[meteorite-list] Nakhla - The Dead Dog Still Lives

From: MexicoDoug_at_aol.com <MexicoDoug_at_meteoritecentral.com>
Date: Wed Nov 3 16:18:07 2004
Message-ID: <759968FE.520BC547.0BFED528_at_aol.com>

So, Ron, then the dog "bit the dust", "'s ass was grass", "was fried", "was wasted", "was trashed", "was wiped out", "was toast", etc. I especially like that last one. After the terrific horrific morbific act of Allah, the dog was toast. Conversely, I wonder what a translation of that into Arabic would make?
 
I have never grasped this morbid tendency for meteorites that happen to kill certain life forms to make them interesting. Is it like gawking at a car crash and gossip about the people being rushed out on stretchers? Maybe someone ought to get some of the dead grass from from the crater in Berthoud Colorado before it is too late and sell it on ebay or something, and maybe there are some dead ants, ticks or squashed earthworms in there too. I haven't kept up with the dog wars but I think it is rather irrelevant, except to the only one who really should have a problem with this, the reputed dog. Said dead dog probably isn't too worried whether it was a meteoroid or a kick in the head from a camel that did him in at this point.
 
I have an idea. Someone can lend a big specimen of Nakhla to the (in)humane society for a few days where they put dogs to sleep. Then the executioners can smash the dogs heads in with the meteorite, mass producing certified Nakhla dogs, and UPS their remains to interested collectors, and forever settle the question, which now I completely agree has its sad*(?) place in Meteorite Lore, (but not much in science...?) I haven't understood yet how the reputed dog is somehow responsible for Nakhla's recovery. The article wasn't primarily about the dog, that was just mentioned in passing, right? 'Cause if it were really about the dog, then we'd all have some more substantial accounts.
 
All that said, Kevin, please go easy on Ron, this has gotten way evangelical!
 
*sad = just ask someone who loves their dog. Rob-imagine if someone put a crater on grandma's head for their meteorite logo!!!!!!!!
Saludos, Doug
 
En un mensaje con fecha 11/03/2004 11:19:27 AM Mexico Standard Time, baalke_at_zagami.jpl.nasa.gov escribe:
I had some discussions with professional Arabic translators on this.
One translator told me that he "could imagine that any number of
phrases fall into the same semantic cluster as 'left like ashes in a
moment' and could be mistranslated". Here are some quotes from
various translators on possible other translations from
the 'left like ashes' phrase when it gets translated from Arabic:

   "Something was being destroyed or killed"
   "The dog was soaked in blood"
   "The reference was to broken remains or a corpse"


 
 
Received on Wed 03 Nov 2004 04:17:57 PM PST