Pages in topic: [1 2 3 4 5] > |
Off topic: Have you ever seen a translation so bad it made you cringe? Thread poster: Didi18
|
Didi18 United States Local time: 02:03 English to Spanish + ...
I recently came across this one: "Serve a child-size portion" translated as "Serve a portion of children" Have you ever seen a translation so bad it made you wonder if the translator actually knew the target language? | | |
Alison Jenner Switzerland Local time: 10:03 German to English + ... Pet care nightmare | Aug 11, 2020 |
The worst I remember seeing (which still makes me want to cry, even thinking about it) was one on pet food and pet care. Logic alone should have told them that some of the things they had written were wrong (lactating kittens, anyone? Or perhaps some "rissoles" (where it should have been dried pet food) for your furry best friend...). Suffice it to say, I hope the translator concerned didn't have any pets of their own. | | |
Dan Lucas United Kingdom Local time: 09:03 Member (2014) Japanese to English Not quite that bad | Aug 11, 2020 |
Didi18 wrote: Have you ever seen a translation so bad it made you wonder if the translator actually knew the target language? Yes, but it's often - in my pair, and with my clients - more subtle than your example. In a project last year, I noticed in passing that a non-native speaker of English had already translated the concept of the company taking a more attacking approach to its business as something like "Our management will strive to be more offensive". You can see what they were getting at, but it didn't really work. I unlocked the segment and attached a note explaining why this wording might need a rethink. The person who wrote that had, I think, a good understanding of the nuts and bolts of English, but little feel for nuance. And that can be equally dangerous. Regards, Dan | | |
What about the source? | Aug 11, 2020 |
Didi18 wrote: I recently came across this one: "Serve a child-size portion" translated as "Serve a portion of children" Have you ever seen a translation so bad it made you wonder if the translator actually knew the target language? In your case, the source is also not really convincing. I think a portion of the size of a child would be quite a serving. And I have often seen source texts where I wondered if the author actually knew the source language. | |
|
|
Kay Denney France Local time: 10:03 French to English
"jumped apples" on a menu in Paris. (for "pommes sautées", i.e. sautéed potatoes) And as Kay-Victor says, I have often translated texts so badly written as to wonder whether it wasn't a Klingon native speaker. I've just finished one in fact, where I spent so long wrestling with words that Google.fr didn't know, that I decided to put in a translator's note every time I finally worked out what the word was supposed to be. I told the client that they needed to check each one to make... See more "jumped apples" on a menu in Paris. (for "pommes sautées", i.e. sautéed potatoes) And as Kay-Victor says, I have often translated texts so badly written as to wonder whether it wasn't a Klingon native speaker. I've just finished one in fact, where I spent so long wrestling with words that Google.fr didn't know, that I decided to put in a translator's note every time I finally worked out what the word was supposed to be. I told the client that they needed to check each one to make sure I'd understood correctly, and to get back to me if I hadn't. Working at the agency, I saw that this was much worse for translators working from English, mainly because too many people think their English is better than it is. ▲ Collapse | | |
expressisverbis Portugal Local time: 09:03 Member (2015) English to Portuguese + ... Yes, some, but I find this one very amusing: | Aug 11, 2020 |
In a subtitle's script from English to Portuguese. "Let's make a toast!" (Vamos fazer um brinde!) turned into: "Let's make a slice of toast!" ("Vamos fazer uma torrada!"). I believe the person who translated this sentence didn't have any video support, or the context was totally ignored. | | |
Joakim Braun Sweden Local time: 10:03 German to Swedish + ... |
Didi18 United States Local time: 02:03 English to Spanish + ... TOPIC STARTER
Kay-Viktor Stegemann wrote: I think a portion of the size of a child would be quite a serving. Unless you are really, really, really hungry. | |
|
|
Didi18 United States Local time: 02:03 English to Spanish + ... TOPIC STARTER I guess the translator was toast after that | Aug 12, 2020 |
expressisverbis wrote: In a subtitle's script from English to Portuguese. "Let's make a toast!" (Vamos fazer um brinde!) turned into: "Let's make a slice of toast!" ("Vamos fazer uma torrada!"). I believe the person who translated this sentence didn't have any video support, or the context was totally ignored. A new way to celebrate (Uma nova maneira de celebrar) | | |
Kay Denney wrote: "jumped apples" on a menu in Paris. (for "pommes sautées", i.e. sautéed potatoes) Greek taverna menus in Athens used to be full of howlers. A few I remember: Spaghetti with mice (mince) Soup in the eye (in Greek, the gas ring or hotplate is called an "eye") Lamp chops (a common menu highlight) ... etc. Things are much better nowadays, though. | | |
Serbian film translations | Aug 12, 2020 |
are riddled with stupid things, but no one cares. Just a few examples: "Two and a Half Men" show, Fox Serbia and Prva plus TV: - Charlie was disappointed in the movie he's just watched. His girfriend says: "You don't buy a central premise that a dog can play hockey?" Translated as "You don't buy a large lot so that a dog can play hockey there?" Charlie replies: "Not as a power forward," translated as "Well, that's not a condition." - "My carpal tunnel is acting up," tra... See more are riddled with stupid things, but no one cares. Just a few examples: "Two and a Half Men" show, Fox Serbia and Prva plus TV: - Charlie was disappointed in the movie he's just watched. His girfriend says: "You don't buy a central premise that a dog can play hockey?" Translated as "You don't buy a large lot so that a dog can play hockey there?" Charlie replies: "Not as a power forward," translated as "Well, that's not a condition." - "My carpal tunnel is acting up," translated as "My boss will carp at me again." "Las Vegas" show, Fox Crime: - "Mitch, back up camera 43 ten seconds." Transl., "Mice, back up 43 seconds." - "With a tape measure", translated as "With a camera"; -"Naked trumps fear", translated as "I fear of nudity"; - "Is that Ed with the maintenance guy?" Trans. as "Is Ed now a head of the maintenance service?" - "Vacation is for the weak," transl. as "One week vacation." "The 3rd Rock from the Sun show", Prva plus: - "I worked the graveyard last night," trans. as "I worked in the cemetery." "First Blood", Fox Movies Serbia: - If found, you mail this (headband) to Las Vegas. Trans.: I sent a prize game coupon to L.A. "Primo Carnera" movie, TV 1000: - "With no future, penniless." Transl., "With no future, with no penis." ▲ Collapse | | |
LEXpert United States Local time: 04:03 Member (2008) Croatian to English + ... "Aggressively bad" translations | Aug 12, 2020 |
From user information for a plant protection product I received to edit: - "If a fire breaks out in the warehouse where the product is stored, start another fire in order to put the first one out". Actual meaning: Initiate fire-fighting measures and call the fire brigade. -"Always give an unconscious victim fluids by mouth". Actual meaning: *Never* give an unconscious victim *anything* by mouth. There were many more examples. Of course, the translation... See more From user information for a plant protection product I received to edit: - "If a fire breaks out in the warehouse where the product is stored, start another fire in order to put the first one out". Actual meaning: Initiate fire-fighting measures and call the fire brigade. -"Always give an unconscious victim fluids by mouth". Actual meaning: *Never* give an unconscious victim *anything* by mouth. There were many more examples. Of course, the translation had been done by a non-native speaker, but even that could not explain the utter randomness, lack of correspondence with the source text, and general gross incompetence of this "translation". It could only be described as "aggressively bad", as if the translator had actually been trying to come up with the worst translation possible. Perhaps some kind of prank or bizarre piece of performance art? ▲ Collapse | |
|
|
Rachel Fell United Kingdom Local time: 09:03 French to English + ... It's not ambiguous or unconvincing | Aug 12, 2020 |
Kay-Viktor Stegemann wrote: Didi18 wrote: I recently came across this one: "Serve a child-size portion" translated as "Serve a portion of children" Have you ever seen a translation so bad it made you wonder if the translator actually knew the target language? In your case, the source is also not really convincing. I think a portion of the size of a child would be quite a serving. And I have often seen source texts where I wondered if the author actually knew the source language. It's just English, and a not uncommon expression. | | |
Supersize me | Aug 12, 2020 |
Rachel Fell wrote: It's just English, and a not uncommon expression. True, but I doubt I could make a joke like that in a foreign language... | | |
Paul Dixon Brazil Local time: 06:03 Portuguese to English + ...
In Brazil, some translation errors have become classics: Against steak with wood sauce = Contra filé ao molho madeira (Madeira is the island off Portugal but is also the Portuguese word for wood) Contra filé is a cut of meat, and 'contra' means against. Grilled boyfriend = Namorado grelhado (namorado means boyfriend but is also a type of fish) Sleeve juice = Suco de manga (manga means mango, and also sleeve) Do it (in the cutlery section) = K... See more In Brazil, some translation errors have become classics: Against steak with wood sauce = Contra filé ao molho madeira (Madeira is the island off Portugal but is also the Portuguese word for wood) Contra filé is a cut of meat, and 'contra' means against. Grilled boyfriend = Namorado grelhado (namorado means boyfriend but is also a type of fish) Sleeve juice = Suco de manga (manga means mango, and also sleeve) Do it (in the cutlery section) = Knife is faca, but faça (with cedilla) is 'do it' Refrigerant (as a word for a soft drink) https://www.brazilrocket.com/en/brazil-s-most-funny-and-disastrous-menu-translations?ModPagespeed=noscript ▲ Collapse | | |
Pages in topic: [1 2 3 4 5] > |