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Pity the poor translator...
Mar. 29th, 2009 04:26 pm<gripe on>
Last time I was in an oriental market, I picked up a packet of dried squid for snacking on.
I already know what you're thinking. Shut up.
I think it's a product of Taiwan, but I'm not sure, because it looks like it's destined for both the US and Japan.
On the package, it says (spelling errors are transcribed as found):
"This product is under strict ouality control with perfect packing and quality when leaving the factory. Please keep away from damp, high temp or sun expose. If found any defectives when purchasing please retrn the product by airmail to our Administration section and inform the purchase for our improvement we shall give you a satisfactory reply. Thanks for your Patronage and welcome your comments."
If "ouality" is such a priority, why don't such asian exporters ever run their documentation or packaging under the eyes of a native English speaker? I could think of a number of reasons:
1) They're cheap
2) Their own estimation of their English ability exceeds actuality
3) They know the product will sell just as well even with lousy translations
4) They don't give a rat's ass
5) All of the above
Me, I'd be embarrassed to sell a product in a foreign market with errors like this - but it's a problem of long, long standing. Translation is often given short shrift in business plans. Too many managers think, "Oh, my secretary Miss Yin speaks English, she can do the translation and I'll save money." With the concept of "face" so prominent in Asian cultures, it surprises me that they don't understand this sort of cost-cutting makes their enterprise look bad. On the other hand, perhaps the average American consumer doesn't care either.
I wish I had kept a copy of an ad that appeared on our bulletin board in the early 80's when I was working for the now-defunct ALPS, Inc. (Automated Language Processing Systems). It showed a manager reaming out some poor drone, and the caption was "Because you let your brother-in-law do the translation, our ad says that our new camera exposes itself automatically!"
People in the translation industry are certainly aware of the problem, and resolving it would certainly create a lot of work for a lot of people... but would also deduct from the bottom line of the manufacturers, and that has always seemed to be the driving factor.
I just felt like saying that...
<gripe off>
Last time I was in an oriental market, I picked up a packet of dried squid for snacking on.
I already know what you're thinking. Shut up.
I think it's a product of Taiwan, but I'm not sure, because it looks like it's destined for both the US and Japan.
On the package, it says (spelling errors are transcribed as found):
"This product is under strict ouality control with perfect packing and quality when leaving the factory. Please keep away from damp, high temp or sun expose. If found any defectives when purchasing please retrn the product by airmail to our Administration section and inform the purchase for our improvement we shall give you a satisfactory reply. Thanks for your Patronage and welcome your comments."
If "ouality" is such a priority, why don't such asian exporters ever run their documentation or packaging under the eyes of a native English speaker? I could think of a number of reasons:
1) They're cheap
2) Their own estimation of their English ability exceeds actuality
3) They know the product will sell just as well even with lousy translations
4) They don't give a rat's ass
5) All of the above
Me, I'd be embarrassed to sell a product in a foreign market with errors like this - but it's a problem of long, long standing. Translation is often given short shrift in business plans. Too many managers think, "Oh, my secretary Miss Yin speaks English, she can do the translation and I'll save money." With the concept of "face" so prominent in Asian cultures, it surprises me that they don't understand this sort of cost-cutting makes their enterprise look bad. On the other hand, perhaps the average American consumer doesn't care either.
I wish I had kept a copy of an ad that appeared on our bulletin board in the early 80's when I was working for the now-defunct ALPS, Inc. (Automated Language Processing Systems). It showed a manager reaming out some poor drone, and the caption was "Because you let your brother-in-law do the translation, our ad says that our new camera exposes itself automatically!"
People in the translation industry are certainly aware of the problem, and resolving it would certainly create a lot of work for a lot of people... but would also deduct from the bottom line of the manufacturers, and that has always seemed to be the driving factor.
I just felt like saying that...
<gripe off>
