BS: bad translations

Subject: RE: BS: bad translations
From: Jack Campin
Date: 15 Oct 09 - 08:33 AM

English to English, with a bit of help from the Microsoft spell checker:

Urine Pudding
Explanation and recipe

Subject: Badly translated & misspelled Business Signs
From: Genie
Date: 15 Oct 09 - 06:29 PM

Sounds delicious, Jack!


More bad translations from other languages:

Sign for charcoal packages in Sagano, Japan:
"A bamboo is burned and bamboo charcoal is being made charcoal.
When this charcoal is put in water a minus ion accruses, and becomes the water which is good for the body.
Besides, I can have it use a deodorant."



(Maybe if the accursed bamboo had used that deodorant you wouldn't have had to burn the poor thing?)

Subject: Badly translated & misspelled Business Signs
From: Genie
Date: 19 Oct 09 - 01:32 PM

Sign on men's clothing store in Chengdu, China:
F I T S    M E N

THE CHINESE ARROGANT MEN' S CLOTHING BRAND
THE STRONG POTENTIAL MAKES


(They'd be really elegant if they weren't so snooty.)

Subject: RE: BS: bad translations
From: Mrrzy
Date: 19 Oct 09 - 02:07 PM

Y'all need 2 more books: Sky! My Husband! translates directly from French to English, and Fractured French is even worse, here are 2 examples that are in my family phraseology:

French: Voici l'Anglais avec son sang-froid habituel.
English: Here comes the Englishman with his habitual bloody cold.

French: J'y suis et j'y reste.
English: I'm Swiss and I'm spending the night.

And who was it translated "hors-de-combat" as "camp followers?"

Subject: RE: BS: bad translations
From: Genie
Date: 19 Oct 09 - 07:59 PM

Probably the same guy who translated "Jeanne d'Arc" as "The light's out in the bathroom?"


(Actually, I got that one from Mad Magazine, IIRC.)

Subject: RE: BS: bad translations
From: Jos
Date: 20 Oct 09 - 04:31 AM

The 'Jeanne d'Arc' one only works in an American accent.

Subject: RE: BS: bad translations
From: Genie
Date: 20 Oct 09 - 01:49 PM

It only works (perfectly, anyway) if you use a hard "J" and an English-sounding final "n." But if you really pronounced it the way most Americans would, it wouldn't sound like "John Dark." It would sound more like "Gene Dee-Ark." I think if you pronounce it the proper French way, it's pretty close. Close enough to get the pun. : )

Subject: RE: BS: bad translations
From: GUEST,lighter
Date: 20 Oct 09 - 03:33 PM

"John Dark" is *exactly* the way this American would Americanize it.

Subject: RE: BS: bad translations
From: Genie
Date: 20 Oct 09 - 06:41 PM

I don't doubt that. But more often than not, I hear American's pronounce "D'Arc" as Dee-arc, "D'Angelo" as Dee-Angleo, "D'Or" as "Dee-Or," etc.
And I have never heard an American pronounce "Jeanne" as "John."

Subject: RE: BS: bad translations
From: Dave MacKenzie
Date: 20 Oct 09 - 06:51 PM

"French: Voici l'Anglais avec son sang-froid habituel.
English: Here comes the Englishman with his habitual bloody cold."

Didn't Paddy Roberts have a song on that subject?

Sign over a Krakow hotel restaurant buffet table: Mouldy Cheese

Sign beside the A540 just ouside Chester: Free Range Eggs Turn Here

Subject: RE: BS: bad translations
From: Genie
Date: 20 Oct 09 - 09:52 PM

Heck, Dave, my mom saw a supermarket sign that said: "Home grown eggs."
And that was in California! *g*

Subject: RE: BS: bad translations
From: Jos
Date: 21 Oct 09 - 06:19 AM

'And I have never heard an American pronounce "Jeanne" as "John."'

Maybe not, but some of them do pronounce "John" as "Jaahne".

Subject: RE: BS: bad translations
From: Genie
Date: 21 Oct 09 - 08:29 AM

Label of eye makeup remover in Japan:
Perfect
Eye Remover


(Oh, good. Then I won't be able to see if my liner's straight anyway.)




On a decorative world globe (made in Mum Buy?):
Bay of Bengay

(One of those hotbeds of international conflict, no doubt.)

Subject: RE: BS: bad translations
From: Genie
Date: 20 Nov 09 - 03:16 AM

This one takes the (cheese)cake!

Subject: RE: BS: bad translations
From: Mr Happy
Date: 20 Nov 09 - 10:06 AM

Dry cleaners in Bangkok: DROP YOUR TROUSERS HERE FOR BEST RESULTS.

Subject: RE: BS: bad translations
From: Genie
Date: 20 Nov 09 - 09:02 PM

I generally find that interesting results occur when people drop their trousers.