MovieChat Forums > The Hitch Hiker's Guide to the Galaxy (1982) Discussion > Babel fish

Babel fish

posted 20 years ago by irob1981
14 replies | jump to latest

Watching Hitchhikers for the first time yesterday having never read the book(s) and only seen the new movie. So far I've seen the first five episodes and something fuuny I noticed in the first, the Babel Fish, you know the fish you stick in your ear and it translates alien speech for you. Then it hit me, I knew I had heard this name before and what do you know I did, Altavista's Translator is called Babel fish. Is this a coincindence or did the makers of Altavista deliberatly name this in favour of Hitchhikers?

Ian

[–] Mr_Evil 20 years ago

I think it's a reference to "The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy".

[–] someguy09865 20 years ago

It is...
also try typing in "Life, the Universe and Everything" into Google's calculator...

[–] Mr_Evil 20 years ago

You have to type "answer to Life the Universe and everything"

[–] XsaschaX 20 years ago

Ha! I just tried that google calculator thing; that's so cool!!!!

[–] gleep 20 years ago

I tried that, and every variation I could think of. Could someone give me more detailed instructions and quote the exact text I need to ask the calculator. Thanks! :)

[–] Syked-One 20 years ago

go to www.google.com and type "the answer to life, the universe and everything" into search... after that, read carefully ;) :P

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Where bees Robin Hood: Men in Tights on DVD?

[–] 20 years ago

[deleted]

[–] Millenko_500 20 years ago

I think the term "bebel fish" was adopted after the hitchhiker books were written to describe thing which translate information, i'm pretty sure most PCs contain some kind of bebel fish now.

[–] figjamd 20 years ago

ooohh guys! ohhh gosh! haven,t you here about this fish in the bibel, we have studied this part in school...ok the babel tower first:when all the people belonged to one nation and had one language, but they begann building a tower to reach the God. The God became angry, destroy the tower and separated the people in different nations with diferent languages...the babel fish was also mentioned in this myth:)

[–] hankinator 20 years ago

Well, you're mostly correct. God didn't destroy the tower. The people just stopped building it.

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English? Who needs that? I'm never going to England!

[–] Startanew 20 years ago

and if you look at altavistas babelfish site, you can see a little picture of a hitchhiker's babelfish ala miniseries.

www.notebookinhand.com - hang out for writers, artists, actors, musicians, etc.

[–] Dirkgently123 18 years ago

Your totally right about the Babel tower, but the fish is not in the Bible. But of course Adam´s idea is referring to the bible story. The fish brings back what the tower took away.

[–] retrogal83 18 years ago

Whatever the origin of the Babel fish, all I can say is that I would REALLY like one!!!

How useful would that be?!

***Do you like Liver and Bacon? Come and see my collection on the Isle of Man***

[–] JPfanatic93 18 years ago

There is no God. The Babel fish is a dead giveaway of His nonexistence, remember?