Archives for July 12th, 2005

500ML of water becomes "one liter" in the Slovenian translation.

Like every student in the history of academia, I once subsisted almost entirely on Ramen noodles. It’s a miracle I didn’t contract scurvy at some point during my studies. But don’t get me wrong, I have no regrets — just plenty of long-lasting health problems.

After
seeing some Ramen on sale here, I decided to rekindle my
old love affair. When I went to cook them, though, I noticed something
strange. The six languages on the backside all say to boil 500 mL
(milliliters) of water, while the Slovenian sticker (inexplicably)
insists on double the dosage: a full liter. I’ve never tried using a
whole liter, but I’m pretty sure it would taste like a lot of hot water and that’s it.

The importer (and I’m guessing the one most responsible for the
translating mishap) is listed on the back of the package as Port d.o.o., Letališka 32, Ljubljana. A quick google search turns up this.
Same name and address, but no hint of any instant Japanese noodles
anywhere — unless "Avery Dennison intelligent printer systems" counts.

Regardless, the Ramen mistranslation provides a great introduction to today’s main event: MojsteR prevodov.
(Master of Translation) This wonderful site documents some of the
oddities that appear in the work of translators here, especially the
ones responsible for putting Slovenian subtitles beneath English-language
T.V. shows. Two recent samples: Someone translated the word "slut" as deklica (girl) while someone else translated the British word "crisps" ("potato chips" for Americans) into krispiji instead of the seemingly obvious Ä?ips.

I
think I like it so much because after four years of the Slovenian
language pummeling me into the ground, and then stomping on my head with its
iron-tipped boots, it’s a relief to see the tables
turned and other people struggling to tame the wild stallion that is
English. It’s also very instructive, especially the lively debates that regularly occur there.

You can sign up for their mailing list here. If you’ll allow me a brief Vidmar moment… I think it would be ideal if they would set up a syndication feed of some kind. However, this should be taken as a suggestion, not an insult.

(Thanks bnf!)