Phew!! Isn't advertising hard... actually, foreign languages in general?

I find it a dilemma at times when I have to translate or do back translations for vernacular in English, it comes out wrong!!! Ever made mistakes yourself...?


*The Dairy Association's huge success with the campaign "Got Milk?" prompted them to expand advertising to Mexico. It was soon brought to their attention the Spanish translation read "Are you lactating?"


*When Parker Pen marketed a ball-point pen in Mexico, its ads were supposed to have read, "It won't leak in your pocket and embarrass you."The company thought that the word "embarazar" (to impregnate) meant to embarrass, so the ad read: "It won't leak in your pocket and make you pregnant"


*Frank Perdue's chicken slogan, "It takes a strong man to make a tender chicken" was translated into Spanish as "it takes an aroused man to make a chicken affectionate."


*Pepsi's "Come Alive With the Pepsi Generation" translated into "Pepsi Brings Your Ancestors Back From the Grave" in Chinese.

Phew!! Isn't advertising hard... actually, foreign languages in general?
You got that right, as you know i am based in Shanghai working for SA company and run into the most hesterical tranlations everyday, clothing for the big woman eventually ended up being "clothing for you fat piece" hahahahaha how is that.
Reply:Yeah that is really funny.


Lol!





That was good.
Reply:Ha Ha!





Thanks for putting a smile on my face... the weather is so miserable-- i needed that!!





:-)
Reply:Try to translate this into English:





Ek loop onder die tafel deur.





Bietjie 'n brain teaser vir jou!





Enjoy!
Reply:That's really interisting, Innocentia! I find even the most common words or phrases really hard at times. For example, can you give me a good translation for the afrikaans word "gril" in English. Shudder does not do it, it's not strong enough? One of the cutest Afrikaans words for me is vuurhoutjie. It is just so descriptive!





Good luck with your job today though! And thanks for the chuckle.