I recently did a translation for a friend, of a short video that talks about
how recordings of 2000 years ago have been found on pottery.  One example
was from a vase from Pompeii and you can actually hear someone speak (in
Latin) and then laugh.

It's quite amazing.

The MPEG4 video (use Quick Time to view it) can be viewed here:
http://www.zalea.org/article.php3?id_article=496

You will need to click on the link "Telecharger la video."  I right-clicked
and downloaded it and then played it with QuickTime.

The PS mentions the fact there is a debate going on about the video on "the
other side of the Atlantic," which means here in the US.  The debate site is
digg.com.  I looked at it a bit and everyone was deploring the fact they
could not understand French.  :-)

At any rate, here is the translation of the video that I gave my friend.

Announcer:  "It is in this university building at Chevrat(*) that a research
team made an incredible discovery."

"It all started with this vase created more than 5 centuries ago in South
America."

Philippe Delaite:  "We had in our reserves (storage) some vases that had
been there for many generations, and in which nobody had been interested.
We undertook a series of analyses and we realized that one of the vases with
a totally normal appearance turned out to contain sound.   Yes, you heard me
right, I said sound, contained on the surface of the vase."

Philippe Delaite "The sound was recorded accidentally by the potter at the
time he was decorating his vase with the help of a long needle, we can
suppose.  Ambient sound was recorded thanks to the frequencies acting on the
needle and so was preserved by the energy of the needle."

Announcer: "Other potteries are currently undergoing analysis and the
results speak for themselves.  The fragment of a phrase pronounced in Latin
recorded almost 2,000 years ago has been found on an antique vase originally
from Pompeii."

(Recording in Latin follows, with what sound like laughter.)  (I do not
understand the accent of the person on the recording; it's obviously a very
Southern Roman accent.  :-)  DPB)

Philippe Delaite "One has to figure that within a few weeks if these
recordings turn out to be very interesting, the Faculty of the University
will produce a CD with these recordings, which should be available to buy in
a few months.  One can hope."

Announcer: "And while we wait to enjoy the CD, "Credo quia absurdum."

(The latter translates to ("I believe it because it is absurd.")

(*)I would like to get the name of the university right but I haven't got
the time for a search right now; I speak French, but I am not French.  Also,
the video is supposedly from Belgium, and I am not Belgian either.  I trust
someone could supply me with the proper name.

Denys

* To join/leave the list, search archives, change list settings, *
* etc., please visit http://raven.utc.edu/archives/hp3000-l.html *