“영어가 영국말이라고.?”

놀라는 사람도 없지만 더 이상 사실도 아니다. 작은 섬 나라, England 의 언어였던 그것이 대영제국을 이룬 그들의 功이든, 현대의 Pax America를 이룬 미국의 功이던 간에 이제 영어는 세계의 그것이다.

아시안 잉글리쉬

그 중에서도 특별히 Asian English. 서양인들에게 약간 미안하지만 이제 당당하게 말할 수 있는 것은 영어를 사용하는 Asian이 그들보다 많다는 사실이다. 여기 저기 전화를 하다가도 사실 ‘나&너 모두 영어 본 토박이는 아닌데..’란 아쉬움도 잠시. 야근을 마치고 퇴근하려던 찰나, 오늘 한 후배 녀석이 보내준 메일이 인상 깊게 다가왔다.

As a fellow lover of the English language, you’ll smile at this.

To get the full effect, this should be read aloud. You will understand what ‘tenjewberrymuds’ means by the end of the conversation. This has been nominated for the best email of 2005.

The following is a telephone exchange between a hotel guest and room-service, at a hotel in Asia, which was recorded and published in the Far East Economic Review:

Room Service (RS): “Morrin. ; Roon sirbees.”
Guest (G): “Sorry, I thought I dialed room-service.”
RS: “Rye..Roon sirbees..morrin! Jewish to oddor sunteen??”
G: “Uh..yes..I’d like some bacon and eggs.”
RS: “Ow July den?”
G: “What??”
RS: “Ow July den?…pryed, boyud, poochd?”
G : “Oh, the eggs! How do I like them? Sorry, scrambled please.”
RS: “Ow July dee baykem? Crease?”
G: “Crisp will be fine.”
RS : “Hokay. An Sahn toes?”
G: “What?”
RS:“An toes. July Sahn toes?”
G: “I don’t think so.”
RS: “No? Judo wan sahn toes??”
G: “I feel really bad about this, but I don’t know what ‘judo wan sahn toes’ means.”
RS: “Toes! toes!…Why jew don juan toes? Ow bow Anglish moppin we bodder?”
G: “English muffin!! I’ve got it! You were saying ‘Toast.’ Fine. Yes, an English muffin will be fine.”
RS: “We bodder?”
G: “No…just put the bodder on the side.”
RS: “Wad! ?”
G: “I mean butter…just put it on the side.”
RS: “Copy?”
G: “Excuse me?”
RS: “Copy..tea…meel?”
G: “Yes. Coffee, please, and that’s all.”
RS: “One Minnie. Scramah egg, crease baykem, Anglish moppin we bodder on sigh and copy…rye??”
G: “Whatever you say.”
RS: “Tenjewberrymuds.”
G : “You’re very welcome.”

냉정하게 생각해 보면, 남 발음 같지 않은.. ㅡ.ㅡv
여러분은 어떠신지요 ^-^?

‘언제나 행복 속에서…’ 용진