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Bite the Wax Tadpole: The Risky Business of Translation
Before you jump down my throat with both feet, let me assure you that I'm fully aware Coca-Cola™ never used the title of this essay as the name of their product in China. That little legend arose as eager shopkeepers devised phonetic representations for a new product without regard to meaning, and before Coke™ had settled on an official translation. "Bite the Wax Tadpole" was only one of many such renderings that arose.
Having disposed of that matter, translators and interpreters walk a fine line.
A success can mean acclaim and bringing pleasure to thousands of people, in the case of a well-received literary translation, such as Howard Scott's translation of The Euguelion.
A mis-step can result in anything from simple pwnage to an international incident.
For no reason other than feeling contrary today, I thought I'd pull together some of the more notable failures in the world of translation - some traditional, others inspired by the ease of access to quick (and very often, dirty, in the classical sense) translation via the web.
( Article continues behind the cut )
Having disposed of that matter, translators and interpreters walk a fine line.
A success can mean acclaim and bringing pleasure to thousands of people, in the case of a well-received literary translation, such as Howard Scott's translation of The Euguelion.
A mis-step can result in anything from simple pwnage to an international incident.
For no reason other than feeling contrary today, I thought I'd pull together some of the more notable failures in the world of translation - some traditional, others inspired by the ease of access to quick (and very often, dirty, in the classical sense) translation via the web.
( Article continues behind the cut )
