[weird signs]

This is an example of "shrewd" translation: At a Budapest zoo: Please do not feed the animals. If you have any suitable food, give it to the guard on duty.

(to continue the intercultural learning, here is some more stuff)

In a Belgrade hotel elevator: To move the cabin, push button for wishing floor. If the cabin should enter more persons, each one should press number of wishing floor. Driving is then going alphabetically by national order.

In a Yugoslavian hotel: The flattening of underwear with pleasure is the job of the chambermaid.

In a Japanese hotel: You are invited to take advantage of the chambermaid.

In the lobby of a Moscow hotel across from a Russian Orthodox monastery: You are welcome to visit the cemetry where famous Russian and Soviet composers, artists, and writers are buried daily except Thursday.

Similarly, from the Soviet Weekly: There will be a Moscow Exhibition of Arts by 15,000 Soviet Republic painters and sculptors. These were executed over the past two years.

In a Vienna hotel: In case of fire, do your utmost to alarm the hotel porter.

In an advertisement by a Hong Kong dentist: Teeth extracted by latest Methodists.

In a Copenhagen airline ticket office: We take your bags and send them in all directions.

People should fear translators and interpreters. We have the power!

Here is a look at how shrewd American business people translate their slogans into foreign languages: Coors put its slogan, "Turn It Loose," into Spanish, where it was read as "Suffer From Diarrhea."

Chicken magnate Frank Perdue's line, "It takes a tough man to make a tender chicken," sounds much more interesting in Spanish: "It takes a sexually stimulated man to make a chicken affectionate."

When Vicks first introduced its cough drops on the German market, they were chagrined to learn that the German pronunciation of "v" is "f," which in German is the guttural equivalent of "sexual penetration."

When Pepsi started marketing its products in China a few years back, they translated their slogan, "Pepsi Brings You Back to Life" pretty literally. The slogan in Chinese really meant, "Pepsi Brings Your Ancestors Back from the Grave."

When Gerber started selling baby food in Africa, they used the same packaging as in the US, with the beautiful Caucasian baby on the label. Later they learned that in Africa, companies routinely put pictures on the label of what's inside, since most people can't read.

[info]
[galerii]
[mõned jutud]
[mõned luulud]
[mõned käkid]
[teater]
[lülijalgne päike]
[midagi vinget]
[varia]
[index]


	[weird signs] This is an example of "shrewd" translation: At a Budapest zoo: Please do not feed the animals. If you have any suitable food, give it to the guard on duty. (to continue the intercultural learning, here is some more stuff) In a Belgrade hotel elevator: To move the cabin, push button for wishing floor. If the cabin should enter more persons, each one should press number of wishing floor. Driving is then going alphabetically by national order. In a Yugoslavian hotel: The flattening of underwear with pleasure is the job of the chambermaid. In a Japanese hotel: You are invited to take advantage of the chambermaid. In the lobby of a Moscow hotel across from a Russian Orthodox monastery: You are welcome to visit the cemetry where famous Russian and Soviet composers, artists, and writers are buried daily except Thursday. Similarly, from the Soviet Weekly: There will be a Moscow Exhibition of Arts by 15,000 Soviet Republic painters and sculptors. These were executed over the past two years. In a Vienna hotel: In case of fire, do your utmost to alarm the hotel porter. In an advertisement by a Hong Kong dentist: Teeth extracted by latest Methodists. In a Copenhagen airline ticket office: We take your bags and send them in all directions. People should fear translators and interpreters. We have the power! Here is a look at how shrewd American business people translate their slogans into foreign languages: Coors put its slogan, "Turn It Loose," into Spanish, where it was read as "Suffer From Diarrhea." Chicken magnate Frank Perdue's line, "It takes a tough man to make a tender chicken," sounds much more interesting in Spanish: "It takes a sexually stimulated man to make a chicken affectionate." When Vicks first introduced its cough drops on the German market, they were chagrined to learn that the German pronunciation of "v" is "f," which in German is the guttural equivalent of "sexual penetration." When Pepsi started marketing its products in China a few years back, they translated their slogan, "Pepsi Brings You Back to Life" pretty literally. The slogan in Chinese really meant, "Pepsi Brings Your Ancestors Back from the Grave." When Gerber started selling baby food in Africa, they used the same packaging as in the US, with the beautiful Caucasian baby on the label. Later they learned that in Africa, companies routinely put pictures on the label of what's inside, since most people can't read.		[info] [galerii] [mõned jutud] [mõned luulud] [mõned käkid] [teater] [lülijalgne päike] [midagi vinget] [varia] [index]