Thread: Funny translations.

  1. #1
    It's full of stars adrianxw's Avatar
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    Funny translations.

    I was reading the entertainment supplement with todays paper. It contained a list of mistranslations that had appeared in the subtitles of English language programs broadcast on the television here.

    Some of them are absolutely hysterical. Unfortunately, so you can read them, I'll have to translate the Danish back to English.

    I can vaguely understand these ones...

    "Jim is a Vietnam vet" -> "Jim is an animal doctor from Vietnam"

    "You're grounded" -> "You are forbidden to fly"

    "You've got ivory skin" -> "You have elephant skin"

    "He built all the components from scratch" -> "He built all the components from household waste"

    "The dynamite is connected to a timing device" -> "The dynamite is connected to a time machine"

    "Hit the dirt" -> "Spank the soil"

    "Bring your spirit level" -> "Come in an average mood"

    "How about a tactical airstrike" -> "How about a tactical airport strike" (as in refusing to work)

    In these PC times it is difficult to make jokes" -> "It is difficult to make jokes in the computer age"

    "I have more power in my pinkie than he has in his whole body" -> "I have more power in my penis than he has in his whole body"

    These ones left me really wondering what was going through the mind of the translator...

    "Would you like a cup of tea" -> "Will you have a slice of pizza"

    "He reciprocated" -> "He was stuck in his zipper"

    "I'll unhitch the horse team" -> "I'll make a cup of tea"

    There were loads more of these - made me laugh.
    Wave upon wave of demented avengers march cheerfully out of obscurity unto the dream.

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    It's nothing. A month ago I read a book on dynamic HTML, which was actually a translation from English into Czech. Several sentences were pretty hard to decipher but among the most interesting parts was "check box" delicately translated as "inspection box". I meditated good while what does it mean.
    And those people call themselves specialists.

    Nice day.

  3. #3
    Mayor of Awesometown Govtcheez's Avatar
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    > "I'll unhitch the horse team" -> "I'll make a cup of tea"

    > "Would you like a cup of tea" -> "Will you have a slice of pizza"

    I'll unhitch the pizza team!

  4. #4
    Just one more wrong move. -KEN-'s Avatar
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    >>"I have more power in my pinkie than he has in his whole body" -> "I have more power in my penis than he has in his whole body"<<

    I think that one sounds way cooler. But if it's the movie I'm thinking of, it was a woman saying it...:-/

  5. #5
    It's full of stars adrianxw's Avatar
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    Unfortunately, it didn't give the original source. I have to say, although I can understand the audio, I still find myself reading the Danish text, and I frequently notice the spoken and written dialog have substantial variation.
    Wave upon wave of demented avengers march cheerfully out of obscurity unto the dream.

  6. #6
    The Earth is not flat. Clyde's Avatar
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    In an Indian film I've watched, which was particularly epic and tragic, there was scene where the hero is travelling by train to see his loved one for one last time, before he dies, his liver being in the later stages of cirosis.

    Annnnyway, he's there with his friend who decides it would be a good idea to get wasted on the train, and convinces him to have a few drinks, following that he gets even more ill, and confesses to the friend that he's dying, well in the Hindi, his friend asks him what can be done to help him, and he explains that his problem is incurable.... In the English translation.. and this was great... when asked what can be done, he replies "I haven't been to the doctor"...

    You haven't been to the doctor!?

  7. #7
    Registered User LogicError's Avatar
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    That's funny.. I have a funny one too, check this out:

    You know that ADIDAS stands for "All Day I Dream About Sports" ... that is, until now.. A.D.I.D.A.S.: "Artificial Digital Individual Designed for Assassination and Sabotage"

    And we all know what a pickle is.. But these days.. BEWARE OF PICKLES! P.I.C.K.L.E.: "Positronic Individual Calibrated for Killing and Logical Exploration"

    Just ask me if you want more, I got a little program to get them (like the one I got for my signature.. funky isnt it?)

  8. #8
    Crazy Fool Perspective's Avatar
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    >> Just ask me if you want more, I got a little program to get them

    or you could just post a link to the web site that does this.

    There was already a thread about it...
    http://cboard.cprogramming.com/showt...threadid=37957

  9. #9
    C++ Developer XSquared's Avatar
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    Originally posted by LogicError
    You know that ADIDAS stands for "All Day I Dream About Sports" ... that is, until now.. A.D.I.D.A.S.: "Artificial Digital Individual Designed for Assassination and Sabotage"
    Try listening to ADIDAS by KoRn. That'll change your definition.
    Naturally I didn't feel inspired enough to read all the links for you, since I already slaved away for long hours under a blistering sun pressing the search button after typing four whole words! - Quzah

    You. Fetch me my copy of the Wall Street Journal. You two, fight to the death - Stewie

  10. #10
    I don't think the translator did too bad, you should've seen some of the things I came up with in Spanish class last year!!!

  11. #11
    Redundantly Redundant RoD's Avatar
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    Originally posted by XSquared
    Try listening to ADIDAS by KoRn. That'll change your definition.
    Well we know where your mind is! I was thinking the same thing

  12. #12
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    hah, yeah, me too!
    Medical Robotics: "Pursuing perfection in healthcare through innovations in robotics and information technologies for medicine and surgery."

  13. #13
    Registered User LogicError's Avatar
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    Umm.. I didnt have that site actually, I had the Cyborg thing installed on my mirc.. i got the snippet from www.mircscripts.org called cyborg..

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