"F**k the Fruit."
The Etiology and Elaboration of a Flagrant Mistranslation
[Guest post by Victor Mair]
http://itre.cis.upenn.edu/~myl/languagelog/archives/005195.html
EastSouthWestNorth
Poster Slogans with Unique Chinese Characteristics
http://www.zonaeuropa.com/20071128_1.htm
Boing Boing - A directory of wonderful things
F**k the Fresh Fruit: save bad Chinese/English translations
http://www.boingboing.net/2006/09/09/fuck-the-fresh-fruit.html
The word "dry" and the Chinese slang for "f**k" are the same. Many translation software that are used by unqualified translators, usually people who know a bit of English and want to make some money on the side by picking up a translation job, would translate "dry goods" into "f**k goods", and "dry fruits" into "f**k fruit" etc.Chinese have no conjugation for singular and plural. Signs would say, e.g., "We sell apple" instead of "We sell apples."
The Yeti, just happened to pass by.
Yes, I've seen the "I'm an idiot" t-shirt - in French of course. I've seen some other really bad ones, too. Last year on this university campus a girl was walking around with a t-shirt that clearly stated "lick my p***y." One of my colleagues, her teacher at the time, took it up himself to tell her what it meant. I'm not sure I would have had the gumption. Fortunately, though, she took it quite well and didn't wear the shirt again.
A few years back I came across an article that described how the same problem was popping up in stores all over China. One that I remember clearly was a situation where the produce manager in a large supermarket had asked a foreigner to help him by writing a sign in English that was to have said "Fresh Fruit." The foreigner had a sick but admittedly funny sense of humor; thus, the sign displayed in the fruit section for all to see read, "F**k the Fruit."
Other signs are just plain funny. Last year, at the Xi'an airport, I went looking for the hot water room so that I could mix some instant coffee and not have to pay a ridiculous price for a cup of coffee. Above the hot water dispenser was a sign that read, "Carefully scalds." I almost changed my mind about the coffee.
I've seen many of these bad grammar t-shirts, here in China. While watching a movie one night, a young woman, came on during the break and I noticed she was wearing a t-shirt, with the words " Did you cum nice"?. Somewhat of a shock to me, to see this being worn on television.
Another example, a female student of mine, was wearing a t-shirt saying, "C'est une idiot", asked her if she knew what that meant, she had no idea.
Unfortunately, I don't have pics to show here but sad but true.