It's a funny thing - I find English being misspoken with a thick Indian accent rather frustrating, but the closely-related phenomenon of English being 'misspoken' in print, in a way that smacks of computer translation from an East Asian language, oddly endearing sometimes.
Take, for example, the text on the chopstick packet from the noodle bar Sam and I went to in Littlehampton, on one of the days out from Root Hill last week:
"Welcome to Chinese Restaurant.
Please try your Nice Chinese Food With Chopsticks
the traditional and typical of Chinese glorious history.
and culture
BAMBOO CHOPSTICKS
PRODUCT OF CHINA"
I think the text says it all. If you appreciate the Engrish, then you appreciate it; if you don't, then no amount of explanation on my part is going to make you get it.
One other thing - it wasn't even a Chinese noodle bar. It was Thai.
- The Colclough
The 'About' section on Polaris Office is hilarious, for exactly the same reason. Well, apart from the noodle-y bit, obviously. Oddly enough, though, the parent company is based in the US...
ReplyDeleteThis brings to my mind a few related incidents. The first was a pair of riding gloves whose interestingly-translated label claimed their non-slip surface gave "perfect control". Any rider would wish it were only that easy...
ReplyDeleteThe second was a pair of takeaway chopsticks that claimed, with the right technique, "you can pick up anything!" This was disproved when my coursemate Tom failed to remove a peach from a tin using those very same chopsticks.
And finally - the (otherwise rather sophisticated) computer virus masquerading as a genuine Windows message, but which gave itself away thanks to some bad English translation. Serve the blighters right.