Those who have travelled to the non-English speaking countries might have encountered some amusing English translations. There are some English translations Roger Axtell has encountered while traveling round the world.
In a Japanese hotel – You are invited to take advantage of the chambermaid.
In a Swiss hotel – Because of the impropriety of entertaining guests of the opposite sex in the bedroom, it is suggested that the lobby be used for this purpose.
In a Turkish hotel – Because of fallibility in our phone system, for room services step outside your door and shoot “ROOM SERVICE”.
In a Bucharest hotel lobby – The lift is being fixed for the next day. During that time we regret that you will be unbearable.
In a Bucharest hotel elevator – To move the cabin, push button for wishing floor. If cabin should enter more persons, each one should a number of wishing floor. Driving is then going alphabetically by national order.
In a Japanese hotel (instruction for using the room air conditioner) – Coolers and Heaters : If you want just condition of warm in your room, please control yourself.
From the Soviet Weekly – There will be a Moscow Exhibition of Arts by 15,000 Soviet painters and sculptors. These were executed over the past two years.
On the menu of a Polish hotel – Salad a firm’s own make; limpid red beet soup with cheesy dumplings in the form of a finger; roasted duck let loose, beef rashers beaten up in the country people’s fashion.
From a brochure of a car rental firm in Tokyo – When passenger of foot have in sight, tootle the horn. Trumpet him melodiously at first, but if he still obstacles your passage then tootle him with vigor.
According to a professor at the University of Sonora in Hermosillo, Mexico, a 1993 Spanish version of the Arizona driver’s license manual contained these statements :
- Drivers must attend the funeral wakes of children.
- Drivers who have donated their eyes, hearts and other organs may ask to have their organs returned to them at any time.
- Drivers must ensure that infants are constructed to certain specifications.
Source : “Do’s and Taboos of Using English Around the World” by Roger E. Axtell. Published by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.