Lost in Translation
I'm posting this from a Starbucks in Bremen, Germany. (I'd prefer to be in a German cafe, but Starbucks turns out to be the easiest place to find an internet connection.)
Most Germans speak very good English. Which means it's not common to find the kind of bizarre translation errors that are a common feature of Japanese or Chinese English. But they do pop up occasionally. I walked past this sign outside my hotel in Bremen at least ten times before I noticed that something was wrong with it.
This German department store would probably have to change its name if it wanted to open a chain in America.
Finally, when I saw these "Berliners" (jelly donuts) on sale, it reminded me of one of the most famous mistranslation urban legends of all time: the claim that when Kennedy proclaimed "Ich bin ein Berliner" to a crowd in Berlin on June 26, 1963, that he was actually proclaiming he was a jelly donut. Yes, a Berliner is a jelly donut, but the word can also mean a citizen of Berlin, and everyone in the crowd would have known what he meant.
Comments
What's with the sign? Couldn't see anything weird on it?
Wormland could change their line of goods to bait and tackle and keep the name.
Throw the cow over the fence some hay!
Wormland could change their line of goods to bait and tackle and keep the name.
Throw the cow over the fence some hay!
Posted by Expat47 in Athens, Greece on 10/27/08 at 11:16 AM
They get to charge more because it's Pure, like the organic version of fragrances 😉
Posted by Jules in Connecticut on 10/27/08 at 12:06 PM
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Category: Regionalism | Signage | Travel