Really Lost in the Translation
Some translated to English instructions are just *too funny*. A couple of days ago DH was trying to download a program for his puter and got the following download instructions. He printed them out so I could have a look.
DH asked for the English instructions for installation, and here are a few lines that I'm pecking out word for word. I think they were translated from one of the Asian languages.
"The computer starts the program installation.Danach first you see hoch.Dann a red fox in the system Tray new. You must this select and end with the right since himself or else the original AnyDVD.exe doesn't have overwritten."
"Pushes red on the AnyDVD.exe and this one if everything is taken care Fox is in the system tray again."
"Only the pure film is copied and according to this of this automatically Program been aching for the DVD."
"I have got this these aren't written so expert for everyone these programs."
Needless to say DH did not get his program downloaded.
User login
Navigation
Recent blog posts
- The Newbie
- The Year of Breaking Things
- Beware angry dairy farmers
- In praise of computers for kids
- Chemistry Fun with Pennies
- A month’s worth of probiotics for the price of a cabbage!
- Gluten Free Sourdough Bread as an Intuitive Art
- caring for fleece
- A niece! I has one!
- Yearbook Yourself, or, excellent time waster
Who's online
There are currently 0 users and 11 guests online.
Lost in translation 2
I bought some air fresheners in our local market last week. The packaging says;
Apply place Car, living room, Bedroom, Sanctum Bathroom, Office Etc.
Usage method openacover, take the small airproof cover cover the coping newly and screw down. Let perfume spill slowly and naturely from the bottle.
Produce abottle of usages the ovet empress can increase our company appropriation liquid.
Attention. Items apart from the children. Do not sprinkle the liquid directly in the body.
This product can dissolves quickly turbid and displeased smell in indoors, the ream environment fragrance is elegant, increasing the great universe breathing, putting fragrant time long, it make you feel more comfortable the happiness.
Clear as mud, isn't it?
OK Honey
Hmmm...
I think the first one was probably originally German, not Asian - the odd German word in there and the phrasing is more German than most Asian languages. Second one sounded Russian, at best! The translations from Japanese are usually pretty abysmal. Why on earth they don't get an English speaker to do these things I don't know. It really damages the impression you get of a product.
actually Honey's could be Japanese, looking at the last bit.
small wonder I got fired... they wanted a more literal version of the Japanese translation, and I told them it sounded really stupid and unprofessional and wasn't good for the company's global image. I didn't hear from them again after that project!
Kerri.
Hua Zhi Xiao Yu.
That is the name of the product, apparently. Asian, maybe?
The chap in the market went into great detail showing me how to use it - when I got home and read the packaging I knew why!
They look like little vases of flowers, and come in different colours. They were three for £5, so I bought three, though really I only wanted one (WHY do we fall for that?) and anyway, when I got them home...they don't smell!
offhand
hua is flower in this instance, but without seeing the characters, and without a little help I can't tell you the rest! Xiao could be small, but there again, without seeing the characters yu could be fish, but I'm guessing it probably isn't!
DD came up with nothing more useful than little fish either, so I'll see if I can get any suggestions from DH...
Kerri.
as good as it gets
hua zhi is a flower with a stem and xiao yu could be little drops (like little raindrops), but without characters that's as far as we can get. Fascinating anyway.
next time... just buy one!
Kerri.
duplicate post
oops!
Chinese
I don't know what it means, but that's Chinese.
Lynn Siprelle, Editor
Post new comment