Top Translation Blunders

A translator almost caused an international incident in Sudan by mistranslating United Nations official’s speech saying that they would work hard to prevent “secession”. Where as what they meant to say was that they would work hard to void “any negative consequences” coming from a possible secession.

A temporary road sign in Cardiff cautioning, “pedestrians look left” in English was translated for Welsh readers as “cerddwyr edrychwch i’r dde” – “pedestrians look right.”

Lincoln prison in England mistranslated “exercise yard” as “execution yard” on the Russian introduction pamphlet that was given out to new prisoners.

The online news source Kazakhstan Today has mistranslated Kazakh President’s speech into English stating that the president felt that the country was not “passing gas” in a proper manner.

Mead Johnson Nutritionals of Indiana discovered this, when in 2001, it recalled 4,600,000 cans of infant formula from Mexico, mislabeled with incorrect preparation instructions in Spanish. In 2004, another English to Spanish translation blunder of preparation instructions resulted in a FDA enforced recall. In both recalls, potential serious health problems, caused if the products had been consumed according to the label instructions, were averted.

CNN found out the ripple affect of an innocent single word mistranslation, when it incurred the wrath of the Iranian Government in 2006, after it reported on the country’s nuclear program. Although the matter was quickly resolved and the ban lifted, the incident, nonetheless, highlighted the necessity for translation accuracy. Translating the Farsi word technology as weapons was not appreciated.

In 2001, Honda intended to release an automobile known as the Fit in Asian markets as the Honda Fitta on the European market. However, in Swedish and Norwegian, fitta is a crude reference to female genitalia, and the vehicle was rebranded Honda Jazz.

The Dairy Association’s huge success with the campaign ‘Got Milk?’ prompted them to expand advertising to Mexico. It was soon brought to their attention the Spanish translation read “Are you lactating?”

Scandinavian vacuum manufacturer Electrolux used the following in an American campaign: ‘Nothing sucks like an Electrolux’.

An American T-shirt maker in Miami printed shirts for the Spanish market which promoted the Pope’s visit. Instead of ‘I saw the Pope’ (el Papa), the shirts read ‘I Saw the Potato‘ (la papa).

Pepsi’s ‘Come Alive with the Pepsi Generation’ translated into ‘Pepsi brings your ancestors back from the dead’ in Chinese.

The Coca-Cola name in China was first read as ‘Kekoukela’, meaning ‘Bite the wax tadpole’ or ‘female horse stuffed with wax’, depending on the dialect. Coke then researched 40,000 characters to find a phonetic equivalent ‘kokou kole’, translating into ‘happiness in the mouth’.

When American Airlines wanted to advertise its new leather first class seats in the Mexican market, they translated their ‘Fly in Leather’ campaign literally, which meant ‘Fly Naked’ (vuela en cuero) in Spanish.

“The lift is being fixed for the next day. During that time we regret that you will be unbearable”.

“Please leave your values at the front desk”.

“You are welcome to visit the cemetery where famous Russian and Soviet composers, artists, and writers are buried daily except Thursdays”.

“Our wines leave you nothing to hope for”.

“Salad a firm’s own make; limpid red beet soup with cheesy dumplings in the form of a finger; roasted duck let loose; beef rashers beaten up in the country people’s fashion”.

There will be a Moscow Exhibition of Arts by 15,000 Soviet Republic painters and sculptors. These were executed over the past two years.

It is strictly forbidden on our black forest camping site that people of different sex, for instance, men and women, live together in one tent unless they are married with each other for that purpose.

Would you like to ride on your own ass?

Stop: Drive Sideways.

We take your bags and send them in all directions.

If this is your first visit to the USSR, you are welcome to it.

Please do not feed the animals. If you have any suitable food, give it to the guard on duty.

Specialist in women and other diseases.

When passenger of foot heave in sight, tootle the horn. Trumpet him melodiously at first, but if he still obstacles your passage then tootle him with vigor.

– English well talking.

– Here speeching American.

Included with the package of complimentary wares in a Chinese hotel was a pair of workout shorts marked: “Uncomplimentary pants”

The translation of the Ethnic Minorities Park in Beijing for a long time was “Racist Park”.