Re: Nihongo Bunshou Nouryoku Kentei (日本語文章能力検定)

On Sun, 19 Nov 2006 10:21:37 +0900, Ben Bullock wrote:

You haven't been posting on this newsgroup very long, have you?

Since 1987.

That's strange, Google Groups doesn't have any records of you from before
2006:

http://groups.google.co.jp/groups?as_q=&num=100&scoring=r&hl=en&as_epq=&as_oq=&as_eq=&as_ugroup=&as_usubject=&as_uauthors=Phil+Yff&lr=&as_qdr=&as_drrb=b&as_mind=1&as_minm=1&as_miny=1981&as_maxd=31&as_maxm=12&as_maxy=2005&safe=off

I've been here since 1995 or so, and I don't remember seeing you before
this
year.

My first post was to Pete da Silva in August of 87. The subject was "What
is a byte?" He was with the UUCP.

You didn't Google very well. If you're Dr. BK Bullock (Ben Bullock@
Cavendish Laboratory, University of Cambridge, Britain), I replied to a
post of yours in 1996.

I was a systems administrator from 1981 to 1988. I did more technical
stuff than posting. However, I did keep tabs on slj ever since it was
created.


OK, I found three posts under the name "Philip Yff" from 1996.

It doesn't change my opinion that you, or anyone else trying to cosy up to
Cindy either is Bart or a native speaker, or hasn't much experience of this
newsgroup.

I wasn't aware I was affording Cindy any preferential treatment. In fact,
if you read my response correctly, there was implied agreement with your
statement that her post was a waste of time. I poked fun at myself by
saying I, too, was guilty of wasting my time in my posts. I concluded by
saying your advice was perhaps falling on deaf ears.

Since Cindy indulges in word games in both Japanese and English, I thought
she might appreciate the levity. You might also know that the term she
used was 無駄 which means waste with the nuance of futility. I responded by
saying I, too, was guilty of waste but used the term 浪費 which has the
connotation of extravagance. I then referred to your advice falling on
deaf ears and went back to 無駄 with the context of futility. The phrase is,
"Perhaps Ben-san, even though he provides advice, might be [engaging] in
[an exercise of] futility." This idiomatically translates to, "Perhaps
Ben-san's advice might be falling on deaf ears"

This might not be as humorous as I think it is. After all, I have admitted
to my wasteful extravagance. However, this is a language group so I
thought I'd poke a little fun at you, Cindy, and, of course, myself. (笑)

Here's the full exchange:

Cindy: ああ、無理無理。　時間とお金の無駄だって。　

Ben: Cindy, most of your posts are a waste of time, although fortunately
not of money.

Me: 気にしないで気にしないで、シンディーさん。私もつまらない物に時間を浪費するのです。
もしかしてベンさんに忠告しても無駄かもしれませんね。 (笑)

Phil Yff
.

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