Thousands of fire safety leaflets in Scotland have been withdrawn because a wrong translation in the leaflet's Urdu version.
The leaflet's English version reads: "Never jump straight out of a window. Lower yourself on to cushions, etc."
But language experts charged with putting the passage into Urdu - there is a large minority in Scotland speaking the language - mixed 'gadda' (cushion) with a 'gadha' (donkey) in translating it.
This resulted in the translation "Never jump out of a window straight. Put yourself on a donkey."
http://www.keralanext.com/news/?id=896013
2006-11-23 02:46:38 · 24 answers · asked by kayamat_ka_din 3 in Society & Culture ➔ Languages
Sounds like the translators made an a*s of this.
Or should it be a 'gadha'? LOL.
2006-11-24 22:49:34 · answer #1 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋
Haha, that is pretty bad. Who says there's always going to be a donkey there...lol.
I found a site once, wish I could remember it know, which had a list of wrong translations in hotels around the world on signs and things, it was hilarious. One was something like "we'd like to hear your complaints between 10am and 1pm"...they probably meant "we're available between 10 and 1 to help with any complaints" or something along those lines, but it totally didn't work.
2006-11-23 11:10:37 · answer #2 · answered by sk8rgrl02631 2 · 3⤊ 0⤋
Every firestation in Scotland will soon have a "Fire Donkey". It will wear a helmet (with holes cut out for it's ears) with a little blue light on the top. When someone dials 999, it will gallop round to the house and position itself under the window, ready to catch the unfortunate occupant!! Lets just hope that its little hooves can get it there in time!!!!!! And also that it doesn't go on strike, demanding more carrots!!
2006-11-23 10:58:55 · answer #3 · answered by Rae 3 · 2⤊ 1⤋
Excellent!
It reminds me of the leaflet issued by the Post Office to their truck-drivers, concerning the EU changes to driving hours regulations.
At the bottom, there was a footnote which read:-
This leaflet is available in brail.
:)
2006-11-23 10:55:08 · answer #4 · answered by musonic 4 · 1⤊ 0⤋
I love that. But it's good advice, if you happen to have a donkey that you could place under the window in the event of a fire.
These people should get real jobs, instead of thinking up ways of telling people the bl**ding obvious.
2006-11-23 10:51:04 · answer #5 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
That is hilarious, but it might not even be the translator's fault.
I'm a translator, and have experienced embarrassment in the past, caused by a printer's error, and lack of opportunity to proof-read myself.
Even in English they manage the most appalling mistakes sometimes.
2006-11-23 10:54:30 · answer #6 · answered by Anonymous · 3⤊ 0⤋
It's not that embarassing. It's just a minor spelling error and any intelligent native would not have thought, "I should get on a donkey? Okay, where is one?" They would assume that a mistake was made and gadda was meant. Context is sometimes all that's needed in a language.
2006-11-23 11:32:16 · answer #7 · answered by Belie 7 · 1⤊ 2⤋
The translator must have been a Gadha.
2006-11-23 12:14:03 · answer #8 · answered by yakkydoc 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Lots of things like this in Japan. The Tokyo gas company had a campaign slogan which was "My life, my gas"
2006-11-24 01:58:38 · answer #9 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 1⤋
Not some much embarrassing, rather just stupid... but thats why the proof reader was fired I expect...
2006-11-23 10:48:45 · answer #10 · answered by Chεεrs [uk] 7 · 2⤊ 0⤋