Google Translate

Image via Wikipedia

You have to laugh.  Language, translations, my name, all often offer moments of hilarity.  Two things in particular made me laugh.  You see Claire Derville wrote an article in La Vie Monde on my "cloistered brothers."  Claire Derville - publié le 26/05/2011 La Vie Semaine Du 26 Mai 2011 No 3430

When you read the original French, I see that Claire thought my name was "Fait," not Faith.  I'm not surprised.  My French Canadian grandmother, use to call me "Fait," because she couldn't pronounce the "th" in Faith.  (Neither could my Lithuanian grandmother; she called me "Face.")  I guess English is the only language that has the sound "th."  Anyway, Claire wrote,

Retour derrière les murs de Norfolk, où les membres de la fraternité ont rendez-vous dans la chapelle catholique. Une vingtaine d’hommes âgés de 25 à 60 ans ont pris place autour de Fait Flaherty, l’animatrice, pour lire des textes de leur héros, le frère Lataste. En 1866, ce dominicain avait fait scandale en créant la première congrégation pour les femmes sorties de prison en France. « Ce gars avait du cran », lance un détenu. Tatouages, cicatrices : malgré leur croix autour du cou, certains ont gardé des traces d’un passé violent. Et pourtant, la discussion est incroyablement érudite. Dans la bouche de ces ex-criminels en quête d’éternité, certains mots prennent un sens très concret.


which google translated into:

Back behind the walls of Norfolk , where fraternity members have appointments in the Catholic chapel. Twenty men aged 25 to 60 years took place around Manufactured Flaherty, host, to read texts of their hero, brother Lataste. In 1866, the Dominican had caused a scandal by creating the first congregation for women released from prison in France . "This guy had guts," says one inmate. Tattoos, scars: despite their crosses around their necks, some have retained traces of a violent past. And yet, the discussion is incredibly erudite. In the mouth of these ex-criminals in search of eternity, some words take on a very real sense. 


So I'm Manufactured Flaherty; that's my name.  Well, you see the French word "fait" means "make," as a verb, or "manufactured by hand," as a noun.  Hence my name is Manufacted Flaherty.


But it gets better.  Sunday's Gospel is Jn 17: 1-11a and I read:

“I revealed your name to those whom you gave me out of the world...."


Not so easy to reveal a name, obviously.  I guess I have nothing to complain about. 


Do you think I should rename my blog, The One True Manufactured?