Saturday, July 26, 2008

Just for a laugh

With the world becoming a smaller place to live in, literally with no boundaries, the need for one language which is functional all over and everywhere is becoming more and more urgent. Also because of the revolution in the world of online communication makes the need to socialize in one language more compelling. The attempts of us humans all over the world to learn English is truly commendable. People are acquiring a general ability to bridge those gaps between each other. In today’s world being non-communicative does not help. But once in a way, some errors and slip-ups happen, especially in those countries, where English is not a commonly used language.

I present here some such material, again which I got as a mail, which I would like to share. It is amusing:-

Some funny English sign boards :-

Some Non-English speaking countries sometimes go out of their way to communicate with their English-speaking tourists:
Cocktail lounge, Norway:
LADIES ARE REQUESTED NOT TO HAVE CHILDREN IN THE BAR.

At a Budapest zoo:
PLEASE DO NOT FEED THE ANIMALS. IF YOU HAVE ANY SUITABLE FOOD, GIVE IT TO THE GUARD ON DUTY.

Doctor's office in Rome:
SPECIALIST IN WOMEN AND OTHER DISEASES.

In an information booklet, on how to use a hotel air conditioner. Japan:
COOLS AND HEATES: IF YOU WANTCONDITION OF WARM AIR IN YOUR ROOM PLEASE CONTROL YOURSELF.

In a Nairobi restaurant:
CUSTOMERS WHO FIND OUR WAITRESSES RUDE OUGHT TO SEE THE MANAGER.

On the grounds of a Nairobi private school:
NO TRESPASSING WITHOUT PERMISSION.

In a Mumbai restaurant:
OPEN SEVEN DAYS A WEEK,AND WEEKENDS TOO.

Hotel, Japan:
YOU ARE INVITED TO TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THE CHAMBERMAID.

In the lobby of a Moscow hotel across from a Russian Orthodox monastery:
YOU ARE WELCOME TO VISIT THE CEMETERY WHERE FAMOUS RUSSIAN AND SOVIET COMPOSERS, ARTISTS, AND WRITERS ARE BURIED DAILY EXCEPT THURSDAY.

Advertisement by a Hong Kong dentist:
TEETH EXTRACTED BY THE LATEST METHODISTS.
A laundry in Rome:
LADIES, LEAVE YOUR CLOTHES HERE AND SPEND THE AFTERNOON HAVING A GOOD TIME.

Tourist agency, Czechoslovakia:
TAKE ONE OF OUR HORSE-DRIVEN CITY TOURS. WE GUARANTEE NO MISCARRIAGES.

Advertisement for donkey rides, Thailand:
WOULD YOU LIKE TO RIDE ON YOUR OWN ASS?

The box of a clockwork toy maiden Hong Kong :
GUARANTEED TO WORK THROUGHOUT ITS USEFUL LIFE.

Airline ticket office, Copenhagen:
WE TAKE YOUR BAGS AND SEND THEM IN ALL DIRECTIONS.

In a Japanese cemetery:

PERSONS ARE PROHIBITED FROM PICKING FLOWERS FROM ANY BUT THEIR OWN GRAVES

4 comments:

Ellen Pham said...

Thanks for the laughs, Varnika!

S said...

Great piece and agreat blog ma'am!
Have a happy teachers'day!

Uma said...

Now I am really laughing if this is The Varnika from SNDT!
umapathak7@yahoo.com

Jodie said...

"In a Nairobi restaurant: CUSTOMERS WHO FIND OUR WAITRESSES RUDE OUGHT TO SEE THE MANAGER."

This one's one of my favourites. Mostly because I can't help the childish thought that this might actually be absolutely deliberate. I just love the idea of a cranky staff member having a very public dig at the manager. :P

And to be fair, that sign should make perfect sense. Unless English is your first language, you're simply not going to know that phrasing is like that will change the meaning to "You think we're bad, get a load of this!"

But it's still clear what the sign means, it doesn't have to be spot on. Besides, I'm certainly in no position to criticise. The person behind even the most mangled sign already has a much better grasp of English than I do of their language. A professional translation agency isn't an option for everyone and the way I see it is that they're making an effort. That's more than a lot of native English speakers can claim.