Friday, April 24, 2009

Bad English to French Translation...

Living in Quebec we sometime get very bad English to French mistranslations... Things like:
"Lamp Oil" translated to "Lamping Petrol"
"Made in Turkey" translated with "Made with turkey meat"
But the best one yet is on the washing instruction for one of my shirt.

Original text:
"See reverse for Care.
-Machine Wash cold with like color only
-Non-Chlorine bleach when needed
-Hang or Tumble dry low, Remove Promply
-Cool Iron when needed
-May be dry cleaned
-Do not Iron Decoration"

Was Translated to(For the French impraired):
"See Contrary for love
-The machine washes the cold with the loved color only
-The decoration not-chlorine when necessary
-Hang or fall dry, the low level removed on time
-Cool down some iron metal when necessary
-Cleaned. The month of May is dry.
-The decoration is not made of Iron"
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1 comment:

Unknown said...

Hi,

As a small business owner I want to translate as accuratly as possible into French but lack the resources to do so. Can you tell me how you would translate- Hang Dry.
The online translators provide options I am not confident about.
eg. Coup sec

bad translation is something non of us want.