The Washington times., 1921-11-15
Prof. camerIynck, Interpreter,
Has Record of Distinguished
Service as Translator.

telling an American reporter his I'M
pressions of the English language Is
next to no trouble at all for Prof.
Camerlynck. but it rather effectively
illustrates what thirty years of study
ing the other fellows collection OF
words can do to linguistic obstacles.
Prof Camerlynck, language special
list at the University of Paris for
many years, Is in Washington for the
purpose of telling his fellow country
men, the French. what the arms con-
ference is all about. He automatically
shuffles the words Of one language
into another. and for good measure
illustrates his speech with the correct
gestures of whatever tongue he
speaks.
The reporter found the professor at
the telegraph desk I'm the Willard lob
by this morning. He was giving n
French companion the full shock Of a
220 oui-oui circuit-the professor, not
the reporter. With the rapidity of zero
flat the word expert turned TO the tele-
graph operator and gave her instruc-
tions in English, rverted to diplomatic
jargon of the French office, and
changed again to understanding OF the
one-track mind of the news chaser.
Speaks Several Tongues.
The demonstration the professor
unconsciously gave was at least con-
vincing. Not such an achievement,
you may suggest-this alternating In
two languages. Possibly. but how
many of those who do II can follow
through with the accent and gestures
H.. la.x
guages. and then go step further
by speaking an additional three or
four tongues?
Prof. Camerlyck has more than his
fellows words. He knows the
thought behind the words and he
knows their idiomatic usaRes and,
on top of that. not a little about the
customs Of the country claiming the
words as their own.
An example?
"Would it please you to spell my
asked the reporter. "It mas been mis-
spelled several times already in your
country"
Just as he was showing his ac-
Quaintance with a weakness of Amer
leans in the matter OF foreign names,
he was interrupted by another
French companion.
"Sksjdmrurgshcntye jams, oui.
QUIZ A smile and an au revoir.
That ended that.
You will pardon IL i read a let
ter as l talk to you." he asked.
You perhaps will inquire concern
Ing my general impressions of the
American language. Here IL Is. sil
vous plait. The difference between
your language and the English. that
10 the truly American and the Brit
ish. is greatly exaggerated. This may
not be true in the case Of vernacular
OF your different sections. but ii holds
In the language of diplomacy. And 1t
may please your people to know that
American statesmen are no less elo-
Quent than British orators. The
speech Of these two sets OF English
speaking people is essentially the
same. Your slang may be more
picturesaue-more tricky. in fact
but slang, Of course. does not occur
in the speech of diplomats"
Life Given To Language.
Prof. Camerlynck's record is inter.
esting. He has for years been asso-
ciated with the University Of Paris.
During the war he was at the front
as Interpreter between the French and
British army officials. He was later
attached to the Eighty-ninth Amcri-
can Infantry. His whole life has been
devoted to the study OF languages,
concentrating on English, with Ger
man. Italian. and Spanish on the side.
After the armistice he acted as in.
terpreter for several commissions,
particularly that on war criminals,
being associated with Robert Lansing,
former Secretary of State. and James
Brown Scott. Of Washington, repre-
sentatives OF the United States.
He was promoted to interpreter for
the Council Of Five and later the Coun-
ell Of Ten, composed Of foreign min.
isters- He has since been the official
interpreter of the Supreme Council Of
the Allies. having accumulated a vast
experience in international discu ssions
at Paris. London, Spa and Geneva lie
was chief interpreter at the public
meetings at Geneva, assisting chair
man M. Van Karbeneek, minister to
Holland. now in Washington repre-
senting The Netherlands.