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ArchivesRe: Got Deutsch?
in reply to a message by Nanaea
Nan,
Hehehe! Translation programs ain't all quite there yet, are they?
Our family in France (my grandmother's side) decided a few years ago to "help us out" when sending us letters and instead of posting them in French (which even I, the least literate relation on our side of the Atlantic, usually could figure out), bought a computer translation program and sent them over in tortuously idiotic English. They were funny as hell, but half the time we had no idea what was being said.
A great-aunt, for example, reminisced about her husband's adventures on "the forehead", which we finally figured out meant "the Front" in WW I. My Dad eventually did what you did: translated some of these abominations back into literal French for them. When they saw the results, the software was trashed.
This German program you found is only slightly better. It gave us "wagnis" which I puzzled at as a Goth(?) verb until I realized it was Wagnis, a NOUN for "venture". "Uebersprang" isn't quite right either in context, and somewhere there should have been a "zu essen" in that first sentence. Anyway, the attempt was fun to see!
"Gruess Gott" is/was a common greeting only in Austria and southern Bavaria, but somehow it seemed appropriate for Easter...
Incidentally, the "winzip" source you gave me worked great. Thanks!
Dave
Hehehe! Translation programs ain't all quite there yet, are they?
Our family in France (my grandmother's side) decided a few years ago to "help us out" when sending us letters and instead of posting them in French (which even I, the least literate relation on our side of the Atlantic, usually could figure out), bought a computer translation program and sent them over in tortuously idiotic English. They were funny as hell, but half the time we had no idea what was being said.
A great-aunt, for example, reminisced about her husband's adventures on "the forehead", which we finally figured out meant "the Front" in WW I. My Dad eventually did what you did: translated some of these abominations back into literal French for them. When they saw the results, the software was trashed.
This German program you found is only slightly better. It gave us "wagnis" which I puzzled at as a Goth(?) verb until I realized it was Wagnis, a NOUN for "venture". "Uebersprang" isn't quite right either in context, and somewhere there should have been a "zu essen" in that first sentence. Anyway, the attempt was fun to see!
"Gruess Gott" is/was a common greeting only in Austria and southern Bavaria, but somehow it seemed appropriate for Easter...
Incidentally, the "winzip" source you gave me worked great. Thanks!
Dave
1
Replies
I hope you saved all of Great Auntie's old letters. Stuff like that really ought to get passed down in families. :)
Glad the winzip source worked out okay. Now, go up a few postings and take my test to find out what your Retro Name(s) might be. I'm having fun with my new toy! :)
-- Nanaea
Glad the winzip source worked out okay. Now, go up a few postings and take my test to find out what your Retro Name(s) might be. I'm having fun with my new toy! :)
-- Nanaea
1
A little something I received by e-mail ages ago....
List of amusing English Mis-translations
In a Tokyo Hotel: "Is forbidden to steal hotel towels please. If you are not a person to do such thing is please not to read notis."
In a Bucharest hotel lobby: "The lift is being fixed for the next day. During that time we regret that you will be unbearable."
In a Leipzig elevator: "Do not enter the lift backwards, and only when lit up."
In Akko, Israel: "Lamp Chops"
In a Belgrade hotel elevator: "To more the cabin, push button for wishing floor. If the cabin should enter more persons, each one should press a number of wishing floor. Driving is then going alphabetically by national order."
In a Paris hotel elevator: "Please leave your values at the front desk."
In a hotel in Athens: "Visitors are expected to complain at the office between the hours of 9 and 11 A.M. daily."
In a Yugoslavian hotel: "The flattening of underwear with pleasure is the fob of the chambermaid."
In a Japanese hotel: "You are invited to take advantage of the chambermaid."
In the lobby of a Moscow hotel across from a Russian Orthodox monastery: "You are welcome to visit the cemetery where famous Russian and Soviet composers, artists, and writers are buried daily except Thursday."
In an Austrian hotel catering to skiers: "Not to perambulate the corridors in the hours of repose in the boots of ascension."
On the menu of a Swiss restaurant: "Our wines leave you nothing to hope for."
On the menu of a Polish hotel: "Salad a firm's own make; limpid red beet soup with cheesy dumplings in the form of a finger; roasted duck let loose; beef rashers beaten up in the country people's fashion."
Outside a Hong Kong tailor shop: "Ladies may have a fit upstairs."
In a Bangkok dry cleaner's: "Drop your trousers here for best results."
Outside a Paris dress shop: "Dresses for street walking."
In a Rhodes (Greece) tailor shop: "Order your summers suit. Because is big rush we will execute customers in strict rotation." Similarly, from the Soviet Weekly: "There will be a Moscow Exhibition of Arts by 15,000 Soviet Republic painters and sculptors. These were executed over the past two years." A sign posted in Germany's Black forest: "It is strictly forbidden on our black forest camping site that people of different sex, for instance, men and women, live together in one tent unless they are married with each other for that purpose."
List of amusing English Mis-translations
In a Tokyo Hotel: "Is forbidden to steal hotel towels please. If you are not a person to do such thing is please not to read notis."
In a Bucharest hotel lobby: "The lift is being fixed for the next day. During that time we regret that you will be unbearable."
In a Leipzig elevator: "Do not enter the lift backwards, and only when lit up."
In Akko, Israel: "Lamp Chops"
In a Belgrade hotel elevator: "To more the cabin, push button for wishing floor. If the cabin should enter more persons, each one should press a number of wishing floor. Driving is then going alphabetically by national order."
In a Paris hotel elevator: "Please leave your values at the front desk."
In a hotel in Athens: "Visitors are expected to complain at the office between the hours of 9 and 11 A.M. daily."
In a Yugoslavian hotel: "The flattening of underwear with pleasure is the fob of the chambermaid."
In a Japanese hotel: "You are invited to take advantage of the chambermaid."
In the lobby of a Moscow hotel across from a Russian Orthodox monastery: "You are welcome to visit the cemetery where famous Russian and Soviet composers, artists, and writers are buried daily except Thursday."
In an Austrian hotel catering to skiers: "Not to perambulate the corridors in the hours of repose in the boots of ascension."
On the menu of a Swiss restaurant: "Our wines leave you nothing to hope for."
On the menu of a Polish hotel: "Salad a firm's own make; limpid red beet soup with cheesy dumplings in the form of a finger; roasted duck let loose; beef rashers beaten up in the country people's fashion."
Outside a Hong Kong tailor shop: "Ladies may have a fit upstairs."
In a Bangkok dry cleaner's: "Drop your trousers here for best results."
Outside a Paris dress shop: "Dresses for street walking."
In a Rhodes (Greece) tailor shop: "Order your summers suit. Because is big rush we will execute customers in strict rotation." Similarly, from the Soviet Weekly: "There will be a Moscow Exhibition of Arts by 15,000 Soviet Republic painters and sculptors. These were executed over the past two years." A sign posted in Germany's Black forest: "It is strictly forbidden on our black forest camping site that people of different sex, for instance, men and women, live together in one tent unless they are married with each other for that purpose."
1
I'm gonna need some of that...
..."Ass Glue", coz I just L'edMAO! :)
-- Nanaea
..."Ass Glue", coz I just L'edMAO! :)
-- Nanaea
1