(Edited) No offense to Japanese people or any foreigner (I am a foreign student in US)
Got this from http://www.engrish.com they have picture too
Submitted 9/24/99 ELTON BYINGTON WRITES:
Perhaps the best job I ever had with this company was many years ago when I "translated" Japanese technical manuals from Engrish into English. Here's an example, from the manual for a Toho Denki (Matsushita) facsimile transmitter for Wirephotos, which has stuck with me for almost 30 years:
"Care must be exorcised when handring Opiticar System as it is apts to be sticked by dusts and hand-fat."
Translation: "Keep your fingers off the lens."
These technical manuals were for highly specialized and sophisticated electromechanical equipment, and the Japanese-to-Engrish translators had obviously struggled mightily to convey their meaning. Unfortunately, their descriptions were more often risible than clear. When faced with a particularly egregious block of impenetrable text, my only recourse was to take the equipment apart and analyze its operation, then write the manual from scratch.
Manuals for consumer electronics have improved greatly since the days when Sony warned: "Do not attempt to open cassette case as it is exquisitely fixed," in the manual for an early portable cassette recorder. It's good to know the Japanese' penchant for addleheaded Engrish expressions hasn't disappeared!
Submitted 9/24/99 ADAM SMITH WRITES:
I spent a summer in Japan two years ago. Among my fonder memories:
From a can of Blendy, an iced coffee drink: "Casual, yet rich in substance. That's how you are, and so is Blendy."
From a can of Coffee Time, one of Blendy's competitors: "Well-mellowed flavor and aroma make surely you will have a refreshing drink."
From a breakfast pastry package: "Through years of experience, Doutor Danish is produced from the finest materials to create a happy time on tables."
From a box of ChocoBouchees, chocolate dessert cakes with vanilla icing (similar to Ding Dongs): "Confidence of creating deliciousness. This tastiness can not be carried even by both hands."
From a cheap paper photo album distributed free with photo processing: "The scene still comes to mind now and then. Cake was baking in the oven and mother was making tea for us. We were veild in good old smell." [sic]
Finally, the office in which I was working had a set of English instructions for the phone system that had been typed up by one of the Japanese in the office. At one point, the instructions were meant to include the sentence "Hook the phone," meaning (I assume) "hang up the phone."
The author of the instructions apparently didn't know how to spell "hook", so I suppose he tried to sound it out. There is no "hoo" sound in Japanese. The closest is something like "foo", which generally gets transliterated as "fu". As for the "k" sound, the author apparently decided that in this case "ck" was more likely to be correct than just "k".
So the end result of all this was that the instructions contained the sentence "Fuck the phone." For the Americans in the office, it was good for about ten minutes of barely-contained laughter.
No offense to Japanese people or any foreigner
(I am a foreign student in US)
Got this from http://www.engrish.com
they have picture too
Submitted 9/24/99
ADAM SMITH WRITES:
I spent a summer in Japan two years ago. Among my fonder memories:
From a can of Blendy, an iced coffee drink:
"Casual, yet rich in substance. That's how you are, and so is Blendy."
From a can of Coffee Time, one of Blendy's competitors:
"Well-mellowed flavor and aroma make surely you will have a refreshing
drink."
From a breakfast pastry package:
"Through years of experience, Doutor Danish is produced from the finest
materials to create a happy time on tables."
From a box of ChocoBouchees, chocolate dessert cakes with vanilla icing
(similar to Ding Dongs):
"Confidence of creating deliciousness. This tastiness can not be carried
even by both hands."
From a cheap paper photo album distributed free with photo processing:
"The scene still comes to mind now and then. Cake was baking in the oven
and mother was making tea for us. We were veild in good old smell." [sic]
Finally, the office in which I was working had a set of
English instructions for the phone system that had been typed up by one of
the Japanese in the office. At one point, the instructions were meant to
include the sentence "Hook the phone," meaning (I assume) "hang up the
phone."
The author of the instructions apparently didn't know how to spell "hook",
so I suppose he tried to sound it out. There is no "hoo" sound in
Japanese. The closest is something like "foo", which generally gets
transliterated as "fu". As for the "k" sound, the author apparently
decided that in this case "ck" was more likely to be correct than just
"k".
So the end result of all this was that the instructions contained the
sentence "Fuck the phone." For the Americans in the office, it was good
for about ten minutes of barely-contained laughter.
Submitted 9/24/99
ELTON BYINGTON WRITES:
Perhaps the best job I ever had with this company was many years ago when I
"translated" Japanese technical manuals from Engrish into English. Here's an
example, from the manual for a Toho Denki (Matsushita) facsimile transmitter for
Wirephotos, which has stuck with me for almost 30 years:
"Care must be exorcised when handring Opiticar System as it is apts to be
sticked by dusts and hand-fat."
Translation: "Keep your fingers off the lens."
These technical manuals were for highly specialized and sophisticated
electromechanical equipment, and the Japanese-to-Engrish translators had
obviously struggled mightily to convey their meaning. Unfortunately, their
descriptions were more often risible than clear. When faced with a particularly
egregious block of impenetrable text, my only recourse was to take the equipment
apart and analyze its operation, then write the manual from scratch.
Manuals for consumer electronics have improved greatly since the days when Sony
warned: "Do not attempt to open cassette case as it is exquisitely fixed," in
the manual for an early portable cassette recorder. It's good to know the
Japanese' penchant for addleheaded Engrish expressions hasn't disappeared!
Slashdot Mirror
(Edited)
No offense to Japanese people or any foreigner
(I am a foreign student in US)
Got this from http://www.engrish.com
they have picture too
Submitted 9/24/99
ELTON BYINGTON WRITES:
Perhaps the best job I ever had with this company was many years ago when I
"translated" Japanese technical manuals from Engrish into English. Here's an
example, from the manual for a Toho Denki (Matsushita) facsimile transmitter for
Wirephotos, which has stuck with me for almost 30 years:
"Care must be exorcised when handring Opiticar System as it is apts to be
sticked by dusts and hand-fat."
Translation: "Keep your fingers off the lens."
These technical manuals were for highly specialized and sophisticated
electromechanical equipment, and the Japanese-to-Engrish translators had
obviously struggled mightily to convey their meaning. Unfortunately, their
descriptions were more often risible than clear. When faced with a particularly
egregious block of impenetrable text, my only recourse was to take the equipment
apart and analyze its operation, then write the manual from scratch.
Manuals for consumer electronics have improved greatly since the days when Sony
warned: "Do not attempt to open cassette case as it is exquisitely fixed," in
the manual for an early portable cassette recorder. It's good to know the
Japanese' penchant for addleheaded Engrish expressions hasn't disappeared!
Submitted 9/24/99
ADAM SMITH WRITES:
I spent a summer in Japan two years ago. Among my fonder memories:
From a can of Blendy, an iced coffee drink:
"Casual, yet rich in substance. That's how you are, and so is Blendy."
From a can of Coffee Time, one of Blendy's competitors:
"Well-mellowed flavor and aroma make surely you will have a refreshing
drink."
From a breakfast pastry package:
"Through years of experience, Doutor Danish is produced from the finest
materials to create a happy time on tables."
From a box of ChocoBouchees, chocolate dessert cakes with vanilla icing
(similar to Ding Dongs):
"Confidence of creating deliciousness. This tastiness can not be carried
even by both hands."
From a cheap paper photo album distributed free with photo processing:
"The scene still comes to mind now and then. Cake was baking in the oven
and mother was making tea for us. We were veild in good old smell." [sic]
Finally, the office in which I was working had a set of
English instructions for the phone system that had been typed up by one of
the Japanese in the office. At one point, the instructions were meant to
include the sentence "Hook the phone," meaning (I assume) "hang up the
phone."
The author of the instructions apparently didn't know how to spell "hook",
so I suppose he tried to sound it out. There is no "hoo" sound in
Japanese. The closest is something like "foo", which generally gets
transliterated as "fu". As for the "k" sound, the author apparently
decided that in this case "ck" was more likely to be correct than just
"k".
So the end result of all this was that the instructions contained the
sentence "Fuck the phone." For the Americans in the office, it was good
for about ten minutes of barely-contained laughter.
No offense to Japanese people or any foreigner (I am a foreign student in US) Got this from http://www.engrish.com they have picture too Submitted 9/24/99 ADAM SMITH WRITES: I spent a summer in Japan two years ago. Among my fonder memories: From a can of Blendy, an iced coffee drink: "Casual, yet rich in substance. That's how you are, and so is Blendy." From a can of Coffee Time, one of Blendy's competitors: "Well-mellowed flavor and aroma make surely you will have a refreshing drink." From a breakfast pastry package: "Through years of experience, Doutor Danish is produced from the finest materials to create a happy time on tables." From a box of ChocoBouchees, chocolate dessert cakes with vanilla icing (similar to Ding Dongs): "Confidence of creating deliciousness. This tastiness can not be carried even by both hands." From a cheap paper photo album distributed free with photo processing: "The scene still comes to mind now and then. Cake was baking in the oven and mother was making tea for us. We were veild in good old smell." [sic] Finally, the office in which I was working had a set of English instructions for the phone system that had been typed up by one of the Japanese in the office. At one point, the instructions were meant to include the sentence "Hook the phone," meaning (I assume) "hang up the phone." The author of the instructions apparently didn't know how to spell "hook", so I suppose he tried to sound it out. There is no "hoo" sound in Japanese. The closest is something like "foo", which generally gets transliterated as "fu". As for the "k" sound, the author apparently decided that in this case "ck" was more likely to be correct than just "k". So the end result of all this was that the instructions contained the sentence "Fuck the phone." For the Americans in the office, it was good for about ten minutes of barely-contained laughter. Submitted 9/24/99 ELTON BYINGTON WRITES: Perhaps the best job I ever had with this company was many years ago when I "translated" Japanese technical manuals from Engrish into English. Here's an example, from the manual for a Toho Denki (Matsushita) facsimile transmitter for Wirephotos, which has stuck with me for almost 30 years: "Care must be exorcised when handring Opiticar System as it is apts to be sticked by dusts and hand-fat." Translation: "Keep your fingers off the lens." These technical manuals were for highly specialized and sophisticated electromechanical equipment, and the Japanese-to-Engrish translators had obviously struggled mightily to convey their meaning. Unfortunately, their descriptions were more often risible than clear. When faced with a particularly egregious block of impenetrable text, my only recourse was to take the equipment apart and analyze its operation, then write the manual from scratch. Manuals for consumer electronics have improved greatly since the days when Sony warned: "Do not attempt to open cassette case as it is exquisitely fixed," in the manual for an early portable cassette recorder. It's good to know the Japanese' penchant for addleheaded Engrish expressions hasn't disappeared!