Lost In Translation (America, pray, worship, muslim, prayer)

[HopefulNikki]

I found this paper the other day given to me by one of my friends a while back, and when reading through it, I found it just as utterly hilarious as I did the first time. Hope you enjoy it!

Here are some examples of how American businesses have tried to take their slogans into foreign languages:

1. When Braniff airlines translated a slogan touting its upholstery, "Fly in leather," it came out in Spanish as "Fly naked."
2. Coors put its slogan, "Turn it loose," into Spanish, where it was read as "Suffer from diarrhea."
3. Chicken magnate Frank Perdue's line, "It takes a tough man to make a tender chicken," sounds much more interesting in Spanish: "It takes a sexually stimulated man to make a chicken affectionate."
4. When Vicks first introduced its cough drops on the German market, the company was chagrined to learn that the German pronunciation of v is f --which in German is the gutteral equivalent of "sexual penetration." Not to be outdone, Procter & Gamble later tried to introduce its Puffs tissues, only to learn that Puff in German is a colloquial term for a whorehouse. The English weren't too fond of the name either, as it's a highly derogatory term for a nonheterosexual.
5. The Chevy Nova never sold well in Spanish-speaking countries. No va means "It doesn't go" in Spanish.
6. When Pepsi started marketing its products in China a few years back, they translated their slogan, "Pepsi brings you back to life" pretty literally. The slogan in Chinese really meant, "Pepsi brings your ancestors back from the grave."
7. When Coca-Cola first shipped to China, they named the product something that when pronounced sounded like "Coca-Cola." The only problem was that the characters used meant "Bite the waxed tadpole." The company later changed to a set of characters that means "Happiness in the mouth."
8. A hair products company, Clairol, introduced the "Mist Stick", a curling iron, into Germany only to find out that Mist is slang for "manure." Not too many people had use for the manure stick.
9. When Gerber first started selling baby food in Africa, they used the same packaging as in the USA--with a cute baby on the label. Later they found out that in Africa, companies routinely put on the label pictures of what's inside, since most people can't read.

[Djamila]

From the Gazi Hurev-Begova Mosque in Sarajevo:

"Welcome tourist. Please welcome you beings to our house of pray. Please conduct this rules: no loud happiness, no too less womans and girls, no combat pray hour. You beings welcome all corner to probe, also respecting pray hour or no companions."

And in Bosnian: "Welcome to Gazi-Husrev Begova Mosque. Feel free to enter our House of Worship, whether you are Muslim or not. However, please remember the following rules: No loud music, no revealing clothing, and please be respectful of prayer times. You are free to explore all areas of this historic and beautiful building, except prayer areas while they are in use."

[Djamila]

Now who made a bigger mess of it.

This hotel in Belgrade, Serbia:
"To move the cabin, push button for wishing floor. If the cabin should enter more persons, each one should press a number of wishing floor. Driving is then going alphabetically by national order."

Or this hotel in Sarajevo, Bosnia:
"Guests should announce the abandonment of theirs rooms before 12 o'clock, emptying the room at the latest until 14 o'clock, for the use of the room before 5 at the arrival or after the 16 o'clock at the departure, will be billed as one night more."

http://www.ojohaven.com/fun/translation.funnies.html

EDIT: Allow me to translate

Belgrade: To operate the elevator, push the button with the number of the floor you wish to go to. If more people should enter the elevator on another floor, the elevator will follow its natural order. (Meaning if you get on at 1 and are going to 10, but someone gets on at 3 to go 6, it stops at 6 first).

Sarajevo: Guests should confirm they are checking out of the room by noon, and actually check out before 2. This is so that the room can be cleaned and ready for the next guests by 5. If you do not check out by 4, you will be billed for an additional night.

[Katzpur]

Originally Posted by Djamila

Now who made a bigger mess of it.

This hotel in Belgrade, Serbia:
"To move the cabin, push button for wishing floor. If the cabin should enter more persons, each one should press a number of wishing floor. Driving is then going alphabetically by national order."

Or this hotel in Sarajevo, Bosnia:
"Guests should announce the abandonment of theirs rooms before 12 o'clock, emptying the room at the latest until 14 o'clock, for the use of the room before 5 at the arrival or after the 16 o'clock at the departure, will be billed as one night more."

http://www.ojohaven.com/fun/translation.funnies.html

EDIT: Allow me to translate

Belgrade: To operate the elevator, push the button with the number of the floor you wish to go to. If more people should enter the elevator on another floor, the elevator will follow its natural order. (Meaning if you get on at 1 and are going to 10, but someone gets on at 3 to go 6, it stops at 6 first).

Sarajevo: Guests should confirm they are checking out of the room by noon, and actually check out before 2. This is so that the room can be cleaned and ready for the next guests by 5. If you do not check out by 4, you will be billed for an additional night.

LOL, Mila. Where were you when they needed you?

[Capt. Haddock]

Originally Posted by HopefulNikki

5. The Chevy Nova never sold well in Spanish-speaking countries. No va means "It doesn't go" in Spanish.

That's not that bad. Much worse is the Mitsubishi Pajero. Pajero is a rather rude Spanish term for one who masturbates. In Latin America they changed the name to the “Montero”, but in Spain it’s still called the Pajero. The first time I saw one of those, I couldn’t stop laughing.

Also, the Toyota MR2, in French is pronounced “emmerdeux” which sounds like “crappy”.