WOLF TOTEM
- 2009-07-08
"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.
ruserious
- 2009-07-08
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.
joker
- 2009-07-08
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.