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Besides, suppose a group of Mordor assignees had to hold a conversation through the mangled translation service...
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Hahahaha! This brings to mind all sorts of things! Mainly the experience of the hobbits with Orcs. Pippin is surprised he can understand their speech at one point, mainly because orcs speak so many different dialects that they have to use the Common Speech when talking to each other. If only there were such a common speech in today's world... I imagine it would be either English (which thankfully I already know) or Chinese (that'd take a thousand years, although I can say "Good morning.")
All this babble about Babel--an amusing incident also comes to mind about a convention where two girls met and one spoke only Japanese and Klingon. The other English and Klingon. The two conversed in Klingon! (I think I should assign common language to the Shire, though...)
Or thanking God that all the people that worked in your graduate lab spoke English, even though they were from Japan, Korea and Africa! The postgraduate lab was populated by a Chinese man (who had an extremely good sense of humor!) and an East Indian, but they spoke English too...I was so blessed! But now I don't work in a lab...
Anyway the point to all that must have been the frustrating nature of having no common language, and yes, sometimes I wish the babble would go to Mordor!
I don't know if this has been mentioned, but I often wish "political correctness" would head on off to the Shadowland, because it seems that is where it came from!
Oh yes, in parting, People who believe that they are the only important beings in the universe and who subsequently walk all over me, and the social conventions that say I must endure it with politeness.
Cheers!
Lyta