Lost In Translation: 7 Funny Translation Fails
Have you ever thought of translation as an easy skill to acquire? That is, you just need to know English and one more language?
Let us explain why it’s not as simple as many people think. You don’t just become a translator after a few days of experience. Moreover, the fact that you speak two languages doesn’t automatically make you a translator. This curious profession, which dates back to millennia, is often misunderstood.
Translation doesn’t only refer to transmitting words and sentences but also intentions, emotions, feelings, information, stories, and many more. Translators should handle prose and poetry, anthropology and linguistics, psychology, and in-depth knowledge of various disciplines all at the same time. It’s like killing not just two, but multiple birds with one stone.
Meanwhile, besides the incredible power of language to unite people, there are countless unique words, phrases, idiosyncrasies, subtleties, technical jargon, rules, and conventional wisdom to take into consideration.
Some translation fails as well as marketing or localization mistakes cost more than just losing revenue or market share. The failure can quickly go viral and negatively affect a brand’s image on a long-term scale.
If you still think that translation is a piece of cake, take a look at the funny translation fails we compiled below. Grab some popcorn, and enjoy this hilarious list!
#1
The above Japanglish translation makes it into our list of the top 7 funny translation fails.
What do you think was going through the mind of the office worker when he placed that sign on the door? We guess he was trying to say that it’s dangerous to enter that room. Let’s accept it; it is fair to laugh a little at this if you don’t speak Japanese.
Who ever thinks of himself as dangerous enough for an office room anyway?
#2
How is that for a funny translation?
We suppose that the people behind this are genuinely concerned about children playing around the neighborhood that they placed a warning sign for childrens’ safety. Unfortunately, the Arabic contextual meaning is far different from how it was translated into English. (The English version sounded like a warning to passers-by and drivers about dead slow children playing in that area. Creepy.)
#3
A police officer has a long list of responsibilities indeed. But who said that should include attending to anyone putting their waste in the litter bin?
We’re sure that wasn’t the original intention, but we give this hilarious Spanish to English literal translation fail an “A” for totally making our day!
#4
A gentle reminder to those who ~slip carelessly~.
This is another epic translation fail of a sign in Chinglish that’s sure to give you a good laugh. The English sentence “Slip and fall down carefully” is translated from Chinese “小心滑倒” which if translated literally means “beware of slipping”.
Well, we never knew that it’s possible to fall gracefully.
#5
Shh! Don’t disturb the cute, tiny grass. It’s sound asleep and dreaming.
Does this translation sound funny to you? We all know what it’s like to be misunderstood, but this little miss and the idea that grass can dream has actually become a widespread meme in China. (We wonder what it’s supposed to be dreaming of…)
If you think this translation is strange or ridiculous, wait until you see our next funny translation fail examples.
#6
A typical example of a literal translation!
The restaurant and hospitality sphere also can’t avoid the wrath of bad translation. Instead of having “enjoy your meal”, the owner/translator of the restaurant wrote “Good Appetite”. People don’t typically say anything to mark the start of a meal in English. For English speakers, this phrase means one can eat a lot or likes eating very much, so the phrase “Good Appetite” is totally out of context and can lead to confusion, or worse, sound offensive to customers.
#7
Sounds weird, right? The translation made it sound like the administration wanted their guests to turn on the vacuum cleaner whenever they want to take a shower in the bathroom.
Or maybe they do have an ultra-high-tech vacuum cleaner that can take care of your shower at the same time…?
Well, nothing’s impossible with technology and innovation, I guess.
To sum up…
One of the most prevalent limitations of machine translation is how it cannot keep up with the changes in the nuances and cultural slang of languages. These misgivings result in the translations feeling inconsistent, robotic, and unnatural.
These classic yet funny translation fails highlight the importance of proper translation and localization for all markets and industries. Almost every business owner needs professional translation and language services to overcome cultural and language barriers. For multinational businesses, it is undeniably important to hire a specialized translator who has a mastery of the source and target languages.
Moreover, it is crucial that the person providing professional business translation services is aware of the rules and foundations of the languages from which the texts are translated, as well as the language they are translated into so that they can convey a complete and accurate perception without any deviations.
Having more than 10 years of experience, we at CCCI ensure linguistic and cultural localization and translation for every industry in 30 and more languages. Our specialists are experts in translation and localization services for startups, small businesses, as well as huge companies and industry giants. We are also passionate about helping businesses gain success in entering foreign markets, going global, and maximizing sales with the help of our multilingual support and BPO services.
Don’t forget to share your favorite funny translation fails with us in the comments below.
Note: The images are recreations of actual photos of translation fails around the world.
Check also – Translation and localization trends for 2022, Insurance Translation: Services for Insurance Companies, Press Release Translation: Your Multilingual PR Strategy.
