#+name: data
| x | 2 |
| y | 4 |

#+name: table-as-array
#+begin_src sh :var data=data :results verbatim
  echo "$data"|sed 's/\s/ /;s/^/          [/;s/$/]/;1 s/^\s\+/(setf it [/; $ s/$/])/'
#+end_src

#+RESULTS: table-as-array
: (setf it [[x 2]
:           [y 4]])

#+begin_src emacs-lisp :noweb yes
  <<table-as-array(data)>>
  (aref (aref it 1) 1)
#+end_src

#+RESULTS:
: 4