögen eine Banane.
deu
Auf Erden sehen wir die Zeit fliegen; auf Bananen sehen wir die Fruchtfliegen.
▼ Show 23 more translations
deu
Die Zeit fliegt wie ein Pfeil; Fruchtfliegen mögen eine Banane.
deu
Die Zeit fliegt wie ein Pfeil; eine Frucht fliegt wie eine Banane.
deu
Die Zeiten fliegen wie ein Pfeil, die Fruchtfliegen zur Banane.
epo
La tempo flugas kiel sago; frukto flugas kiel banano.
epo
La tempo flugas kiel sago; bananmuŝoj ŝatas bananon.
epo
La tempo flugas kiel sago; drozofiloj ŝatas bananon.
epo
Tempomuŝoj ŝatas sagon; bananmuŝoj ŝatas bananon.
epo
Tempomuŝoj ŝatas sagon; frukto flugas kiel banano.
est
manidina toy ny tsipika ny fotoana
fra
Les mouches temporelles aiment une flèche ; les mouches à fruit aiment une banane.
fra
Les mouches du temps aiment une flèche ; les drosophiles aiment une banane.
fra
Le temps file comme une flèche ; un fruit s'effiloche comme une banane.
fra
Le temps vole comme une flèche ; les drosophiles aiment une banane.
fra
Le temps vole comme une flèche ; un fruit vole comme une banane.
ita
Il tempo vola come una freccia; alle drosofile piace una banana.
ita
Il tempo vola come una freccia; la frutta vola come una banana.
rus
Время летит как стрела; фрукт летит как банан.
spa
El tiempo vuela como una flecha; a las moscas de la fruta les gustan los plátanos.
spa
A las moscas del tiempo les gustan las flechas, a las moscas de la fruta les gustan los plátanos.
spa
El tiempo vuela como una flecha; la fruta vuela como una banana.
ukr
Час летить як стріла; фрукт летить як банан.
cat
El temps vola com una fletxa; la fruita vola com una banana.
jpn
時間は矢のように飛び、果物はバナナのように飛ぶ。
▲ Fewer translations

Comments

human600 2010-01-18 08:12 link permalink

This is an old joke that tries to illustrate why it is so difficult to create artificial intelligence that can understand natural human language. The key thing is that "flies" and "like" have two entirely different meanings.

In the first clause, "flies" comes from the verb "to fly" and is the present tense, and "like" means "the same as".

In the second clause, "flies" comes from the noun "fly" meaning an insect, and "like" comes from the verb "to like", similar to "to love" but weaker.

I'm sure that it will be extremely difficult, if not impossible, to convey this pun in any other language.

 jakov 2010-11-25 17:12 link permalink

This should be tagged "ambiguous meanings" or similar, and "pun" or similar.