Lost in Translation

[Grand Moff Muffin]

This was circulated by the establishment at work today, in a plea for better Welsh translation. I found it amusing. By work standards.

Edit: Apologies, tabs don't display properly. I've inserted slashes.

Cyfieithu o Chwith 2: enghreifftiau gwirioneddol o gamgyfieithu Cymraeg \ Saesneg. Chwefror 2009.
Lost in Translation 2: true examples of Welsh \ English mistranslation. February 2009.

Gwreiddiol / "Cyfieithiad" / Ystyr
Original / "Translation" / Meaning

Fruit Trifle / Dibwys ffrwythau / Unimportant fruits
Nature Reserve / Natur Tawedog / Taciturn Nature
Viewing Gallery / Oriel Wylo / Weeping Gallery
Ring for assistance / Modrwywch am gymorth / Put on a ring for assistance
Lamb and mint sauce / Cig oen a saws bathdy / Lamb and [Royal] Mint sauce
Emergency Exit Only / Allfa Dan Unig / Lonely Dan's Exit
Security / Sicrwydd / Certainty
Frozen Fish / Pysgod Drewllyd / Stinking Fish
Thanks for shopping here / Diolch un farw am siopa yma / The thanks of a dead female for shopping here
Seating Area Upstairs / Arwynebedd Eistedd Llofft / Sitting Surface Loft
Credit Cards / Choelia Cardiau / Would you believe Cards
Round Trip / Chwmpasa bagla / You encompass you trip up
Doors opening at 8 / Drychau'n agor am 8 / Mirrors opening at 8
Good morning, how are you today? / Da bore, cara ach heddiw? / Morning good, love ancestry today?
Socks & Tights / Sannau a Chyfyngiadau / Socks and Restrictions
In-patient pharmacy / Fferyllfa Cleifion allanol mewnol / External internal patients' pharmacy
Guest Coffee / Coffi ar ymweliad / Coffee on a visit
Mens' Clothing / Dillad Menywod / Womens' Clothing
Annual General Meeting / Blwyddyn Cadfridog yn Cwrdd / The Year of a (military) General meeting
There's no need to make an appointment / Galwch heb benodiad / Call without anyone being appointed
All welcome / Croeso i baw / Dirt welcome
No entry for heavy goods vehicles. Residential site only / Nid wyf yn y swyddfa ar hyn o bryd. Anfonwch unrhyw waith i'w gyfieithu. / I'm not in the office at the moment. Send any work to be translated.
Up to 4 Hours / Hyd at 4 Hwr / Up to 4 Whores
Sorry, cash only / Arian parody n unig / Parody money only
Loading Only / Llwyth Ro yn Unig / Load of Gravel Only
Please Sit / Eisteddwch Os Gwelwch Un Dda / Sit if you see a good one
Friday / Dydd Mawrth / Tuesday
Welsh Wellingtons / Welis Cymraeg / Welsh-speaking Wellingtons
Pets First / Anifeiliaid Anws yn Gyntaf / Anus Animals First
Coronary Care / Gofal Cornaidd / Horny Care
New Charges in Force / Taliaday Newydd yn Grim yn Awr / New Payments Grim Now
Chester / Cawr / Giant
Thursday / Lau / Lice
No dogs / Dim cwm / No valley
You are now entering a safety zone / Ach awron yn cofnodi a ddiddosrwydd gwregys / Lineage now recording and comfort belt
Ystwyth Shopping Park / Parc Siopa'r Ystwyth / Shopping Park for the Flexible
Road Sweeping / Ysgubor Ffordd / Road Barn
Give Way / Rhowch Ffordd / Give a way
Suntan Lotion / Eli Hael / Generous Lotion
Contact Details / Manylion Cyffwrdd / Touch Details
Caution, heavy plant crossing / Gofal, plant trwm yn croesi / Caution, heavy children crossing
Visitor parking / Cyfeillion parcio / Parking friends
Tanning and Nails / Tanio a Ewinedd / Firing and Nails
Manager / Preseb / Manger
Before connecting your laptop for the first time / Cyn cysylltu'ch pen-glin am y tro cyntaf / Before connecting your kneecap for the first time
Sweets / Melysfwd / Sweet Mud
Trolleys for Parents with Children / Trolis i Rhieni a Phla / Trolleys for Parents with Plague
Accompanying Adults / Oediolion sy'n Cyfeilio / Adults who Provide Musical Accompaniment
Moroccan Tagine of Lamb / Tagine Morocaidd o Gog Oen / Moroccan Tagine of Cuckoo Lamb
Cat Litter / Ysbwriel Cath / Cat rubbish
Cat Litter / Sarn y Gath / Cat's causeway
Democratic Renewal Officer / Swyddog Adnewyddu'r Weriniaeth / The Republic's Renewal Officer
It is illegal to smoke in this ground / Mae'n anghyfreithlon i ysmygu'r maes hwn / Is is illegal to smoke this ground
Savoury / Melys / Sweet
Sport / Sparta / Sparta
Toilet / T Bach / Small T

[Shockprowl]

That's mad! Thursday / Lau / Lice! Sit if you see a good one! Beware the Cat's Causeway! And the thanks of a dead female? Saucy tart!

Some are informative though. I used to smoke the ground, 'till I found out how unhealthy it was. Now I just smoke curtains and other fabrics.

[grahamthomson]

Heheheh.

Caution, heavy plant crossing / Gofal, plant trwm yn croesi / Caution, heavy children crossing

and

Please Sit / Eisteddwch Os Gwelwch Un Dda / Sit if you see a good one

are my favourites!

[Grand Moff Muffin]

Feb 6, 2009 22:14:54 GMT @grahamthomson said:

Heheheh.

Caution, heavy plant crossing / Gofal, plant trwm yn croesi / Caution, heavy children crossing

and

Please Sit / Eisteddwch Os Gwelwch Un Dda / Sit if you see a good one

are my favourites!

They're understandable. 'Plant' is Welsh for 'children' (the singular being 'plentyn').

'Please sit' should read 'Eisteddwch os gwelwch yn dda' (literally, 'Sit if you see it good', equivalent to 'Sit if you please'). Only one letter different, but a very different meaning!

Martin

[Grand Moff Muffin]

Thanks for shopping here / Diolch un farw am siopa yma / The thanks of a dead female for shopping here

This should have read "Diolch yn fawr..." - "Thanks a lot..." Amazing what changing one vowel and transposing two other letters will do to the meaning of a sentence.

Up to 4 Hours / Hyd at 4 Hwr / Up to 4 Whores

"Hour" is "awr", not "hwr".

My Welsh must have improved a lot to be able to spot these corrections without looking them up. (I have had one lesson a week at work since last spring.)

Martin

[Dave]

Feb 6, 2009 18:20:32 GMT Grand Moff Muffin said:

Toilet / T Bach / Small T

I was confused as to how anyone could make this mistake. "Toiledau" signs are everywhere.
However it turns out that "Ty Bach" means "little house" meaning toilet.

Guess that's my thing I learned today.

[legios]

Feb 6, 2009 18:20:32 GMT Grand Moff Muffin said:

Credit Cards / Choelia Cardiau / Would you believe Cards

This one I do like, for the reason that it exemplifies what I sometimes refer to as the "literal translation fallacy" or "giving someone a dictionary and a little knowledge can be a dangerous thing". I do love translation faux-pax, I have gleaned rather a lot of amusement from this.

Karl

[Deleted]

Feb 6, 2009 18:20:32 GMT Grand Moff Muffin said:

Up to 4 Hours / Hyd at 4 Hwr / Up to 4 Whores
Welsh Wellingtons / Welis Cymraeg / Welsh-speaking Wellingtons
Pets First / Anifeiliaid Anws yn Gyntaf / Anus Animals First
Coronary Care / Gofal Cornaidd / Horny Care
Caution, heavy plant crossing / Gofal, plant trwm yn croesi / Caution, heavy children crossing
Before connecting your laptop for the first time / Cyn cysylltu'ch pen-glin am y tro cyntaf / Before connecting your kneecap for the first time
Trolleys for Parents with Children / Trolis i Rhieni a Phla / Trolleys for Parents with Plague

These ones are my favourite. Some leaflets that highlight mistraslations in languages other than English do seem to be quite funny.