Should Have Used a More Reliable LSP! – Part 1
One Google search on the web of “Bad Translations” and you will be overwhelmed by the results of bad (and hilarious) translations that you will find. I wanted to share some that I thought were very funny and some just plain embarrassing, as we can all use a good laugh now and then.
This sign, in Welsh, is supposed to tell cyclists to dismount. As you can see, it correctly says ‘CYCLISTS DISMOUNT’ in English, but the Welsh text means “BLADDER DISEASE HAS RETURNED.” Toilets must be busy there!
Check out Ethics Crisis for more of these…
In this case, officials sent the English version to be translated by a local translation company. They received a reply in Welsh stating that the person was out of the office. They appreciated the quick response and immediately sent the translated response for print. They obviously did not speak any Welsh as it was not until after the sign was in place that locals pointed out the mistake.
“I am not in the office at the moment. Send any work to be translated”
The following list of translation blunders is a good example of why localization and local knowledge is important and why you should always look for a professional vendor (from Marketing Hackz)
1. When Mitsubishi launched its Pajero 4WD in Spain they had the shock of a lifetime. As they were promoting Pajero they forgot to take into account the fact that the word “pajero” means “jerk off” in some Spanish-speaking countries.
2. The famous fried Chicken hub KFC’s slogan “finger-lickin good” when marketed was translated into China as “eat your fingers off.” Ouch!
3. GEC and Plessey had a joint company in France that was called GPT. When GPT is pronounced in French, it sounds as “Jay-Pay-Tay,” which is similar to “J’ai pete,” meaning “I have farted.”
4. When Puffs tissue started marketing their products in Germany, it didn’t do so well. The reason – “puff” means “brothel” there.
5. When an Italian mineral water company promoted their product Traficante, it was a big failure because the word “traficante” means “drug dealer” in Spanish.
6. When Bacardi launched a fruit drink named Pavian they meant “French chick,” but when they promoted it in Germany, the same word meant “baboon.”
7. Electrolux had to take their slogan down which read “Nothing sucks like Electrolux.”
8. When Ford tried selling its car Pinto in Brazil, it was a huge failure. The reason – the word “pinto” is slang for small penis in the country.
9. Parker pens slogan “Avoid Embarrassment – use Quink,” when translated into Spanish came out as “Avoid Pregnancy – use Quink.”
10. When Hunt-Wesson introduced their Big John products in French Canada as “Gros Jos,” they forgot one thing: gros jos is the slang for “big breasts.”
Do you know of any similar translation blunder? Send it over so that we can also have some fun.
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