Discussion Forum (Archived)
Guest
Egg-on-face bloopers can make a yolk or worse of any translation. Spare a little sympathy for the young American Rotary exchange student who…was called upon, at the end of her stay, to give a speech before members of the local Rotary Club and their wives. She was doing quite well…until she made a forceful comment on the role of women in Japan compared with that in her own country. “The women in my country are free,†she said in Japanese, “and many have jobs, too. But almost all of the women in this, my host city, are prostitutes.â€[She] had intended to label the women in her host city as shufu (housewives); but had actually called them shofu (harlots, prostitutes, call girls).
Heh. Loved this part, too:
>>My old friend, the renowned simultaneous interpreter Masumi Matsumura, recounted to me an incident that occurred when he was interpreting in Washington for a Japanese prime minister. Asked what kind of defense policy he envisaged for Japan, the prime minister remarked that Japan was like a porcupine. In other words, the country would not attack, but would be well armed, as it were, if set upon by others.
Now, the Japanese word for porcupine is harinezumi, or, literally, "needle mouse." Unfortunately, the prime minister had turned his head to one side when saying this, and Matsumura heard only the second half of the word, being nezumi (mouse). He was about to translate this with "Our defense policy is that of a mouse," when that all-important bell of common sense chimed in his head and he asked the prime minister for clarification.<<
Nice.
Martha Barnette
Grant Barrett
Grant Barrett
1 Guest(s)