|
Don't shoot the translator
Cracking an international market is a goal of most growing
corporations. It shouldn't be that hard, yet even the big
multi-nationals run into trouble because of language and cultural
differences. For example...
The name Coca-Cola in China was first rendered as Ke-kou-ke-la.
Unfortunately, the Coke company did not discover until after
thousands of signs had been printed that the phrase means "bite the
wax tadpole" or "female horse stuffed with wax" depending on the
dialect. Coke then researched 40,000 Chinese characters and found a
close phonetic equivalent, "ko-kou-ko-le," which can be loosely
translated as "happiness in the mouth."
In Taiwan, the translation of the Pepsi slogan "Come alive with the
Pepsi Generation" came out as "Pepsi will bring your ancestors back
from the dead."
Also in Chinese, the Kentucky Fried Chicken slogan "finger-lickin'
good" came out as "eat your fingers off."
The American slogan for Salem cigarettes, "Salem - Feeling Free,"
got translated in the Japanese market into "When smoking Salem, you
feel so refreshed that your mind seems to be free and empty."
When General Motors introduced the Chevy Nova in South America, it
was apparently unaware that "no va" means "it won't go." After the
company figured out why it wasn't selling any cars, it renamed the
car in its Spanish markets to the Caribe.
Ford had a similar problem in Brazil when the Pinto flopped. The
company found out that Pinto was Brazilian slang for "tiny male
genitals". Ford pried all the nameplates off and substituted Corcel,
which means horse.
When Parker Pen marketed a ball point pen in Mexico, its ads were
supposed to say 'It won't leak in your pocket and embarrass you.'
HOWEVER, THE COMPANY MISTAKENLY THOUGHT THE SPANISH WORD 'EMBARAZAR'
MEANT TO MAKE PREGNANT.' So instead, the ads said that 'It won't
leak in your pocket and make you pregnant.'
An American t-shirt maker in Miami printed shirts for the Spanish
market which promoted the Pope's visit. Instead of the desired "I
Saw the Pope" in Spanish, the shirts proclaimed "I Saw the Potato."
Chicken-man Frank Perdue's slogan, "It takes a tough man to make a
tender chicken," got terribly mangled in another Spanish
translation. A photo of Perdue with one of his birds appeared on
billboards all over Mexico with a caption that explained "It takes a
hard man to make a chicken aroused."
Hunt-Wesson introduced its Big John products in French Canada as
Gros Jos before finding out that the phrase, in slang, means "big
breasts." In this case, however, the name problem did not have a
noticeable effect on sales.
Colgate introduced a toothpaste in France called Cue, the name of a
notorious porno magazine.
In Italy, a campaign for Schweppes Tonic Water translated the name
into Schweppes Toilet Water.
Japan's second-largest tourist agency was mystified when it entered
English-speaking markets and began receiving requests for unusual
sex tours. Upon finding out why, the owners of Kinki Nippon Tourist
Company changed its name.
and finally...
In an effort to boost orange juice sales in predominantly
continental breakfast eating England, a campaign was devised to
extol the drink's eye-opening, pick-me-up qualities. Hence, the
slogan, "Orange juice. It gets your pecker up."
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Here are some signs and notices written in English that were
discovered throughout the world.
In a Tokyo Hotel:
Is forbidden to steal hotel towels please. If you are not a person
to do such a thing is please not to read notice.
In a Bucharest hotel lobby:
The lift is being fixed for the next day. During that time we regret
that you will be unbearable.
In a Leipzig elevator:
Do not enter lift backwards, and only when lit up.
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 a number of wishing
floor. Driving is then going alphabetically by national order.
In a Paris hotel elevator:
Please leave your values at the front desk.
In a hotel in Athens:
Visitors are expected to complain at the office between the hours of
9 and 11 A.M. daily.
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 Russian Orthodox
monastery:
You are welcome to visit the cemetery where famous Russian and
Soviet composers, artists, and writers are buried daily except
Thursday.
In an Austrian hotel catering to skiers:
Not to perambulate the corridors during the hours of repose in the
boots of ascension.
On the menu of a Swiss restaurant:
Our wines leave you nothing to hope for.
On the menu of a Polish hotel:
Salad a firm's own make; limpid red beet soup with cheesy dumplings
in the form of a finger; roasted duck let loose; beef rashers beaten
up in the country people's fashion.
Outside a Hong Kong tailor shop:
Ladies may have a fit upstairs.
In a Bangkok dry cleaners:
Drop your trousers here for best results.
Outside a Paris dress shop:
Dresses for street walking.
In a Rhodes tailor shop:
Order your summers suit. Because is big rush we will execute
customers in strict rotation.
From the Soviet Weekly:
There will be a Moscow Exhibition of Arts by 150,000 Soviet Republic
painters and sculptors. These were executed over the past two years.
A sign posted in Germany's Black Forest:
It is strictly forbidden on our black forest camping site that
people of different sex, for instance, men and women, live together
in one tent unless they are married with each other for that
purpose.
In a Zurich hotel:
Because of the impropriety of entertaining guests of the opposite
sex in the bedroom, it is suggested that the lobby be used for this
purpose.
In an advertisement by a Hong Kong dentist:
Teeth extracted by the latest Methodists.
In a Rome laundry:
Ladies, leave your clothes here and spend the afternoon having a
good time.
In a Czechoslovakian tourist agency:
Take one of our horse-driven city tours - we guarantee no
miscarriages.
Advertisement for donkey rides in Thailand:
Would you like to ride on your own ass?
In a Swiss mountain inn:
Special today -- no ice cream.
In a Bangkok temple:
It is forbidden to enter a woman even a foreigner if dressed as a
man.
In a Tokyo bar:
Special cocktails for the ladies with nuts.
In a Copenhagen airline ticket office:
We take your bags and send them in all directions.
On the door of a Moscow hotel room:
If this is your first visit to the USSR, you are welcome to it.
In a Norwegian cocktail lounge:
Ladies are requested not to have children in the bar.
In a Budapest zoo:
Please do not feed the animals. If you have any suitable food, give
it to the guard on duty.
In the office of a Roman doctor:
Specialist in women and other diseases.
In an Acapulco hotel:
The manager has personally passed all the water served here.
In a Tokyo shop:
Our nylons cost more than common, but you'll find they are best in
the long run.
From a Japanese information booklet about using a hotel air
conditioner:
Cooler and Heater: If you want just condition of warm in your room,
please control yourself.
From a brochure of a car rental firm in Tokyo:
When passenger of foot heave in sight, tootle the horn. Trumpet him
melodiously at first, but if he still obstacles your passage then
tootle him with vigor.
Two signs from a Mojorcan shop entrance:
English well speaking
Here speeching American. Click here for more General
Jokes |
