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Attempts at English

(33 Posts)
MargaretX Thu 09-May-13 15:52:58

This is computer translation. No real person, able to speak two languages could think like that. Mostly they come out of China. Chinese has no grammar like ours. No tenses. It is spoken in different tones which makes it so hard for a European to learn.

It is true that translations often in Germany are not good, because they are convinced they know English and therefore don't have to find a native speaker to check their translations.

I was once in a hotel, interpreting a German giving a lecture on beer of all things, to businessmen from London. As the flight was late and I sat about for hours, I looked at their English Menu to choose something to eat. There were so many mistakes in it, and this was a 5 star hotel!
When I had done my stint I collected my fee from reception and handed in the corrected Menu, with all the red underlinings and crossings out. I advised them to ask an English speaking person in future before printing it out.

granjura Thu 09-May-13 14:43:26

You should see the attempts Brits make with other languages (... some even after living abroad in one area for 20+ years) honest grin wink...

Ana Thu 09-May-13 13:45:48

Aka, yes, me too! Wild guesses as to what the Roman centurions were actually doing, never mind what tense they were doing it in...grin

whenim64 Thu 09-May-13 13:44:11

Lovely.....er, where are the wheels on a ukulele? grin

Aka Thu 09-May-13 13:38:29

grin ah bless...how long did it take that person, presumably armed with a dictionary, to make that 'translation'. Reminds me a bit of my Latin translations at school!!

Gorki Thu 09-May-13 13:15:11

Really wants to make you buy it doesn't it? Sounds as if it is translated from Chinese. Or is it double Dutch ?

Nonu Thu 09-May-13 13:14:25

Hoch.

What a hoot , love it to bits .

grin

hochiwich Thu 09-May-13 13:08:28

One sometimes sees howlers on foreign menus but this description of a ukulele on an ebay listing must be the most glorious example of mangled English I've ever seen:
Ukulele is now very common keyboard instrument ancestors,the emergence of the keyboard and use and YouKe Click view over the harp in great association,it is the history of the first thing stringed instrument. Its principle and the voice is very similar, just using the wheels to replace play violin bow, when hand rotation harp tail crank, is located in the piano in the resin package the wheel will turn, to promote the string vibration voice. The wheels to provide uke continued sound power, but the player with another hand to press harp carry the following key, to knock on different string sends out the different pitch (like a piano, press different keyboard, harp within the body corresponding knock on different steel sheet issued each pitch).
Ukulele small portable, enjoyed by young and old, well by people, learn, easy to play, harmony is rich, timbre bright, folk music, pop, blues, jazz can use ukulele to play.