Lost in Translation?

[WoundedBear]

I found this rather humorous and thought I'd share with y'all...........

I was at my LHS the other day and picked up a new CPR 'boose for the layout. This is NOT a Bachmann product, and I won't mention the manufacturer's name, but what was printed on the side of the box in the "details" area was quite amusing.

I think this is what happens when French gets translated into Chinese and then back into English 

Quote....."Proportionally ballasted outlay for optimal radii navigation"

Sounds like lawyer speak for "Correctly weighted for good tracking"......lol.

Sid

[rogertra]

Why would it be "French gets translated into Chinese and then back into English"?

French has nothing to do with it.

All the product box needs is a French label to conform to labelling requirements.

[WoundedBear]

It's a Canadian company with manufacturing done in China, Roger.....it's quite possible that it happened that way. I'm just speculating.

Sid

[rogertra]

It's a Canadian company with manufacturing done in China, Roger.....it's quite possible that it happened that way. I'm just speculating.

Sid

The first language in Canada and the language of business is English.  If it was Trueline Trains they are located in Ontario and definately in English speaking Canada.

[WoundedBear]

Roger....I know that....I'm Canadian.....some of you guys take stuff way too seriously. I just thought the wording was odd, is all I meant by the post.

Sid

[jonathan]

Well I found it humorous.

JV

[Jerrys HO]

Canadian, French, Chinese all the same just spelled different. Close the can of worms Sid I think it's gonna get personal.
Le Ze La Bon Ton Roulette that's how we do it in cajun land.
Jerry

[Jim Banner]

Anyone remember Gigatext?  Sounds like something it would translate.

Jim

p.s. I believe Roger is also a Canuck, living on Canada's tenth largest island. 

[WoundedBear]

Ya Jim....I knew that fact as well....I remember reading he was from Shawnigan Lake or there about.....that's why I was puzzled as to why he didn't get the joke.

Oh well.....next topic.

Sid

[rogertra]

Ya Jim....I knew that fact as well....I remember reading he was from Shawnigan Lake or there about.....that's why I was puzzled as to why he didn't get the joke.

Oh well.....next topic.

Sid

Joke?  That was a joke?  Who's your writer?  I'd fire him/her and get a better one.    

We'll you're correct.  I didn't get the joke.

[Doneldon]

Jerry-

Laissez le bon temps rouler.

[Woody Elmore]

The point is that the text was originally written in Chinese and poorly translated into English. I remember laughing at the instructions packed with some 4th of July firecrackers: "Lay on ground, light fuse, retire quickly!"

Thanks to Nafta we get instructions in three languages. How soon before they add others?

Didn't the CN put the French spelling "Canadien" on one side of a freight car and the English spelling on the other?

[rogertra]

The point is that the text was originally written in Chinese and poorly translated into English. I remember laughing at the instructions packed with some 4th of July firecrackers: "Lay on ground, light fuse, retire quickly!"

Thanks to Nafta we get instructions in three languages. How soon before they add others?

Didn't the CN put the French spelling "Canadien" on one side of a freight car and the English spelling on the other?

It goes back beyond manufacturing in China. Back to when Japan was the equivalent of today's China.

As for "Lay on ground, light fuse, retire quickly!" What is wrong with this statement? Grammatically, it is 100% correct.

As for Canadian/Canadien the CN has been doing this since the 1960s, What's wrong with it? At least that doesn't upset Canadians as much as painting the combined Canadian Flag and American flag on the locomotives did.   That created quite a fuss.

[glennk28]

A classic on this was done by Mark Twain, in which he presented the "Jumping Frog" story in English, thern translated into French, finally "Clawed back into English".   I don't think he had much use for French.  gj

[Jim Banner]

Running the first four lines of 'Mary had a little lamb' through Bable Fish, first from English to French, then from French to English gave this:
Mary had a small lamb. Its quilts was white like snow. And this Mary went everywhere, l' lamb was sure d' to go.

English to Chinese and back to English gives:
Ma Li has a small lamb. Its wool is the white achievement snow. And everywhere that Ma Li goes, the lamb is affirms.  Starting to sound familiar?

Translating it from English to French to English to Chinese to English, I think we finally have it:
Ma Li has a small lamb. Its quilt is the white elephant snow. And this Ma Li goes everywhere, l' The lamb is affirmative d' Going.

Jim