|
| |
How Not to do itWhile this page hopefully puts a smile on your face, it also aims to highlight the importance of hiring professionals to do your translations.
 Did you know...... that the British car manufacturer Vauxhall had to rename its Nova for the Spanish market? “No va” in Spanish, means “doesn’t go”! And Volkswagen realised too late that Passat sounds, in French, like “not that”.
In Russia, the makers of the Wash and Go shampoo overlooked the fact that “Wash” sounds like the Russian word ”vosh”, meaning louse. In the Ukraine, Blue Water mineral water is presumably not a chart-topper, sounding like the Ukrainian word “bluvota”, meaning “vomit”.
Something to think about when choosing brand names for your new products.
On a similar note, a certain large Swedish furniture retailer might have been wise to undertake some product name research, with products like
Bra, Smog, Curry, Spurt, Muck, Git,
and
Fartfull
.
On the pitfalls of modern technologyI have a spelling chequer
It came with my pee see
It plainly marques for my revue
Miss takes I cannot sea
I’ve run this poem threw it
I’m shore your pleased two no
It’s letter perfect in every weigh
My chequer told me sew
Impropriety and other faux pasThe following sign inscriptions need no explanation, I think. Clearly, the professionals were at work here.
A sign on a German campsite:
It is strictly forbidden on our black forest camping site that people of different sex, for instance, men and women, live together in one tent unless they are married with each other for that purpose.
In a Japanese Hotel:
You are invited to take advantage of the chambermaid.
In an Austrian ski resort:
Not to perambulate the corridors in the hours of repose in the boots of ascension
In an Acapulco hotel:
The manager has personally passed all the water served here.
In the office of a Roman doctor:
Specialist in women and other diseases.
On a Russian cruise liner:
Helpsaving apparata in emergings behold many whitles! Associate the stringing apparata about the bonsomes and meet behind. Flee then to the indifferent lifesavering shippen obediencing the instructs of the vessel chef!
In a Tokyo Hotel:
Is forbitten to steal hotel towels please. If you are not person to do such thing is please not to read this notis.
From the brochure of a Tokyo car rental firm:
When passenger of foot heave in sight, tootle the horn. Trumpet him melodiously at first, but if he still obstacles your passage then tootle him with vigor.
|
| |
|
The DIY approach
|
Not using a professional can do more than cause a few laughs.
 More...
|
|
The Onionskin
|
For a more serious look at both good and bad translation practice, read Chris Durban’s case studies in
The Onionskin
column, for example in the
 Translation Journal.
|
|
|
Deutsch
About trans-k 
How Not to do it
