I need this T-shirt.
I hope you’ll enjoy the following list of translations gone wrong, (linked below).
These lists are quite popular in the cyber sphere, and for good reason: They are fucking funny!
That said, living here in Japan, and seeing English from an ESL perspective, these weird mistranslations that used to (and still do) make me laugh really hard, now also make some semblance of sense. There is a logic behind almost all of these. Unfortunately for the people making the sign, the results are less than natural, native English. Or, actually, in many cases (“suck my balls”/“fuck vegetables,” for example) the translations are very natural, if rude and unintentional! :)
Well, first, have a look at the list (and a lot of laughs) here:
http://liftmeup.me/20-translation-fails-that-will-make-you-laugh-way-more-than-you-should/
Alright, first up:
Now, what’s interesting about this one is that the translators did a really great job of translating this one. Too great of a job.
Instead of just sticking with the basic meaning of きれい (kirei), which is “clean,” “neat,” or “beautiful,” they took the essence of the word in Japanese which also connotes elegance and precision, and thus turned taking a leak into a five-star, formal dress event.
Next up!
This is a good one. It’s funny, and I want to post this sign pretty much everywhere I go. Who doesn’t, right? The interesting thing about this sign, though, is that the translator almost nailed it.
You’ll notice the characters ゴミin the text of the sign. ゴミ (gomi) means “garbage” in Japanese, and this sign is simply telling people not to DUMP their garbage there. I know, I know, not nearly as gratifying as a sign telling people not to be so fucking dumb, but that’s what it is!
Last up!
Well, I hate to crash the party, but this one is not a real mistranslation. These ramen noodles are a novelty gift made by a company called Blue Q and they’re accompanied by other flavors such as “Wasted and Broke,” and “Hello Lazy.”
This just goes to show how popular funny mistranslations are. That is to say, funny enough to make ramen with intentionally mistranslated packaging!
What was your favorite English fail on the list (linked above)? Lemme know in the comments!
Have a great night, everyone.
~KafkA
Graham Smith is a Voluntaryist activist, creator, and peaceful parent residing in Niigata City, Japan. Graham runs the "Voluntary Japan" online initiative with a presence here on Steem, as well as Facebook and Twitter. (Hit me up so I can stop talking about myself in the third person!)