Translation of websites

[Rooney]

I had an inquiry for some specifications of one of our products. As ussual I did some research to find out more about the company interested. I know some languages are difficult to translate between but this REALLY caught my eye as what not to do.

(WARNING: Persons with breathing difficulties while laughing should not read this site)

http://www.goodome.com/beta/english/e_company.html

[BJ9]

OMG

"We are doing the best to make good dome"


BJ

[Silva Consultants]

This is a particularly humorous example of bad translation.

However, when I start to make fun of people who speak poor English, I often have to stop and remind myself that most Americans (myself included) can only speak a single language, when many people from other countries can speak at least two languages, and often four or five.

[N. A. Corbier]

Ah, Engrish. What's even worse is that you can usually tell which country they're from (China, Japan, or Korea) based off the way the Engrish is spelled. While this is automatic translation and not true Engrish (I don't think the Koreans use English to be _cool_ like the Japanese do, although the Japanese are loving French right now), its still kinda funny.

They should of had their American distributor do the site.

[NRM_Oz]

It makes it worse for when I have dealt with people in the USA and unthinking have used some slang or just every day terms for us, only to receive blank stares or questions of "What did you say ?"

I am sure we have all opened up the instructions for that "easy to assemble chair - in 10 minutes" and read the translations and laughed as well. My new office chair came in a box and I ended up using the pictures as the thought of "use codless screw machine as much screwing is often" was not my idea of easy assembly.

[HotelSecurity]

Being English but living in Quebec where 80% of the population is French we "Anglophones" find ourselves using French words mixed in with English. They even have a name for it: Franglais!

EG: In security we always refer to the dossier instead of file. The bank has a guichet not an ATM machine. There are many many more examples. The Francophones mix English in their conversations. The Allophones (Mother tongue neither French or English) mix in both!

[integrator97]

I also think it's bad when we get install and (worse) user manuals with poor english. And sometimes it's top tier companies, and even US companies with an import product like a low cost DVR. Hire a native US proof reading company already. What's it cost. A grand?

[Ron Jessee]

WOW, even the 'ENGRISH' the instructions my Saiga was packed up in was better than that.

[Maelstrom]

Ah, Engrish. What's even worse is that you can usually tell which country they're from (China, Japan, or Korea) based off the way the Engrish is spelled.

Personally... I'd prefer badly worded, spelt & constructed English to none at all (as was the case with a recent GameBoy DS add-on I encountered )

Lets face it, Latin used to be the international language... then came French & finally English so what's next? I guess at least they went to the trouble/effort to try, though as Nathan said it would've easier to get the native supplier of the intended country to set up the site

[integrator97]

I'm not looking for universal language, but if you selling in the US, or you target market is the US.....

As far as websites, some have 4, 5, even 10 or more languages. If your really worldwide, that's what you gotta do.