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29 Apr 05 - 09:00 PM (#1474658) Subject: BS: Engrish--a world divided by a language From: Bill D You've seen it before...'interesting' uses of the language in various Asian countries..(mostly Japan). I have been led to believe that there is an element of pride in doing one's own translation and not asking for help. Anyone know if this is the case? |
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29 Apr 05 - 11:54 PM (#1474736) Subject: RE: BS: Engrish--a world divided by a language From: Shanghaiceltic Nice site Bill. I have lived in the far east for many years now and I often see examples like this. I think it comes down to a matter of 'face'. Japanese and Chinese dont like their English to be corrected. A New Zealand friend of mine worked in the International Dept of a martial arts magazine in Japan. He was a fluent speaker, reader and write of Japanese. His translations into Japanese were often corrected. He saw this as no problem. However when he offered advice on translations from Japanese to English his colleagues were offended. Japlish as we called it is common. My refridgerator when I lived in Japan had the English name "The Comfortable Wide" I now see quite a bit of Chinglish. Next door to where I live is a new housing estate called 'Gaudiness Mansions', also nearby is an address to die for, Wanke Villa's. In Chinese taxis there are signs in English (as well as Chinese) stating that 'drunkards, schitzofrenics (sic) must be accompanied by an adult' |
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30 Apr 05 - 12:34 AM (#1474747) Subject: RE: BS: Engrish--a world divided by a language From: mack/misophist The FAQs on the Engrish site discuss the reasons for the existence of the phenonon. |
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30 Apr 05 - 02:01 AM (#1474793) Subject: RE: BS: Engrish--a world divided by a language From: Stilly River Sage My daughter has posted several items at the "Engrish" site. I've been known to purchase Dollar Store items I didn't need just because the instructions (obviously translated) were so entertaining. SRS |
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30 Apr 05 - 04:56 AM (#1474824) Subject: RE: BS: Engrish--a world divided by a language From: Bunnahabhain I thought this was about sir jOhn.... But when you find it easier to find a good speaker of the native language than to read the translation it is time to wonder. This applies to Aussie and Kiwi as much as Chinglish. |
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30 Apr 05 - 01:42 PM (#1475085) Subject: RE: BS: Engrish--a world divided by a language From: Bill D well, 'face' is one thing, but when, for example, instructions for correctly operating a machine are so garbled as to be confusing and potentially dangerous, I think it is time to get some help! I also seem to remember that in Japan it is thought impolite to 'order' anyone, so instructions are often phrased so that it looks like you have an option about "how to install the power supply", when actually it should say "do NOT attach red wire to switch, or you'll fry the whole thing, and maybe yourself!". There are a lot of cultural eccentricities buried in those signs, not only in langauge use, but in what message is intended...concerns about "..drunkards, schitzofrenics .." convey attitudes, not just degree of language prowess. |
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30 Apr 05 - 06:04 PM (#1475257) Subject: RE: BS: Engrish--a world divided by a language From: Shanghaiceltic There is a new park near our house, Jade and I went there for an afternoon walk, very pleasant. I kept noticing signs for 'stools' but I did not see any benches. After a while I looked at the sign to read the Chinese characters. They read 'ce suo' which means toilet. |
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30 Apr 05 - 06:07 PM (#1475260) Subject: RE: BS: Engrish--a world divided by a language From: McGrath of Harlow I'd have thought that "Engrish" would be English as modified and improved by the plain people of Ireland. |
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30 Apr 05 - 07:10 PM (#1475311) Subject: RE: BS: Engrish--a world divided by a language From: greg stephens BillD: I'm delighted you find the boat name Titan Uranus amusing, but what I want to know is: Have you told John Mehlberg about this? He may know a song about it. Personally, laughing at Japanese English is a bit fish/barrel stuff. I think American English is more worthy of serious attention.(Sorry, only being ironic, you wouldn't understand) |
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30 Apr 05 - 08:08 PM (#1475337) Subject: RE: BS: Engrish--a world divided by a language From: Bill D naawwww, greg "Titan Uranus" didn't do much for me..*grin*...but you may have a point..John M. could do a whole page on it! Yeah, it IS fish/barrel, but that's why I went directly from 'oh, look- how silly" to some semi-serious concerns about the situation. and what's wrong with American English...huh? what? we talk just fine! Well, except for Alabama....and Maine...and Texas....and California...and Georgia...and West Virginia(well, Bobert, anyway)...and Brooklyn...and Chicago...and everyone below, like, 21. Gol durn! You-all done had the language for a thousand years or so, and sometimes you still cain't unnerstan each OTHER! (just being ornery, but you wouldn't understand...*grin*) |
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30 Apr 05 - 10:13 PM (#1475396) Subject: RE: BS: Engrish--a world divided by a language From: katlaughing I, too, thought it was going to be some kind of contraction of English and Irish.:-) |
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01 May 05 - 12:20 AM (#1475458) Subject: RE: BS: Engrish--a world divided by a language From: Kaleea When I was living in South Korea some years ago, I'll never forget the laughs amongst my friends--Korean, American & English. We westerners made plenty of dumb mistakes mispronouncing the Korean language. Fortunately, the beautiful Korean people have a good sense of humor and are forgiving. I did get a bit of a laugh when at a club in Seoul. The band was doing a song by Ike & Tina Turner quite popular in the states, "Lrlolrling on duh lrlee-buh" I certainly have noticed that in America, most folks do not speak English. In fact, many folks I know have trouble speaking American. We are such a conglomeration of languages that I'm not certain what language "we" speak anymore. I do poke a bit of fun of my own ancestry because many of my family members still speak as did our pioneer relatives. Whin weez hongree wee eet uh sammich on wunnder bray-yud. Whin weez tarrd, we goez tew bay-yud. Them thar paypull jist tawk funnee! Reememburr, this hyar thray-yud wuz not mah idee, Bill D., it mussta bin urine! |
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01 May 05 - 04:35 PM (#1475954) Subject: RE: BS: Engrish--a world divided by a language From: Bill D Ah'm shore it WAS urine, 'cuz ah'm just a peon. |
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01 May 05 - 04:56 PM (#1475965) Subject: RE: BS: Engrish--a world divided by a language From: John Hardly do not to be lauging. Out loud as I would be and so on. |
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02 May 05 - 09:46 AM (#1476404) Subject: RE: BS: Engrish--a world divided by a language From: GUEST,leeneia Some years ago I saw a picture in National Geographic. It was a picture of a billboard in southern China, and it said, "You better have just one child!" Yes, it was in English! This was years before Tianamen (sp) Square, etc. I marveled at a totalitarian regime that had to communicate with its people in the language of its enemies. |
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02 May 05 - 11:16 AM (#1476470) Subject: RE: BS: Engrish--a world divided by a language From: Donuel Religion- A world divided by a common ignorance. |
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02 May 05 - 04:08 PM (#1476709) Subject: RE: BS: Engrish--a world divided by a language From: mandoleer Isn't it a language divided by a world? Mind you, I did feel very tempted some years ago to buy some Eyeret Priers which I saw in a shop window in Wigan. |
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03 May 05 - 02:36 PM (#1477210) Subject: RE: BS: Engrish--a world divided by a language From: Leadfingers Last week on BBC Radio Four , they put some Political Statements through an internet Translation thingy , then translated on the same thing back to English ! It had to be heard to be believed and was an excellent level of TOTAL Gibberish !! |
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03 May 05 - 02:48 PM (#1477222) Subject: RE: BS: Engrish--a world divided by a language From: Megan L but then again lead they probably started out toal gibberish in any language :). oney wise bairns a canny see whit weys ye hae sae muckle trauchle wie the English sure an hivny we bin spikin it fur donkeys .:-P |
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03 May 05 - 04:59 PM (#1477335) Subject: RE: BS: Engrish--a world divided by a language From: mandoleer I did an experiment on multiple translation at school. I got various people to translate a piece from English to French and back (obviously the one piece started with one person and was translated back by another and so on) but it didn't get too far away from sense. The difference there, of course, is that people were involved. Like with Directory Enquiries. When they had real operators looking things up, you could find things from an approximation of the data. Now it's computerised, you can't. |
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04 May 05 - 03:41 AM (#1477621) Subject: RE: BS: Engrish--a world divided by a language From: Ellenpoly Kind of in the same vein, a friend just sent this to me: Italian Man on Vacation |
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04 May 05 - 04:11 AM (#1477638) Subject: RE: BS: Engrish--a world divided by a language From: GUEST,Mappa Mundi Saw an amusingly descripted article for sale - it was a small sewing machine, and the product description proudly proclaimed;- "Your personal portable sewer!" S'pose it could come in handy on long car journeys... mm |
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04 May 05 - 06:55 PM (#1478276) Subject: RE: BS: Engrish--a world divided by a language From: Don(Wyziwyg)T Instructions on a japanese made camera flashgun:- If flashing is not being possible, pressing red button for doing needful, so self exposing again. Mind you, that was twenty five years ago, and they've improved a lot since then. Don T. |