The idle musings of a former military man, former computer geek, medically retired pastor and now full-time writer. Contents guaranteed to offend the politically correct and anal-retentive from time to time. My approach to life is that it should be taken with a large helping of laughter, and sufficient firepower to keep it tamed!
Friday, December 5, 2014
What's the Chinese for "Gigglesnort"?
The Telegraph has a hilarious photo essay on mistranslated Chinese signs. Here are a few of them.
Sign translation is fraught with error in my experience. If you are bilingual reading the signs in both languages can make you wince or laugh depending on the mistake. Fluent Spanish speaker and some of the signs I've seen translated from English are groan worthy at best and at worse they become an exercise in WTF.
"I'm telling you sir, it's impossible,"
ReplyDelete"I'm telling you, this thunderstorm keeps drunk-dialing me."
"Are you on a cellphone, sir?"
"Well, yes, but--"
"Thunderstorms do not call cellphones." *click* *DIALTONE*
There used to be a website that posted a few of these every day. Engrish.com used to be, but it looks different now.
ReplyDeleteSign translation is fraught with error in my experience. If you are bilingual reading the signs in both languages can make you wince or laugh depending on the mistake. Fluent Spanish speaker and some of the signs I've seen translated from English are groan worthy at best and at worse they become an exercise in WTF.
ReplyDelete