A Sign of the Times – the Best and Worst of Bad Translations

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
(Free-Press-Release.com) November 30, 2011 --

A collection of some of the worst signs ever translated from English to Welsh are brought together in a new humour book published by the Lolfa press. The book called Sgymraeg – the name used for bad translations – includes the sign between Cardiff and Penarth telling cyclists they had problems with an ‘inflamed bladder’ and a sign for pedestrians in Cardiff reading ‘Look Right’ in English and ‘Look Left’ in Welsh. It brings together the best of the worst Welsh language signs on our streets which make no sense at all, with witty asides by Euron Griffith, author of the comic novel, Dyn Pob Un (Everyman).

But if the examples make you laugh, they may well bring the odd tear to the eye too as the standard of some translation work is revealed. The Sgymraegs were first collected by Golwg after readers started sending them to Jac Codi Baw’s satirical column on the magazine’s pages. Since then they have become a popular feature of the weekly publication and other examples can now also be seen on the internet as people share the worst examples seen over Wales on flickr and Twitter.

Some have been featured further afield on Welsh news programmes and even beyond Wales, and in the case of one well-known Sgymraeg, appeals for information were received by papers in London, the News at Ten and the satirical news programme, Have I Got News For You.

“Spelling mistakes or comical translation errors? Complete disrespect for the Welsh language – there are several ways of making us smile, surprising us or making us squirm,” says Siân Sutton, Editor of Golwg. “Sometimes we need to be compassionate, when an individual makes a special effort to use the Welsh language – but is unsuccessful. It is much harder to forgive public bodies who disrespect the Welsh language through a lack of information or failure to treat it with respect.

“It’s hard to believe that any sign would be erected before someone has ensured it is correct and makes sense. But it still happens and the translation machines have ensured that there are many examples of horrendous translation at times as well as words with no connection appearing in one meaningless row.

“But despite there being a serious side to the mistakes which can make a mockery of the Welsh language and of translation, it is good to have them to raise a smile, provide a topic for discussion and even sometimes to fill a column in a magazine!”

Perhaps the most famous Sgymraeg of all up to now was the one placed on a roadside despite the translator being unavailable! ‘No entry for heavy goods vehicles. Residential site only’ in English. And translated into Welsh as the equivalent of: ‘I’m not in the office at the moment. Send any translation work.’

Jac Codi Baw’s column also featured ‘Rhybudd – Gweithwyr yn ffrwydro’ in Welsh, which translates as a warning that ‘Workers are exploding’ and an advert for a special weekend to celebrate shear birds, ‘Shear Madness’, in English turned into something quite different in Welsh – ‘Cneifio Gwallgof’ or ‘Mad Sheep Shearing.’

For the first time this little book collects the best examples to raise a smile, a perfect present for the Christmas stocking.

The foreword was also written by Euron Griffith, whose debut novel, Dyn Pob Un, was described on Twitter by Big Brother’s Glyn Wise as “incredible”.

humorous books     Translating     translation services     Wales     Welsh language