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Godfried Bomans
1913 - 1971

He is a Dutch author.
I would like to use this page to translate some small pieces for you.

h1. °°°Zolang een mens in staat is zijn gedachten te formuleren, heeft hij ze buiten zichzelf in een vorm neergezet en kunnen ze hem niet overweldigen.

As long as somebody is able to formulate his thoughts he has put them outside himself in a shape and therefore he cannot be overwhelmed by them.

h2. ***Ik geloof dat de aardigheid van het leven bestaat in ontvangen wat een ander heeft en in geven wat je zelf hebt.

I believe that the fun of life is in receiving what the other has and in giving what you have yourself.

h3. '''Zeg mij wie u bent en ik zal u zeggen wie ge zijt.

Tell me who you are and I will tell you how you really are.

His final interview was with Johan Cruyff.

h4. ~~~Men moet vrij sterk staan om zich de luxe te veroorloven een ander te prijzen.

You have to be fairly strong to allow yourself to praise another.

h5. >>>Indien je een woord veel hoort, weet dan dat het begrip ervan verdwenen is.

When you often heard a word, then know that its comprehension has been lost.

h6. :::Het is jammer dat Lazarus geen dichter was.
Hij zou zijn vroegere critici in de grootste verlegenheid hebben gebracht.

It is a pity that Lazarus was not a poet.
He would have embarrassed greatly his former critics.

Chess composer J. Haring made a chess problem: checkmate in 2 moves.
He dedicated his piece of art to the author whose initials he used in the problem.

To the Chess page

solution: 1. Queen f3 x b7!, (threatens 2. Qc7±)
              1. ..  a)   King c5.  2. Knight e4±
              1. ..  b)   Queen c5. 2. Knight e8±
             1. ..  c)   pawn c6.  2. Queen e7±
              1. ..  d)   Rook a7.  2. Queen c6±

brilliant.

h7. """Humor is zeldzamer dan ernst. Het laatste deelt men met duizenden medeburgers, het eerste met enkelen.

Humour is rarer than seriousness. The latter you share with thousands of fellow citizens, the first with a few.

h8. ```Er is niets zo slopend als een spreker die alles zegt wat hij weet, in plaats van alles te weten wat hij zegt.

Nothing is more undermining than a speaker who says everything he knows, instead of knowing everything he says.

h9. ---He used English as well:

In my experience, everyone likes our country.
So we are strongly tempted to think we're such nice people.
Of course we are; but they don't know that.
The real reason for this partiality is quite different; it is because we don't matter.
We are loved with the tenderness reserved for children.
Love for grown-ups always has to be paid for.
Affection for children never.

In one of his books everybody was searching for an important piece of paper. The man with that piece of paper just sent it by post. This is an example of creative thinking.

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