Thursday, June 17, 2010

Vietnamese Numbers Translated!

A native Vietnamese speaker, who has worked as a translator in the United States, has listened to my recording of the 10255 kHz ~1600 UTC "numbers" station.

This translation contains some new information. It also corroborates other details that were posted to the ENIGMA 2000 group.

Here's her report. Italicized numbers are for my own footnotes.

I just listened to the audio. It sounds like they were making an announcement using coding. And I don't know exactly where it comes from but it's a Northern Vietnamese voice. [1] Here's the translation:

Sơn Ca gọi Hải Đăng năm hai năm ba (x9)
"Son Ca [2] is calling Hai Dang [3] 5253"

Số điện sông năm tám hai hai (x3)
"Phone number: 05822" [4]

Số nhóm bảy một (x3)
"Number of groups: 71" [5]

Ngày [?] ba chín số một trong (once)
"Date: 3/9/2010" [6]

Nội dung của đầu (x3)
"Content's beginning:"

[message in 5F groups, no repeat] 05711 21249 05433 56985.....12289

Sơn Ca gọi Hải Đăng năm năm năm eigh
"Son Ca is calling Hai Dang 5558." [7]

[1] The translator used by an ENIGMA 2000 member also said the voice was in a Northern dialect.

[2] Possibilities:
Đảo Sơn Ca, an island in the South China Sea.
Generic for Cay or Key (small island in a group).
Popular Vietnamese record label.
Someone's name, perhaps a singer.

[3] Google translates Hải Đăng as "Lighthouse."

[4] She translated it as "phone number." A colloquialism? Or is it really a standard "numbers" callup signifying a group or message router?

[5] There are indeed 71 groups in the message. I counted. Twice.

[6] This transmission was recorded on March 18, 2010. This is a further indicator that recorded broadcasts are repeated on subsequent days until the message changes.

[7] You have to listen carefully, and the number at the end really is different than the one at the beginning. I wonder if this is true for other broadcasts.