Comment On Classics Week: Lost in Translation

hm, looks like a word-by-word translation from German :)

fantastic be wtf this

Someone please put this language in ur calc ui

programmer at this company Yoda is

When nine hundred years old you reach, program error messages as well you will not!

Strider:

Someone please put this language in ur calc ui

SrvrKat is in ur ui, changin ur err msgs!

if (dud) words randomly in box insert sie sich geworden

poochner:

Strider:

Someone please put this language in ur calc ui

SrvrKat is in ur ui, changin ur err msgs!

haha, this amused me...

this comment leave?

[] no longer ask [Yes] [No]

Plank Of Wood Away

Translation......

Log Off

Superlexx:

hm, looks like a word-by-word translation from German :)

To be more specific its a translation from Dutch. Exact Globe 360 is a product of www.exact.nl

Cheers, Aad

I love the fact that this is the *enterprise* version. Hah!

Captcha: I was hoping for enterprisey but no dice. Oh well...

Once I travelled to Japan with a friend. I knew very little Japanese. When I was there (this was my first overseas trip) I had no consideration for Japanese mannerisms, and I was considered to be a very rude guest.

Anyway, they didn't tell me until I was leaving how rude I was, so I offered to pay extra for my board while staying there. They accepted; so when I arrived back in New Zealand, I had my father wire the money. He sent an email to say the extra cash had been wired through, and to apologise for my rudeness again.

He translated the letter from New Zealand English to Japanese using Google (actually it was probably Altavista's Babelfish at the time). Oh boy . . . I distinctly remember my father writing "I'm sorry he was an annoyance . . ." but my friend came back and told me that translated to "I'm sorry he was a poison of the mind!"

I feel embarrassed each time I think about that letter . . . but the number of poorly translated things I saw there was astonishing. It really is like what you see on Engrish.com.

David G:

Once I travelled to Japan with a friend. I knew very little Japanese. When I was there (this was my first overseas trip) I had no consideration for Japanese mannerisms, and I was considered to be a very rude guest.

Isn't it interesting how easy it seems to be rude in another country but how difficult it would be for a foreigner to be inadvertently rude in the US? Honestly, I can't think of much that a foreigner might do that would truly offend that would otherwise be acceptable in they're home country. I mean, if someone doesnt' know our customs, it is easy (at least for me) to simply find it amusing rather than be offended. Are some countries (such as Japan) just particularly sensitive to strict behavioral protocols?

When I was staying in Germany at age 18 I visited my host sister's aunt and uncle. At some point I did something offensive and to this day I don't even really understand what it was. Either that or I just don't remember. Anyway, I had to go out and buy some flowers and present them to the aunt to make up for whatever I did.

I just can't imagine an exchange student doing anything that would warrant such an apology.

-matthew

Superlexx:

hm, looks like a word-by-word translation from German :)

But then it would be "Thisfunctionleave? Nolongerask?"

As a rule, if any posting on the Internet is written in perfect English, with no spelling or grammar errors at all, then the poster is either:
1. English
2. German

Matthew:

Isn't it interesting how easy it seems to be rude in another country but how difficult it would be for a foreigner to be inadvertently rude in the US?

I recently saw a documentary where one American politely questioned another American's belief system. The questioned American almost exploded with anger and was clearly offended to the very core of his being. That you cannot imagine people offending you may very well be caused by a lack of imagination.
Also, politeness requires, at its heart, respect for your interlocutor and the ability to figurarively put yourself in their shoes, as well as a basic knowledge of their sensibilities. And translating yourself in another one's position appears to be a weak point of some Americans. Perhaps this is why some of them tend to come across as rude, even when compared to the Dutch and German.
That being said, there are limits to what politeness can do. There are things that are likely to offend someone, no matter how polite you say them. This is not to say that they shouldn't be said. In the example above, the questioner probably couldn't have formulated his point in such a way as not to offend the questioned, as the offense taken was caused by the point itself. But still honesty demanded that it should be made.
If you're honest, no matter how hard you try not to, you will offend people. C'est la vie.

:-) That's a quote to remember.

Ah. The good old Jinglish language.

i can has return value?

Shinobu:

Matthew:

Isn't it interesting how easy it seems to be rude in another country but how difficult it would be for a foreigner to be inadvertently rude in the US?

I recently saw a documentary where one American politely questioned another American's belief system. The questioned American almost exploded with anger and was clearly offended to the very core of his being. That you cannot imagine people offending you may very well be caused by a lack of imagination.

Your rambling, insulting, incoherent post is quite offensive.

The author has done this on purpose by changing the standard "terminology" to custom terminology. This is done via menu path /SGE: System > General > Customized terms.

This is a not a translation error because the software displayed the customized terms accordingly.

The original terminology (without customization) is: "Exit this function?" and "Don't ask again".

With a 95% chance or so of the latter.

[quote user="Matthew"][quote user="David G"]
When I was staying in Germany at age 18 I visited my host sister's aunt and uncle. At some point I did something offensive and to this day I don't even really understand what it was. Either that or I just don't remember. Anyway, I had to go out and buy some flowers and present them to the aunt to make up for whatever I did.

I just can't imagine an exchange student doing anything that would warrant such an apology.

-matthew [/quote]

Maybe it is true, and we are more sensitive indeed. Or maybe some (not all!) US folks think that the whole world is like them. It is probably a combination of things.

When I was staying in Germany at age 18 I visited my host sister's aunt and uncle. At some point I did something offensive and to this day I don't even really understand what it was.

Don't mention the war!

It started when they invaded Poland!

<quote> As a rule, if any posting on the Internet is written in perfect English, with no spelling or grammar errors at all, then the poster is either:
1. English
2. German
</quote>

I thought then the poster must be Hungarian...

courtesy of Babel Fish:

Why this way hilarious are is it that bad translations in this context? Anyhow, it is good laughs. This qualifies as a writer from the traditional antiquity in my book.

Why is it this bad translations in this context is so urkomisch? It is a good laughter somehow. This qualifies as a classical author in my book.

Is it poverty translation came off does happen why like this inside this context of the writing? About under sprouts, it is a laugh which is good. This gives a qualification with bitter fight inside my book.

Why it is those poor translations in this context is therefore hilarious? However, risata is one good. That qualification like classic in my book.

Why it is that poor translations in these symfrazo'mena he is so much cheerful? Without fail, it is a good laughter. This is suitable as classic in my book.

Why it t the poor transfers in this sense is so hilarious? Anyhow, will be a good laughter. This it qualifies as classics in my book.

Why is it is that cheap translation in this context very lively? In any event, this is funny. Work this qualified achievement classics in mine book.

s that very cheerful is the translation where why the this context is bad? As whatever, that is the laughing which is good. This decorates as classic of my book.

and combining a few:
There will be lapse it it does come why transfer this plokh entire structure of interior there? Method or differently persona they are good and this will be the green artery of misfortune onion. It will be old inside my reserving with the author, is which the low level suitableness to these inside the nature of interior shows.

(original:
Why is it that poor translations in this context are so hilarious? Anyhow, it's a good laugh. This qualifies as a classic in my book.)

The word "leave" is so ambiguous!
- to remain (unchanged)
- to dismiss (go away)

ParkinT:

The word "leave" is so ambiguous!
- to remain (unchanged)
- to dismiss (go away)

Like "cleave," though it's archaic. It means "to split" as well as "to cling to." The only place I remember the latter still being used is in traditional marriage vows ("cleaving unto her only?") You still see this duality in the word "cleavage" which in once sense is where two things join together, or going the other way, one thing splits apart, e.g., a split branch or tree.

Not to mention, I just like the word "cleavage." :-)

hochp:

<quote> As a rule, if any posting on the Internet is written in perfect English, with no spelling or grammar errors at all, then the poster is either:
1. English
2. German
</quote>

I thought then the poster must be Hungarian...

Only if their English is too good! :-)

Seriously, if I see something perfect, but with sentences longer than a short story, I assume the person is Japanese. There may be a lot of bad Engrish, but there are also obviously some Japanese that studied hard in their English classes. I don't know where the long sentences come from. Well, I know about German, but does Japanese do the same thing?

I think they could have found much better mistranslations. These are only very mildly amusing, and still completely understandable.

Heck, even within the U.S. different regional attitudes and differences in culture can cause problems, even in the 21st century. Heck, even in Illinois, hilarity ensues if a salesman from Chicago decides to move downstate; we tend to see Chicagoans as incredibly rude. They feel the same about us. It's weird.

"Isn't it interesting how easy it seems to be rude in another country but how difficult it would be for a foreigner to be inadvertently rude in the US?"

This is probably a matter of perception -- as well as the understandable but erroneous assumption that oneself is representative of all Americans. (This problem isn't an American one; it's a human one. Everybody tends, to varying degrees, to consider themselves a representative example of their particular group.) If you are not easily offended, for instance, or are very easy-going when it comes to manners, then you are not likely to be offended by a foreigner. This doesn't mean that other Americans also have open minds.

Here in Minnesota, we have had a sudden influx of Muslims. I have heard some people very openly offended at the custom of washing feet prior to prayer, mainly because in public places, the Muslims (lacking a better alternative) must use bathroom sinks to do this. It looks weird to a non-Muslim American, and some Americans find it offensive, yet really there's nothing wrong with using a bathroom sink in this way (given the lack of alternatives), and in other countries it would not trouble the natives because they know what it means. Are these Americans too easily offended? Yes. Foreign countries have no monopoly on thin-skinned individuals. ;)

I once downloaded some DLL I wanted to use along with the documentation which had a help line for every function. Unfortunately, the same person who wrote the DLL wrote the documenation and English wasn't his first language, Japanese was. I think he used googlefish.

I was usually more confused after reading the ducmentation on a function call then I was guessing.

iToad:

As a rule, if any posting on the Internet is written in perfect English, with no spelling or grammar errors at all, then the poster is either:
1. English
2. German

Hmmm... I'm afraid you're mistaken...

There are quite a few people in that big bad country on the other side of the atlantic ocean that somehow mastered the language.

Still your German nature shows in your writing. I would not use a capital I in the word internet :P

BTW: you don't see mee claiming perfect English, though I'm quite sure the average Dutchman will outperform the average German on this :D

poochner:

Seriously, if I see something perfect, but with sentences longer than a short story, I assume the person is Japanese. There may be a lot of bad Engrish, but there are also obviously some Japanese that studied hard in their English classes. I don't know where the long sentences come from. Well, I know about German, but does Japanese do the same thing?

Very very long sentences? I think they come from Legalese. :)

Anonymous:

poochner:

Seriously, if I see something perfect, but with sentences longer than a short story, I assume the person is Japanese. There may be a lot of bad Engrish, but there are also obviously some Japanese that studied hard in their English classes. I don't know where the long sentences come from. Well, I know about German, but does Japanese do the same thing?

Very very long sentences? I think they come from Legalese. :)

Nah, I'm betting they read a lot of Faulkner in their English classes. I swear some of his work is like a treasure hunt for periods.