Dumbing?

Does anyone know what is dumbing?  I came across this informative message today :)

Image source: http://31.media.tumblr.com/6bdd0495c5e66ced0ae93b8b1bbd0fa4/tumblr_musuys1ui21ql2603o1_500.jpg

Food packaging translation

I often take part in projects that require translation of food packaging or food related products. At first they seem pretty straightforward, because there are so many resources available online. However, on a second thought, it is very easy to make a silly mistake. Such projects require both language/vocabulary knowledge, and cultural awareness. 

Here is a selection of some poorly prepared food packaging localisation examples:

Fancy a cup of tea?

Image source: http://www.mun2.tv/sites/mundos/files/styles/large/public/slideshows/slide-urinal.jpg?itok=tBC1-w4e

Nuts? Thanks, I'll pass...

Image source: http://www.comedytime.tv/blog/wp-content/uploads/2011/08/OnlyPuke.jpg

Something tasty from Poland.

Someone told me it was actually a pretty good chocolate bar. I don't think I need to explain the word fart in English, but in Polish it is simply luck :)

Image source: http://brog.engrish.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/05/embarrassing_food_13.jpg

Right or left?

I'm not very good in finding my way in new places. I can read maps brilliantly, signs are usually a great help, but I can easily get confused. 

There's the sign. If I want to go right, should I go left?

                                                Image source: http://www.tlumaczeniainternetowe.pl/images/stories/artykuly/keep_right.jpg

Anyone fancies a tasty salad?

This is an example from a restaurant menu. Apparently bilingual, but there are some surprise ingredients in the English version.

Image source: http://natemat.pl/64965,salata-z-zarazkami-czyli-dlaczego-lepiej-unikac-internetowych-translatorow

According to Polish text it was supposed to be a bowl of salads with feta cheese, olives, tomatoes, pepper, cucumber, red onion and juicy sprouts.

In the English version pepper (visible in the pictures) changed to paprika. There is also lettuce, "herbs sauce" - perhaps herbal sauce? And the best one - GERMS... 

Yummy...

Possible explanation:

When you choose "kiełek" in a Polish-English dictionary, there are two suggestions: sprout and germ. Apparently the author of this menu did not know which one is which...

A bit of hygiene...

I present an item that can be used for daily hygiene...

Image source: http://shechive.files.wordpress.com/2011/11/funny-translations-21.jpg

Come on, really? ;)

School Newspaper Part 1

Oh, I've been waiting to publish this one for such a long time! This is a true gem in my collection of hilarious translations. But first, a bit of background:

A couple of years ago I worked as a TA in one of UK high-schools. Even though the school knew that I am a translator and could help in many situations, my services were rather limited to letters and parents' evenings. There was a very large Polish community in the area and at that time - approximately 30 Polish (or with Polish origin) students.

 At one point the school decided to buy a fancy machine translation software - I don't remember the name of it (way before Google Translator became popular). The managers decided to translate school newsletter and send it to all Polish families and to local representatives of Polish speaking groups and community classes, workshops, etc. As you can imagine, they did not use my services at all...

...

They didn't even ask me to proofread it before sending...

Just to remind you, this was sent to many many families. The text is heavily redacted - names and places - sorry, but this was necessary. I highlighted in purple the best pieces from the English and Polish versions (back translation under the image).

Press CTRL and + to enlarge.

Back translation of some examples with comments:

EN: judging panel

PL: sądzącej poduszeczki

EN: judging little pillow 

(It's actually quite cute :)

EN: Magistrates Court Mock Trial Competition

PL: Urzędnikach mających Dziedziniec Wykpiwają Próbne Współzawodnictwa

EN: The Clerks, having the Courtyard, are Mocking/Sneering at the Trial Competition

(I never knew the clerks can be so cruel!)

EN: A report by a member of the team

PL: Pogłoska przez członek zaprzęgu

EN: A rumour by the member of the (horse/dog-drawn) carriage

(Gossiping is not a good quality, but I am actually impressed that horses or dogs can do it!)

EN: runners up

PL: biegacze do góry

EN: runners to the mountain

(That is quite an interesting competition)

EN: Sixth Form and Sixth Form Colleges

PL: Szóstych Kształtów i Seksty Formują Kolegia

EN: Sixth Shapes and Sixth (as in music) Are Forming Colleges

(I have no idea what sort of college is that...)

EN: Crooks (surname)

PL: Oszukańcy

EN: crooks, cheaters

(Not very trustworthy surname, don't you think?)

EN: Mark (forename)

PL: Oznaka

EN: Sign 

(Unusual name choice)

I hope you like part 1, because I have a few more. They only get better :) 

Please remember there are quite a few possibilities for different translations.

How did it end at school?

Well, after I finished crying from laughter, I immediately requested an appointment with the headteacher. Oh, that was an interesting conversation. In the end the head wrote a letter to all parents/recipients of the newsletter that it was sent away before proofreading and apologised for any offence it might have caused. This time I was asked to translate the letter...

Real life scenes episode 1

Today's a real scene from our daily life. It happened a couple of years ago, but it is still quite funny.

English:
My dear partner is working in a rather small company. He's sometimes...well...absent-minded to say the least. Some time ago he was given holiday slips (a couple of weeks before Christmas) to choose days off. The employees were signing in with initials. His story:

"I am looking at that slip and see the initials of the employees. And I couldn't figure out one: BH. Who the hell is he/she? There is no one in our company with these initials, no one from the office, not the manager. Perhaps from the other branch? But no one is called "BH"! This was so absorbing and I couldn't stop thinking about it for a few days. Who is BH and why on earth is he/she's taking days off on such strange dates?

I was enlightened today.

When I was leaving work today, I looked at the calendar...BH...Bank Holiday!"


Polish:

Mój partner pracuje w pewnej niewielkiej firmie. Jest czasami nieźle zakręcony - delikatnie mówiąc. Niedawno u niego w pracy rozdawali karteczki z możliwością wpisania się, kto kiedy chce wziąć wolne/dostać urlop (parę tygodni przed świętami). Pracownicy wpisywali się inicjałami. Relacja partnera:

-Patrzę na tą kartkę i widzę inicjały różnych pracowników. I tak się zastanawiam nad jednymi: BH. Kto to do jasnej anielki jest? Żaden z pracowników, nikt z biura, nie manager. Może ktoś z filii? Ale tam też nikt się tak nie nazywa. No zapadło mi to w głowę na długo i dumałem nad tym parę dni. Kto to ten/ta BH i dlaczego bierze urlop w takie dziwne dni?

Dziś doznałem oświecenia. 

Wychodząc z pracy spojrzałem na kalendarz...BH...Bank Holiday!*


*Bank Holiday - święto państwowe

Image source: http://wallpaperscraft.com/image/smile_drawing_on_glass_happiness_11170_1600x900.jpg

That would be rather hard...

This little image made me laugh today.  Not sure if that's real, but that doesn't really matter. It's a bit of a word play in Polish:

PL: moneta 

EN: coin

So...a client is asked to insert what into a machine?

Image source: http://i36.tinypic.com/14cw5k0.jpg

I hope it's not one of my favourite paintings...:)

Image source: http://uploads0.wikipaintings.org/images/claude-monet/the-japanese-bridge-the-bridge-in-monet-s-garden-1896.jpg

Short Course in Chinese

Anyone fancy a short course in Chinese? :)

Image source: http://www.smart-words.org/humor-jokes/language-humor/learn-chinese-in-5-minutes.png

Hello and welcome

Welcome to my blog!

I am an English - Polish and Polish translator and proofreader.

I love language and translation humour. I am going to write about funny language situations from my work, as well as anything related to the art of translation.  

So...coffee anyone?

Polish: Coffee is not tea

English: Coffee is not coffee

...

Well, Google Translator is not sure :)

But I am: 

                     Image source: http://balbrigganetns.scoilnet.ie/blog/files/2014/01/uw52b8ab3b.jpg