| Author | Message | ||
| Bodo (Bodo)
New member Username: Bodo Post Number: 2518 Registered: 2-2001 |
A reputable transator was contacted to translate something from English to another language. The contracting organization then took his response and used it for its intended purpose, without realizing it was completely wrong. This was not done out of malice on the translator's part. What happened? All participants adult humans, gender irrelevant. Early sp0ilerz please to email, thanks. | ||
| Alhucema (Alhucema)
New member Username: Alhucema Post Number: 101 Registered: 11-2008 |
Relevant which language it was? | ||
| Bodo (Bodo)
New member Username: Bodo Post Number: 2521 Registered: 2-2001 |
Alhucema Posted on Thursday, November 20, 2008 - 7:55 pm: Relevant which language it was? Only in that it is uncommon enough that no one recognized the problem. | ||
| Alhucema (Alhucema)
New member Username: Alhucema Post Number: 102 Registered: 11-2008 |
Did the translation mean something else than the orignial? Did the translator misunderstand something? Any homonyma relevant? | ||
| Bodo (Bodo)
New member Username: Bodo Post Number: 2522 Registered: 2-2001 |
Alhucema Posted on Thursday, November 20, 2008 - 8:04 pm: Did the translation mean something else than the orignial? Yes. Did the translator misunderstand something? No. Any homonyma relevant? No. | ||
| Doctapeppa (Doctapeppa)
New member Username: Doctapeppa Post Number: 1044 Registered: 12-2004 |
Was it some kind of a brand name? Perhaps "Slim Jims" in Chinese actually refers to a prostitute? Or something like that? | ||
| Bodo (Bodo)
New member Username: Bodo Post Number: 2523 Registered: 2-2001 |
Doctapeppa Posted on Thursday, November 20, 2008 - 8:26 pm: Was it some kind of a brand name? No. Perhaps "Slim Jims" in Chinese actually refers to a prostitute? No idea. Or something like that? No, sorry. | ||
| Woodworm (Woodworm)
New member Username: Woodworm Post Number: 1616 Registered: 3-2006 |
Heheh. Pretty sure I know it. Like John Sergeant, I will do the decent thing, and sit this dance out. :-) | ||
| Doctapeppa (Doctapeppa)
New member Username: Doctapeppa Post Number: 1047 Registered: 12-2004 |
Was the contracting organization a business? American? Swedish? United Kingdomian? | ||
| Bodo (Bodo)
New member Username: Bodo Post Number: 2524 Registered: 2-2001 |
Eh, well, you've an advantage, haven't you? ;-) | ||
| Bodo (Bodo)
New member Username: Bodo Post Number: 2525 Registered: 2-2001 |
Doctapeppa Posted on Thursday, November 20, 2008 - 8:45 pm: Was the contracting organization a business? I don't believe so, although they themselves could've been contractors. American? Swedish? United Kingdomian? This last. | ||
| Alhucema (Alhucema)
New member Username: Alhucema Post Number: 104 Registered: 11-2008 |
Did the mistranslation relate to a single word or rather to a meaning of an entire phrase? Would it help if we find out what organisation it was? Would it work for US English as well? | ||
| Doctapeppa (Doctapeppa)
New member Username: Doctapeppa Post Number: 1051 Registered: 12-2004 |
So I assume the organization was a not-for-profit organization? Or a government entity? Or maybe just some rich guy? | ||
| Bodo (Bodo)
New member Username: Bodo Post Number: 2526 Registered: 2-2001 |
Alhucema Posted on Thursday, November 20, 2008 - 8:54 pm: Did the mistranslation relate to a single word or rather to a meaning of an entire phrase? A phrase would be closest. Would it help if we find out what organisation it was? Not really, although it is part of the story. Would it work for US English as well? Yes, but... =================================================================== Doctapeppa Posted on Thursday, November 20, 2008 - 9:04 pm: So I assume the organization was a not-for-profit organization? Or a government entity? This. Or maybe just some rich guy? | ||
| Doctapeppa (Doctapeppa)
New member Username: Doctapeppa Post Number: 1054 Registered: 12-2004 |
Are any idioms relevant? Figures of speech? Was the organization [consider LTPF list of UK government entities]? O RLY? NO WAI! Was this supposed to keep people from ingesting raw lamb? | ||
| Bodo (Bodo)
New member Username: Bodo Post Number: 2527 Registered: 2-2001 |
Doctapeppa Posted on Thursday, November 20, 2008 - 9:21 pm: Are any idioms relevant? No. Figures of speech? Was the organization [consider LTPF list of UK government entities]? A council - it was for a road sign. O RLY? NO WAI! Was this supposed to keep people from ingesting raw lamb? No. | ||
| Doctapeppa (Doctapeppa)
New member Username: Doctapeppa Post Number: 1056 Registered: 12-2004 |
Was it supposed to say, "There is a magic roundabout ahead, people!" in Swahili, but somebody made an error and it turned out to say "You don't know what we can find, why don't you come with me, little girl, on a magic carpet ride?"? | ||
| Bodo (Bodo)
New member Username: Bodo Post Number: 2528 Registered: 2-2001 |
Doctapeppa Posted on Thursday, November 20, 2008 - 9:28 pm: Was it supposed to say, "There is a magic roundabout ahead, people!" in Swahili, but somebody made an error and it turned out to say "You don't know what we can find, why don't you come with me, little girl, on a magic carpet ride?"? No. | ||
| Doctapeppa (Doctapeppa)
New member Username: Doctapeppa Post Number: 1057 Registered: 12-2004 |
O RLY? NO WAI! | ||
| Bodo (Bodo)
New member Username: Bodo Post Number: 2529 Registered: 2-2001 |
WAI. | ||
| Doctapeppa (Doctapeppa)
New member Username: Doctapeppa Post Number: 1058 Registered: 12-2004 |
Was the purpose of the road sign... Regulatory? Guide? Warning/caution? Construction? Scenic/Wildlife information? Stop/ Yield? Handicapped Parking? | ||
| Bodo (Bodo)
New member Username: Bodo Post Number: 2530 Registered: 2-2001 |
Doctapeppa Posted on Thursday, November 20, 2008 - 9:40 pm: Regulatory? This, I would say. Guide? Warning/caution? Construction? Scenic/Wildlife information? Stop/ Yield? Handicapped Parking? | ||
| Doctapeppa (Doctapeppa)
New member Username: Doctapeppa Post Number: 1059 Registered: 12-2004 |
Did it relate to: a one-way road? driving on the left? speed limit? slower traffic keep... (left?)? Move accident vehicles from travel lanes? Something else? | ||
| Bodo (Bodo)
New member Username: Bodo Post Number: 2531 Registered: 2-2001 |
Doctapeppa Posted on Thursday, November 20, 2008 - 9:46 pm: Did it relate to: a one-way road? driving on the left? speed limit? slower traffic keep... (left?)? Move accident vehicles from travel lanes? Something else? It was supposed to say: "No entry for heavy goods vehicles. Residential site only." | ||
| Alhucema (Alhucema)
New member Username: Alhucema Post Number: 107 Registered: 11-2008 |
Did the sign actually bear the inscription? The other meaning (that of the translation) - was it obscene? Rude? Or just nonsense? | ||
| Bodo (Bodo)
New member Username: Bodo Post Number: 2532 Registered: 2-2001 |
Alhucema Posted on Thursday, November 20, 2008 - 9:56 pm: Did the sign actually bear the inscription? Sorry, can you clarify? The other meaning (that of the translation) - was it obscene? Rude? Or just nonsense? More just completely different - out-of-context. | ||
| Alhucema (Alhucema)
New member Username: Alhucema Post Number: 109 Registered: 11-2008 |
Was the translated text ON the sign itself (as opposed to being provided separately in a sort of description)? | ||
| Bodo (Bodo)
New member Username: Bodo Post Number: 2533 Registered: 2-2001 |
Alhucema Posted on Thursday, November 20, 2008 - 10:21 pm: Was the translated text ON the sign itself (as opposed to being provided separately in a sort of description)? Yes. | ||
| Doctapeppa (Doctapeppa)
New member Username: Doctapeppa Post Number: 1064 Registered: 12-2004 |
Did it happen because of a mistake? | ||
| Bodo (Bodo)
New member Username: Bodo Post Number: 2534 Registered: 2-2001 |
Doctapeppa Posted on Thursday, November 20, 2008 - 11:47 pm: Did it happen because of a mistake? Yope. Or no...or noish, or maybe Yes? I'll stick with yope for now, I guess. | ||
| Doctapeppa (Doctapeppa)
New member Username: Doctapeppa Post Number: 1068 Registered: 12-2004 |
Zákaz vjazdu preažké nákladné vozidlá. Bytový mieste iba.? | ||
| Bodo (Bodo)
New member Username: Bodo Post Number: 2537 Registered: 2-2001 |
Doctapeppa Posted on Friday, November 21, 2008 - 12:14 am: Zákaz vjazdu preažké nákladné vozidlá. Bytový mieste iba.? No idea. | ||
| Doctapeppa (Doctapeppa)
New member Username: Doctapeppa Post Number: 1069 Registered: 12-2004 |
I don't know. | ||
| Rcs (Rcs)
New member Username: Rcs Post Number: 208 Registered: 9-2008 |
I think I've heard this before. Was the language Welsh? "Nid wyf yn y swyddfa ar hyn o bryd. Anfonwch unrhyw waith i'w gyfieithu." (This isn't a $poyler unless somebody on this forum knows enough Welsh to know what that means.) | ||
| Bodo (Bodo)
New member Username: Bodo Post Number: 2538 Registered: 2-2001 |
Rcs Posted on Friday, November 21, 2008 - 2:06 am: Yup, that's exactly it. Please, folks, do not Google (or elgooG) the solution - it's worth digging for, honestly. My wife LOL'ed when she heard the story...so now you know the mis-translated part was from English to Welsh...carry on please. | ||
| Doctapeppa (Doctapeppa)
New member Username: Doctapeppa Post Number: 1074 Registered: 12-2004 |
Did the contracting organization make an error? Did the translating company make an error? Was the result anything like what it was intended to be? | ||
| Bodo (Bodo)
New member Username: Bodo Post Number: 2540 Registered: 2-2001 |
Doctapeppa Posted on Friday, November 21, 2008 - 8:35 pm: Did the contracting organization make an error? Yope, I think, and yet it was understandable. Did the translating company make an error? No. Was the result anything like what it was intended to be? Not even close. | ||
| Doctapeppa (Doctapeppa)
New member Username: Doctapeppa Post Number: 1082 Registered: 12-2004 |
Was there some kind of miscommunication? Is it relevant what the actual result was? Or just that it was not at all similar to what the intention was? Did the translator know Welsh? Did he/she/it/they read the sign? Did it make perfectly good sense to him/her/it/them? Did it wind up actually saying something like: Surely Make You Lose Your Mind Or perhaps something more like: Take It Easy | ||
| Bodo (Bodo)
New member Username: Bodo Post Number: 2541 Registered: 2-2001 |
Doctapeppa Posted on Friday, November 21, 2008 - 9:18 pm: Was there some kind of miscommunication? Yes. Is it relevant what the actual result was? Oh yes. Or just that it was not at all similar to what the intention was? See previous answer. Did the translator know Welsh? Yes. Did he/she/it/they read the sign? No. Did it make perfectly good sense to him/her/it/them? N/A Did it wind up actually saying something like: Life in the Fast Lane Surely Make You Lose Your Mind Or perhaps something more like: Slow Ride Take It Easy No to these. | ||
| Doctapeppa (Doctapeppa)
New member Username: Doctapeppa Post Number: 1088 Registered: 12-2004 |
So the translator just took some words and translated them? Were the words mixed up in a bowl of M&M's that someone accidentally flazzed and blirred and the albatrosses came and then the dead father, mother, and child rode the elevator to the top floor but it turns out she was actually deaf, dumb, blind, and a midget and he was a zombie who like playing roulette and slots and they used a block of ice and they drew straws and there was a fire and his parachute didn't open and roman numerals and the Greeks couldn't have known this? | ||
| Bodo (Bodo)
New member Username: Bodo Post Number: 2542 Registered: 2-2001 |
Doctapeppa Posted on Friday, November 21, 2008 - 10:06 pm: So the translator just took some words and translated them? No. Were the words mixed up in a bowl of M&M's that someone accidentally flazzed and blirred and the albatrosses came and then the dead father, mother, and child rode the elevator to the top floor but it turns out she was actually deaf, dumb, blind, and a midget and he was a zombie who like playing roulette and slots and they used a block of ice and they drew straws and there was a fire and his parachute didn't open and roman numerals and the Greeks couldn't have known this? No. | ||
| Doctapeppa (Doctapeppa)
New member Username: Doctapeppa Post Number: 1094 Registered: 12-2004 |
Is the origin of that which the translator translated relevant? Or can we just assume it came out of nowhere, and the translator and the government entity both thought it was what the government entity wanted to have translated, but nobody cared enough to check? | ||
| Bodo (Bodo)
New member Username: Bodo Post Number: 2546 Registered: 2-2001 |
Doctapeppa Posted on Saturday, November 22, 2008 - 12:05 am: Is the origin of that which the translator translated relevant? This is actually fairly difficult to answer, so I'm going with F. A. Or can we just assume it came out of nowhere, No... and the translator No. and the government entity but Yes both No. thought it was what the government entity wanted to have translated, but nobody cared enough to check? This is close. | ||
| Doctapeppa (Doctapeppa)
New member Username: Doctapeppa Post Number: 1098 Registered: 12-2004 |
So the government entity didn't even no what they wanted to have translated? Or did the email go to the wrong recipient? Oh, and was the request even sent via email? | ||
| Doctapeppa (Doctapeppa)
New member Username: Doctapeppa Post Number: 1099 Registered: 12-2004 |
Wow. I misspelled "know". (Maybe if I brownnose enough, and I slip a couple dollars the mods' way, they will delete this post and fix my error before anybody finds out that the amazing DoctaPeppa is fallable!) | ||
| Doctapeppa (Doctapeppa)
New member Username: Doctapeppa Post Number: 1100 Registered: 12-2004 |
Ditto for "fallible." | ||
| Bodo (Bodo)
New member Username: Bodo Post Number: 2547 Registered: 2-2001 |
Doctapeppa Posted on Saturday, November 22, 2008 - 12:16 am: So the government entity didn't even know what they wanted to have translated? This is not correct. Or did the email go to the wrong recipient? What email? Have you been cheating? Oh, and was the request even sent via email? Yes. | ||
| Doctapeppa (Doctapeppa)
New member Username: Doctapeppa Post Number: 1105 Registered: 12-2004 |
I have not (at least insofar as I can tell [that is to say, I have not used Wikipedia (or Google [other than to translate the English into Slovak])]) I guess I just kind of assumed. Did the government entity give the specific instructions via email? And they wound up getting mishmashed? Or something got lost in translation? | ||
| Bodo (Bodo)
New member Username: Bodo Post Number: 2548 Registered: 2-2001 |
Doctapeppa Posted on Saturday, November 22, 2008 - 12:31 am: quote: What email? Have you been cheating? I have not (at least insofar as I can tell [that is to say, I have not used Wikipedia (or Google [other than to translate the English into Slovak])]) I guess I just kind of assumed. I see. Did the government entity give the specific instructions via email? Yes. And they wound up getting mishmashed? No. Or something got lost in translation? No. | ||
| Doctapeppa (Doctapeppa)
New member Username: Doctapeppa Post Number: 1170 Registered: 12-2004 |
Did they actually send what they wanted to have appear on the sign? Or just instructions? Perhaps this got misinterpreted somehow? | ||
| Bodo (Bodo)
New member Username: Bodo Post Number: 2550 Registered: 2-2001 |
Doctapeppa Posted on Saturday, November 22, 2008 - 4:22 pm: Did they actually send what they wanted to have appear on the sign? Yes. Or just instructions? Likely both - figure something like "Please translate the following into Welsh:" followed by the text. Perhaps this got misinterpreted somehow? No. | ||
| Woubit (Woubit)
Moderator Username: Woubit Post Number: 317 Registered: 5-2007 |
Is the notion that an email was sent requesting a translation into Welsh of some words that were to appear on a sign? It occurs to me that if the intended translator were away from his office, an automated reply might be sent in Welsh that could be assumed to be the required translation, so that a sign might be erected with (for example) "Please do not feed the pigeons" in English and "I am out of the office until the end of July" in Welsh. Is it anything like this? | ||
| Bodo (Bodo)
New member Username: Bodo Post Number: 2551 Registered: 2-2001 |
Woubit Posted on Saturday, November 22, 2008 - 8:30 pm: Is the notion that an email was sent requesting a translation into Welsh of some words that were to appear on a sign? Yes. It occurs to me that if the intended translator were away from his office, an automated reply might be sent in Welsh that could be assumed to be the required translation, so that a sign might be erected with (for example) "Please do not feed the pigeons" in English and "I am out of the office until the end of July" in Welsh. Is it anything like this? It is exactly like that; in fact that would be the ****** SPOILER ****** It seems that when the Swansea council sent an email to a translator the response came back as "I am not in the office at the moment. Send any work to be translated." Except it came back in Welsh, so they assumed it was the translation of "No entry for heavy goods vehicles. Residential site only." and put it on the sign. Technically, I fudged, and it was an employee vs. a contractor, but it works either way. This is just a guess, but I'm thinking they might institute a policy of having all OOF messages include an English version in the future (if they haven't already. Here's your sign | ||
| Doctapeppa (Doctapeppa)
New member Username: Doctapeppa Post Number: 1185 Registered: 12-2004 |
Ah, of course. |
