Showing posts with label Aramaic. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Aramaic. Show all posts

Wednesday, September 1, 2010

Confused and Surprised

Pliny is reading an email. He looks puzzled.

Me: Is that an answer to your complaining letter?

Pliny: Yes, but I do not understand it. It appears to be from Professor John F Healey, but he claims he is not the translator of my Natural History.

Me: How peculiar. What does he say?

Pliny: He says, Dear friend, I have just now received your letter of complaint. I fear you have sent it to the wrong man. I am Professor John F Healey, Professor of Semitic, Ugaritic and Aramaic studies at Manchester University. The man deserving of your ire is Professor John F Healy, Professor of Classics at London University. I suggest you reroute your complaint to him.

Me: Oh dear, Pliny, you seem to have sent your complaint to the wrong Professor Healy. Yes look, it's Healy not Healey. Didn't you check?

Pliny: No. Who would have thought there would be two of them?

Me: There aren't two of them. One is a Healy and the other is a Healey. And they are professors of completely different things.

Pliny: Well, no harm is done. I shall now send my complaining letter to Professor Healy. And meanwhile I have made a new acquaintance. Professor Healey is interested in continuing our correspondence. He has added a little footnote to his missive.

Me: What does he say?

Pliny: Well, it is a little strange.

Me: Why am I not surprised?

Pliny: I think you will be. Professor Healey asks if I am that same Pliny who once wrote an article for the magazine Velosophy. It seems he is a bicycle philosopher and has written something on the topic. He asks if I would care to put in a good word for him with the editors.

Me: My goodness! You're right, I am surprised.