Lost In Translation XIII

Was at the cafe at Chengdu airport while waiting for me flight when I saw this menu placard selling Haagen-Dazs ice cream.

"Colorful Ice Powder (Flavor Optional)".

Win liao.

- Voxeros

Lost In Translation XII

Went to Shij1azhuang for a weekend business trip and spotted this in the bathroom of my hotel room.

I have no idea what the first line was saying (without looking at the Chinese translation).

I am guessing that perhaps Condoleezza Rice and Bill Gates shared this very bathroom that I am standing in?

*shudder*

- Voxeros

Lost In Translation XI

I was out having lunch at this newly opened Ta1wan restaurant when I did a double take at their menu.

Hong Halogen Taste? What the hell is HONG HALOGEN TASTE??

If you look at the menu really really closely, I am sure there is a mouse, mouse pad, table lamp and even a pen holder in there somewhere.

Now that we are on the topic of translation horrors, I also got these in my email earlier in the morning from my cousin in McAllen TX.

Man..... it's been a while since I did a Lost In Translation episode.

Enjoy.

Strictly forbid to what??!!

Mishandle flowers you the what???!!

This sign really jin confusing.

Psst... this way to the secret society hideout. Don't forget the secret password to get inside.

The reason why people are so put off by Two Girls One Cup is because they are unhygienic, they should have used disposable cups.

You can only use these toilets only if you need to bomb.

- Voxeros

Lost In Translation X

Saw this stuck to the outside of the glass shower cubicle when I was in Xiamen last week.

Ok, I got the first one. Use the non-slip mat so that you don't end up having a very very unglam accident where the entire ambulance crew will be snickering all the way to the hospital. No sir. Don't want that to happen definitely!

It's the second one that has me all baffled.

This one means you need to carry a tuning fork into the shower with you and once the shower hits the right note (Concert B-flat?), GET DA HELL OUT OF THE SHOWER!!!

Welcome to QQland. This is most weird.

- Voxeros

Lost In Translation XIX

Spotted this sign in Shanghai en route to my meeting appointment. *facepalm*

Then at dinner, I saw this sign outside the toilet. This one confirm win liao coz I was totally defeated by their Engrish.

To read past Lost In Translation Archives --> Click here. 

- Voxeros

Lost In Translation VIII

(Click To Enlarge)

There is a hotel that was just newly opened next to the factory and they have a western coffeehouse type of restaurant where I went to check out recently.

As I was browsing the menu, I couldn't help but facepalm massive when I saw it.

I shudder to think if my Musl1m customer were to order the Tankao Small Cattle Row (first item). If I am not wrong Tankao is hanyupinyin translation for charcoal roast and small cattle row probably meant beef ribs.
Bad translation aside, the Ch1nese equivalent description says French styled pork chop.

OMG! Pork!!

I wonder who is the moron that did the menu?

Massive Epic FAIL!

Enjoy the rest of the menu for a good roll of the eyes.

(Click To Enlarge)

- Voxeros

Lost In Translation VII

Mother: Ah boy ah! Stop all the jokes right now! We are going down the stairs already. Wait you fall down ah!!

To read past Lost In Translation Archives --> Click here.

- Voxeros

Lost In Translation VI

Speaking of stupid translation, here's another that I took in the bathroom of my hotel room in JiangXi.

This one read already confirm head explode one.

- Voxeros

1. sunflower left...

Wednesday, 10 January 2007 1:11 am

cock la, this one i cannot understand at all.. simi english, chinaish

2. Pam left...

Wednesday, 10 January 2007 1:12 am

funnily enough(or not), some of the foreign students write this way. some originating from that country too...........

3. heather left...

Wednesday, 10 January 2007 2:19 am

thanks to you...now i got tummyache... lol..

4. aloe left...

Wednesday, 10 January 2007 9:26 am

wah raoz... how do people understand!? =S

5. JayWalk left...

Wednesday, 10 January 2007 4:41 pm :: 

Sunflower & Aloe: Yah lor! Read until head explode right?

Pam: I feel your pain, girl. I really do.

Heather: Har? You read until lao sai? Eeyer.........

6. Gary left...

Wednesday, 10 January 2007 7:54 pm

they copy from chinese to english sia.. lol..

7. hiaoaunty left...

Wednesday, 10 January 2007 8:21 pm

those people who don't know chinese e.g. americans, europeans, etc will be veri distressed by this notice

8. JayWalk left...

Wednesday, 10 January 2007 8:29 pm :: 

Gary & HiaoAunty: If they are making such a big mess over the translation, they are actually better NOT doing it at all.

9. OLLie left...

Thursday, 11 January 2007 12:06 am :: http://ooohlah.lah.cc

what the hell is "put and put and wash and gargle"?
and "keep the human environment"
hahahhahahahhahahhaahh
I wonder how you can tahan all these man. hahaha..

10. heather left...

Thursday, 11 January 2007 12:25 am

what lao sai! somebody want to get pinch right? LOL

11. JayWalk left...

Thursday, 11 January 2007 12:45 am :: 

Ollie: You ask me? I ask who?

Heather: You say tummy ache one what.... Eh.. pinch? Where? *blush*

12. Jaslyn left...

Thursday, 11 January 2007 3:18 pm :: http://precious-jas.blogspot.com

Wah lau! Will make people laugh then slip in the bathroom then knock on the wall and die! Hahaha...

13. JayWalk left...

Thursday, 11 January 2007 3:34 pm ::

Jaslyn: I bet somewhere near the floor will have a sign warning you that you may slip, fall and die after reading the sign above.

14. Gary left...

Thursday, 11 January 2007 11:08 pm

i only understand the last line.. thank you for your understanding and co-operation..

15. JayWalk left...

Friday, 12 January 2007 12:17 am :: 

Gary: hahahaahah......

Lost In Translation V - Soll Down

Meepok spotted this sign during his last visit back in September 2006 but we never had a chance to take a picture of it as it was a mere fleeting moment before the sign passed us.

I have since passed by this sign several times but never once did I put in any effort to whip out the camera ahead in anticipation. Too often than not, by the time, I spotted the sign and remembered that I was supposed to take a picture of it, the sign once again eluded me before I could even hit the ON button on the camera.

Well, not this time. I was in the front seat with my camera switched on, ready and waiting. My driver was very much amused.

*click*

- Voxeros

1. sunflower left...

Friday, 5 January 2007 2:32 pm

Ha ha, this is funny

2. JayWalk left...

Friday, 5 January 2007 5:32 pm :: 

Sunflower: I can imagine the following conversation taking place...

Passenger: Eh, we exiting the highway and approaching the toll station. You better slow down.

Truck Driver: What?

Passenger: Slow down.

Truck Driver: What down?

Passenger: SLOW DOWN!!!!

Truck Driver: HAR?!! What talking you?

Passenger: SOLL DOWN!!!!!! @#$*@%*#@$*!$!!!!!

Truck Driver: Oh. Soll down har? Next time, say properly can? *steps on brakes*

Passenger:.....

3. spinnee left...

Sunday, 7 January 2007 1:03 pm

when are the authorities doing something about their sign boards... i've rec'd more weird signboard translated by them and it seemed like it's getting from grammatical/structure mistakes to spelling mistakes.. what's next.. *lmao*

4. aloe left...

Monday, 8 January 2007 9:25 am

er? then how u took that pic? u also ask your driver to "soll down"? heheheh!
I think u need to look at the people that the cheen@ authorities are hiring instead. Engrish standard no good so transration servise also no good lah.. =P

5. akk left...

Monday, 8 January 2007 12:04 pm

at leats it's a 'soll down', not a 'spud up' sign, or you couldn't have been able to take the pic...

6. JayWalk left...

Monday, 8 January 2007 2:04 pm ::

Spinnee: Let's face it. Other than the foreigners, nobody reads the English parts of the signs and as such, no one from the authorities would have noticed anything amiss.

Aloe: I didn't say anything to the driver coz I didn't want him to know that I am taking pictures for my blog. Wait, sekali, he reads my blog then how?

Akk: The main reason why I bought the Lumix digital camera is because it has the fastest shutter speed in the market in the ultracompact category that allows you to quick snap without blurring.
Casio's Exilim is the only other camera that has shutter speed (for sports mode) as as the Panasonic Lumix. I pick the latter due to the more superior Leica lens.

7. Meepoktah Maihiam left...

Monday, 8 January 2007 9:15 pm

China has a lot of cock up signages. Don't have time to take all of them. They are really good for a laugh :-) The best I've seen to date is still the literal translation of 干炒牛河.

8. JayWalk left...

Tuesday, 9 January 2007 9:44 am ::

Meepok: Yah man, that was one of the classics.

9. aloe left...

Tuesday, 9 January 2007 3:47 pm

干炒牛河 = dry fried cow river? dried fried bull river? or ....??

10. JayWalk left...

Tuesday, 9 January 2007 9:31 pm ::

Aloe: Where got so mild one?
It's Fuck To Fry The Cow River.
LOL

11. aloe left...

Wednesday, 10 January 2007 9:29 am

fuck??!! fuck??!! why fuck?!! Wah raoz! *faintz...*

Lost In Translation IV

Got this from somebody after I did my Lost In Translation III. Well, what do you know? More menu disasters ala Chinois! (Click to enlarge).

Enjoy.

p.s. The last one is my favourite. I wonder why......?

- Voxeros

1. Jaslyn left...

Wednesday, 5 July 2006 3:45 pm

I love china ah!!! Hahaha

2. JayWalk left...

Wednesday, 5 July 2006 5:50 pm :: 

Jaslyn: Well, like I always say, "Welcome To Ch1na".

3. koreanhousewife left...

Wednesday, 5 July 2006 6:33 pm

They always use: fuck for hanyu (gan)!!! Terrible! Pop, thks for yr concern abt the pup. Will keep U updates. Love ya. GTG, rushin...

4. sunflower left...

Wednesday, 5 July 2006 7:54 pm

Why you like the last one?
hmmmmmmm dont tell me you like to f*ck the cow or let the cow f*uck you, Yes?

5. OLLie left...

Thursday, 6 July 2006 1:27 am

I'm so sorry that I have been missing out in alot of action recently.
But man, that "Fuck to fry the cow river" had me laughing like mad.
It must be amusing to live in Ch1na hor? To be entertained on a daily basis. hahahaha..

6. JayWalk left...

Thursday, 6 July 2006 7:54 pm :: 

Koreanhousewife: Keep me posted on the pup ok?
sunflower: I like to f*ck cow? Or let the cow f*ck?
What the f*ck????
You har... damn terrible!!!

Ollie: Glad to have you back. This type hor is like fun and entertaining for like the first millionth time. After that is pek chek rest of the way liao.

7. Zhe Bin left...

Thursday, 6 July 2006 9:22 pm

Anybody wants to share my fresh fruit sand?

8. serendipity left...

Thursday, 6 July 2006 10:42 pm :: http://skybellzz.blogspot.com

WAHAHA!!!
Salad is called SAND!!!
and the other translations are crazily hilarious!!

9. JayWalk left...

Thursday, 6 July 2006 11:40 pm :: 

ZheBin & Serendipity: I'd bet their salad is extra "crunchy"!

10. lancerlord left...

Friday, 7 July 2006 9:21 am :: http://lancerlord.blogspot.com

If I go Ch1na I must have someone like you to order food for me. My cheena very bad. The engrrish translation very bad.

11. JayWalk left...

Friday, 7 July 2006 3:18 pm ::

lancerlord: You ch1nese bad, their engrish also bad. Two wrong make 1 right, no?

BTW, I love your 干杯 joke. Damn funny.

Lost In Translation III - Fuji Japanese Restaurant

Was at this Japanese restaurant just outside my place. I jaw dropped when I read the menu. The English translation was absolutely hilarious!
Enjoy.

- Voxeros

1. heather left...

Thursday, 1 June 2006 12:07 am :: http://disenchantedprincess.wordpress.co

my gosh, you make me laugh when I'm eating!! Almost choke on my food reading those!

2. JayWalk left...

Thursday, 1 June 2006 12:34 am ::

heather: Glad I made your day!

3. ris left...

Thursday, 1 June 2006 12:35 am

hahahaha! talk about literal translation!!

4. JayWalk left...

Thursday, 1 June 2006 12:43 am :: 

ris: Vomit blood right? Piangz.

5. sunflower left...

Thursday, 1 June 2006 12:45 am

piang oi! i almost fall from my chair.
It is soooooooooo funny!

6. JoMel left...

Thursday, 1 June 2006 1:11 am :: http://justmeoonly.blogspot.com

Jaw dropping indeed! BOMB PIGS?!!! HAHAHAHA!!!

7. Zhe Bin left...

Thursday, 1 June 2006 1:17 am

Hahahaha! I also think the bomb pigs damn funny.

8. Jaslyn left...

Thursday, 1 June 2006 3:07 am :: http://precious-jas.blogspot.com

Hahaha... seriously laugh my head off this! Omfg! How about a BOMB EGG? I will never sit still or even able to order my meal if I'm there!

9. aloe left...

Thursday, 1 June 2006 8:43 am

wah raoz!!! Make me laugh out.. later my colleagues think I crazy... :P But in cheena, this always seems to happen....

10. Eddy left...

Thursday, 1 June 2006 9:17 am

Wahahaha! I want to look through all their menu!

11. OLLie left...

Thursday, 1 June 2006 12:31 pm

Eh. They really cannot make it leh. Want literal translation hor, also must be correct ma.
Eight ClawS Fish ma.
hahahhaha..

12. Jaschocolate left...

Thursday, 1 June 2006 12:44 pm

Haha.. so what did you eat?

13. spellbound left...

Thursday, 1 June 2006 4:09 pm :: http://verniceloy.blogspot.com

This is so hilarous!!! I think they just use microsoft word to translate word by word.
Maybe you should start doing part time F&B consultancy just to do their menu planning and translation for them. Otherwise you can subcontract out to me!
*spellbound slapped her right palm against her forehead*

14. akk left...

Thursday, 1 June 2006 5:53 pm

last time I was in beijing, i saw this sign that says in chinese to 'keep off the grass' and the english translation is hanyu pinyin.

15. The "Arthur" himself left...

Friday, 2 June 2006 5:46 am

Looks like they used BabelFish to translate.
Have a gander at the Lost in Translation web site: http://www.tashian.com/multibabel/

16. JayWalk left...

Friday, 2 June 2006 9:44 am :

Sunflower & Anna: That's Ch1na for ya!

Jomel, Jaslyn & ZheBin: Just when we were just joking about Fried Eggs in English become translated to Bomb Eggs in Ch1nese. Here we have a real life example right in front of you. Talk about getting egg in your face!

Eddy: Nothing much on the rest of the menu, I only took those outrageously translated ones.

OLLie: Perhaps I should teach them the concept of back translation i.e. when you translate something from language A to language B, you need to translate it back from B to A in order to ensure that the translation is done correctly.

17. JayWalk left...

Friday, 2 June 2006 9:51 am ::

Jaschocolate: Well, I did ordered the 8-claw fish to eat definitely. Yum!

Spellbound: Does Microsoft Word have translation function?

Akk: Did you managed to take a picture of that?

Stan M: Welcome to the blog. I doubt if it's the work of Babelfish. Babelfish is something more familiar to the rest of us english-speaking websurfers.

18. Zhe Bin left...

Friday, 2 June 2006 11:50 am

I don't know if Vanna saw this but,
"The pan is burnt dark winter one".
She's on the meunu leh HAHAHA!
And hor which part of then sentence tells anything about 乌冬面?? SO funny! Maciam they are introducing the burnt pan.

19. The "Arthur" himself left...

Friday, 2 June 2006 8:36 pm

The "Lost in Translation" web site is a project someone set up using Babelfish. It's an applet that puts whatever you've input in English through a number of translations using Babelfish, jumping from one language to another (I think it's ten iterations), and then back to English. That site is as addictive as the Internet Anagram Server.

My favorite among weird translations is apocryphal, said to have been seen somewhere in Indonesia: "All water served in this hotel has been personally passed by the manager."

These kinds of malapropisms find their way on to restaurant menus even when there is no need to translate between languages. One that I see frequently is "Maryland half fried chicken."

20. winter left...

Friday, 2 June 2006 11:20 pm

i nearly peng when i see the menu. this type of translation is VERY extreme leh.
and i was hoping no one realise my nick.
zhebin, u just had to mention it lor. thanks hor. hahaha

21. JayWalk left...

Saturday, 3 June 2006 5:42 pm ::

ZheBin & Winter: Don't about you guys but somehow "Burnt Dark Winter" reminds me of the time Vanna face black black.

"Hong tao tao, tow kay ah been chao chao..."

Stan M: Thanks for the link to that interesting website. Lotsa fun there!

22. winter left...

Sunday, 4 June 2006 11:38 am

when vanna face black black huh?
u got see before meh?? lol

23. JayWalk left...

Monday, 5 June 2006 12:41 pm :: 

Winter: Vanna face black black? DON'T HAVE!! WHERE GOT?? WHO SAY ONE?? NEVER!!!
*scared*

24. Mr. Dew left...

Saturday, 10 June 2006 5:48 pm :: http://beconfused.com

I thought that was hilarious. I posted it on my blog and left a trackback. ;)
Don't know if you received it.

25. JayWalk left...

Saturday, 10 June 2006 9:26 pm :: 

Mr Dew: Welcome to the blog! Got your trackback request and approved it already. :)
I left a comment on your side but you being on WordPress means that my comments most likely end up in your spam bin. Will need you to go fish it out.

26. Mr. Dew left...

Sunday, 11 June 2006 1:14 am :: http://beconfused.com

Gosh, you're right! You sure know WordPress well. I'm disappointed that my legitimate comments gets into the spam bin! WordPress' being mean here but deactivating that feature is terrible as I'll have a hard time moderating it. I hope those problems would be ironed out soon.
Thanks for commenting!

27. JayWalk left...

Monday, 12 June 2006 2:30 pm :

Mr Dew: I kena a lot of times from your fellow wordpress users liao.
Sometimes until I give up commenting on wordpress blogs. damn pek chek one.

28. Ahla left...

Thursday, 31 July 2008 7:06 pm

aiyoyo, that bomb makes my stomach tickle,fried to bomb...i won't eat it(definitely)if it's really a bomb equal to 炸弹...

29. Ahla left...

Thursday, 31 July 2008 7:20 pm

Aiyoyo,that "bomb pig" hor,make my stomach tickle,and "eat definitly" extra tickle! For "eat definitly":force people?to eat? For "bomb pig": eat bomb pig?the pig is actually a bomb...

30. JayWalk left...

Friday, 1 August 2008 9:33 pm ::

Ahla: Welcome to the blog. Glad you enjoy this entry. :)

31. Ahla left...

Saturday, 16 August 2008 11:58 am

LOL.if you are gonna ask me what i ate,i ate NOTHING.

32. ahla left...

Saturday, 16 August 2008 1:24 pm

how 'bout 炸蛋？

33. JayWalk left...

Sunday, 17 August 2008 9:32 am :: 

AhLa: Awww... where's your sense of adventure?

34. Ahla left...

Saturday, 23 August 2008 1:18 pm

Lol. The pan is dark winter one,Broken English lol ! And When There is a dark winter? The Pan is dark winter,when do dark pans drop during winter?? and thers not even "one" Dark pan dropping down during winter...

35. JayWalk left...

Saturday, 23 August 2008 2:20 pm :: 

AhLa: I believe it's season. May they switch to light pans in the summer?

Lost In Translation II

Spotted this sign in the locker/shower room of the ShenZhen Airport's Golf Club. Can't help but laughed out loud while frantically fishing for my Lumix from my bag. This is too good not to take a snap of it.

Question: According to the Chinese part of the notice, which head is not hygienic nor safe to blow har?

I can see it now, a row of naked men sitting there in front of the vanity mirrors with hair dryers in their hands.....

Oh my eyes!!!! My eyes!!!!!

While on the topic of signs in China, got this one in my email from Freddy (Thanks mate!). I thought it was meant more to be tongue-in-cheek joke than a actual warning.

I especially love that part about the "friendly security guards" to help "sort" things out if you are unsure. Excellent!

- Voxeros

1. Dicta left...

Monday, 13 June 2005 11:51 am

The Zapata's notice is way cool. Prostitutes sure love to be sorted out in a way or another.

2. JayWalk left...

Monday, 13 June 2005 12:47 pm ::

Yah man....
Note to self: Must check out restaurant when I got to Shanghai next time.

3. Dicta left...

Wednesday, 15 June 2005 5:38 pm

Checked out Zapata (club) a couple of times in Shanghai. Lotsa bar top dancing for a start: )... One time I was there, 2 other Chow Ang Mo men joined in the fray at the bar top.

4. JayWalk left...

Wednesday, 15 June 2005 7:43 pm :: 

You've been there? Cool! 

I guess it's a restaurant/club concept. How's the food? Authentic Mex or Tex-Mex or char-pa-lang Cheena-Mex?

Lost In Translation - KFC

This was emailed to me from my cousin all the way from El Monte, CA. (Thanks Nick!)

Judging from the simplified chinese characters on the sign, it is safe to guess that the picture originated from Ch1na. Ironic isn't it? Here I am in Ch1na and the picture came from my cousin in El Monte (next to Los Angeles).

I have only 2 words for whoever did the ad sign.

"Win Liao."

- Voxeros