# Pardon Data's French **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 26, 2002, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pardon-datas-french/115957 "2002-06-26T01:39:10Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 14\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Enola\_Straight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dec6dc/32.png) [@Enola\_Straight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Enola_Straight)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2002, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pardon-datas-french/115957/1 "2002-06-26T01:39:10Z")
In ST:TNG episode “Time’s Arrow, Part 1” (the one where Data and company go back in time to meet Mark Twain in old San Francisco), Data realizes he needs money in order to keep up a residence and funds to aquire the equipment needed to detect (insert appropriate treknology term here), thus saving the future. Instead of a job, he turns to out-hustling the local card sharks in a game of Poker. The Head Shark…Marc Alomino of Gul Ducat fame…notices Data’s odd appearance and inquires why. Data replies he is a “Frenchman”. In an attempt to trip him up, the Shark starts up a conversation in French, which Data likewise replies. What is the translation of this conversation? ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2002, 2:35am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pardon-datas-french/115957/2 "2002-06-26T02:35:55Z")
Original French text (from the closed captioning): Shark: mes parents sont originaires de bourgogne je suis ne a la new orleans Data:alors, nous sommes presque freres je suis heureux de vous connaitre Approximate translation from Babel Fish: Shark: My parents are from Burgundy. I am from New Orleans Data: We are almost brothers. I am happy to know you ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d26b3c/32.png) [@Mr.Blue\_Sky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Blue_Sky)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2002, 2:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pardon-datas-french/115957/3 "2002-06-26T02:47:51Z")
Here’s the actual Babel Fish translation. You’ll have to re-arrange the grammar: Shark: my parents are originating in Burgundy I am does not have the new Orleans Data: then, we are almost brothers I am happy to know you ---
**Author:** ![tracer](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tracer/32/20578_2.png) [@tracer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tracer)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2002, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pardon-datas-french/115957/4 "2002-06-26T06:27:34Z")
Mr. Blue Sky wrote: > [@](#): > > Shark: mes parents sont originaires de bourgogne > je suis ne a la new orleans The authors of this closed captioning must not have been very good French speakers. It’s pretty obvious the 2nd sentence is supposed to be: “Je suis née a la New Orleans” … which means _I was born in New Orleans_. (Even I could tell this, and I never studied French!) ---
**Author:** ![Dragonblink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Dragonblink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dragonblink)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2002, 8:05am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pardon-datas-french/115957/5 "2002-06-26T08:05:19Z")
Ummm actually just “né”, as the speaker is male. “Née” is fer wimmin folk. [obsessive linguist hat OFF (it’s givin me hat hair anyways)] ---
**Author:** ![Dragonblink](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Dragonblink](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dragonblink)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2002, 8:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pardon-datas-french/115957/6 "2002-06-26T08:09:34Z")
Okay, so I’ll put the damn hat back on to add an accent mark: “Je suis né **à** la New Orleans [Nouvelle Orléans]” Two more years and I’ll forget all my French, really! ---
**Author:** ![The\_Controvert](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/dec6dc/32.png) [@The\_Controvert](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Controvert)\ **Post date:** [June 26, 2002, 3:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pardon-datas-french/115957/7 "2002-06-26T15:34:46Z")
Do the French call it Nouvelle Orleans, or New Orleans? Similarly, is it Nouvelle York? ---
**Author:** ![Rogawa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7c8e57/32.png) [@Rogawa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rogawa)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2023, 3:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pardon-datas-french/115957/8 "2023-10-20T03:14:07Z")
From my French studies I can infer this: Shark: My parents are from Burgundy. I was born in New Orleans. Data: Then we are practically [lit. “almost”] brothers. I’m happy to know you. I think the Shark (whom I keep thinking of as Gul Dukat since Marc Alaimo played both) made an error. French doesn’t use the definite article before city names. He should have said just “Je suis né à New Orléans.” ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2023, 3:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pardon-datas-french/115957/9 "2023-10-20T03:48:15Z")
> [@Rogawa](#): > > From my French studies I can infer this: > > Shark: My parents are from Burgundy. I was born in New Orleans. > Data: Then we are practically [lit. “almost”] brothers. I’m happy to know you. > > I think the Shark (whom I keep thinking of as Gul Dukat since Marc Alaimo played both) made an error. French doesn’t use the definite article before city names. He should have said just “Je suis né à New Orléans.” - You have to expect _some_ changes by the time you reach the 24th century. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Beckdawrek](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beckdawrek/32/3647_2.png) [@Beckdawrek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Beckdawrek)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2023, 4:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pardon-datas-french/115957/10 "2023-10-20T04:16:22Z")
Sacre’ Bleu! ---
**Author:** ![ekedolphin](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ekedolphin/32/10003_2.png) [@ekedolphin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ekedolphin)\ **Post date:** [October 20, 2023, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pardon-datas-french/115957/11 "2023-10-20T05:17:35Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > You have to expect _some_ changes by the time you reach the 24th century. Yeah, but Alaimo’s Frenchman lived in the 19th century. ---
**Author:** ![EnolaStraight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/41988e/32.png) [@EnolaStraight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EnolaStraight)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2023, 1:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pardon-datas-french/115957/12 "2023-10-23T01:38:10Z")
HO-Lee CRAP. Is 20 years a board record to necro a thread into zombiehood? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2023, 1:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pardon-datas-french/115957/13 "2023-10-23T01:42:51Z")
Probably not. I’m pretty sure I’ve seen a 99 thread bumped in the past couple of years. ---
**Author:** ![terentii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terentii/32/212_2.png) [@terentii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/terentii)\ **Post date:** [October 23, 2023, 2:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/pardon-datas-french/115957/14 "2023-10-23T02:24:57Z")
The android (Robert Fox) in _ **The Questor Tapes** _ also gambled to get money when he and his “creator” (Mike Farrell) were stuck in London, but it was with craps and not poker. I wonder how many times this scenario has been used in other dramatic works?