OT but CURIOUS - USA translations??

leitmotif · Apr 20, 2009

It has been said on this forum it is hard to get accurate translations and correct meaning especially with technical subjects when translating from one language to another.

SO what I am wondering about is
How much humor results from translations done here in USA from English to your native tongue?

Or in other words do we in USA do no better than anyone else?
Dan Bentler

LadderLogic · Apr 20, 2009

You would be surprised...

In seriousness, when the translation job is approached right, it is usually done right. I have read some Allen-Bradley manuals in Russian and they were pretty good, almost no goofaws. Of course, the right way is to employ someone who can translate into his native language rather than opposite. Places like US, Canada or Australia, where there is traditionally a large immigrant population, are probably better fit for good translation work that others (just a guess of mine).

Anyway, things happen. When Microsoft came out with Russion version of Windows, they did a hell of work, including spell checker for Office. Anyway, an attempt to eneter a Russian word "мультиканальный" (multi-channel) would cause the spell checker to break it into two words as "мультик анальный". Which can be translated back as "an anal toon".

So there

leitmotif · Apr 20, 2009

Anyway, an attempt to eneter a Russian word "мультиканальный" (multi-channel) would cause the spell checker to break it into two words as "мультик анальный". Which can be translated back as "an anal toon".

And how many Russians still smile at us for that one?

Dan Bentler

Dua Anjing · Apr 21, 2009

seems almost prophetic (depending on which microsoft offering)

Matthias von Zorn · Apr 21, 2009

I did a system for the Ukraine which had both english and russian screens. We employed a russian who spoke english and an american that spoke russian. Between the two of them, we were able to make some very accurate screens. The Ukranian workers had no issues with the screens. If we hadnt used both of these guys tho, it would have been a disaster. It was great to have it from both viewpoints.

matt

Tom Jenkins · Apr 21, 2009

We had to do a project in Spain, with the screens in a Catalan dialect. We were very fortunate to have an engineer from Catalonia working with us that was fluent in English, Spanish, Catalan, and several other languages. I don't know of a better way to do this.

Elcan · Apr 21, 2009

What I've notice regarding translating English to Spanish in the USA (in general translations, not specifically in technical subjects), is that sometimes it seems that an automatic translator was used, leading to inaccurate resulting or even funny stuff. Sometimes it seems that the translation was done by either a not well-educated native Spanish speaker or by a Spanish language student. Sometimes it happens that the Spanish speaker is the first generation of an Hispanic family born in the USA, then they use a sort of "Spanglish". There are a lot of words that the Hispanic community use in the USA that are not used in any of the Hispanic countries.
But, in a nutshell, I think the Spanish non-technical translations in the USA are "acceptable" in general, and the technical translations are good to very good.
For funny stuff regarding translations, visit http://engrishfunny.com/

Steve Bailey · Apr 21, 2009

You can usually tell whether a manual in English was translated from its original language by a person whose native tongue is the original language and also happens to speak English or by a native English speaker who also knows the original language. The latter is generally easier for a native English speaker to understand.

Of all the translated manuals I've been exposed to, the worst I've had to use are Fanuc CNC manuals. I've encountered paragraphs where I understand the meaning of every single word, but I still have no idea what it's trying to tell me.

I expect it may be a little easier in the USA to find a translator whose native tongue is the target language than to find a native English speaker in Endoftheworldistan.

gphillips · Apr 21, 2009

Sometimes, merely translating from UK to USA can cause problems!
eg...bonnet(hood), boot(trunk), motorway(freeway), torch(flashlight), trousers(pants), knickers(panties), tube(subway), beefburger(hamburger), etc, and not to forget phrases like..."can you knock me up in the morning?"(can you give me a wake up call?)

Ron Beaufort · Apr 21, 2009

along those lines, I used to work with a Russian gentleman who had studied English all the way from grammar school through college ... he could speak the language fluently - but weird things would still happen ...

an example:

we were going to do some heavy labor one day, and my friend said: “Wait a minute. I must go change my dress.”

“Whoa, dude. Men don’t change their DRESS – they change their CLOTHES. A woman wears a DRESS. A man wears CLOTHES.”

He looked at me in total confusion and said: “But I get DRESSED in the mornings.”

now how do you go about explaining something like THAT to someone who didn’t grow up speaking English? ...

leitmotif · Apr 21, 2009

How come I am only hearing from a bunch of Yanks.

I wanted to hear about our mistakes and the resulting humor. So where are all you non Yanks? Do we Yanks do that well translating to your language? Or are you just too polite to point out our errors?

Dan Bentler

Elcan · Apr 21, 2009

Dan, in case you haven't noticed reading my not very good English, I am not a Yank..

leitmotif · Apr 21, 2009

Seems to me if you are living and working in USA you are a Yank. You listen to some of these guys talking street trash and you would think they were recently landed even though they are native born. I do not think that fluency has anything to do with a persons worth as an employee or neighbor. Lack of fluency just results in a diminished ability to communicate.

Dan

Elcan · Apr 21, 2009

I couldn't agree more with you, Dan.
But to be a real Yank I would need be a beisball or football fan, and I am a soccer fan...

And if you heard my spoken English you would notice I'm not a English native speaker for sure!!!
Regarding your last question, I've seen some funny signs at parks and at shops, but, as I early stated, many times they are the result of using an automatic translator.
Some years ago, using the "translate this page" functionality on Internet would led to weird sentences. I've been impressed with the quality of the Google translation function, though.

geniusintraining · Apr 21, 2009

leitmotif said:
Seems to me if you are living and working in USA you are a Yank.....

them are fight'n words down here

OT but CURIOUS - USA translations??

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