http://www.due-east.org Wed, 28 Sep 2011 05:54:05 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.1.1 http://www.due-east.org/2008/08/04/chinglish-the-perils-of-computer-translation/ http://www.due-east.org/2008/08/04/chinglish-the-perils-of-computer-translation/#comments Mon, 04 Aug 2008 19:50:31 +0000 Due-East http://www.due-east.org/2008/08/04/chinglish-the-perils-of-computer-translation/     If you’re going to rely on a computer translation to name your restaurant in a foreign tongue, it’s probably best to follow these simple rules:

• Know enough of the target language to understand if your translation is at least somewhere in the general vicinity of being halfway near the point of possibly a tad bit close to what even unintelligent people may consider accurate.
• If you’re NOT familiar enough with the target language to do that, find someone that speaks the language and pantomime somehow to him that you’re trying to name your restaurant according to this translation. If he laughs or looks disturbed, it’s probably a good idea to try again with the translation.
• At least know enough about computers to know the difference between an error message and a valid translation.

  Link to source article ]]> http://www.due-east.org/2008/08/04/chinglish-the-perils-of-computer-translation/feed/ 0 http://www.due-east.org/2008/02/22/chinglish-11/ http://www.due-east.org/2008/02/22/chinglish-11/#comments Fri, 22 Feb 2008 15:35:05 +0000 Due-East http://www.due-east.org/2008/02/22/chinglish-11/     I have a non hotdrink. Where’s my sucker?   ]]> http://www.due-east.org/2008/02/22/chinglish-11/feed/ 4 http://www.due-east.org/2007/09/05/chinglish-11-more-profound-fortune-cookie-wisdom/ http://www.due-east.org/2007/09/05/chinglish-11-more-profound-fortune-cookie-wisdom/#comments Wed, 05 Sep 2007 18:36:36 +0000 Due-East http://www.due-east.org/2007/09/05/chinglish-11-more-profound-fortune-cookie-wisdom/ as [adjective] does” and that it doesn’t work with every adjective.   ]]>
Huh?   Someone needs to explain to whoever wrote this that the pattern is “[adjective] is as [adjective] does” and that it doesn’t work with every adjective.   ]]> http://www.due-east.org/2007/09/05/chinglish-11-more-profound-fortune-cookie-wisdom/feed/ 2 http://www.due-east.org/2007/07/04/chinglish-10-profound-wisdom/ http://www.due-east.org/2007/07/04/chinglish-10-profound-wisdom/#comments Tue, 03 Jul 2007 21:01:01 +0000 Due-East http://www.due-east.org/2007/07/04/chinglish-10-profound-wisdom/
I’m sorry….what?   I got this fortune not long ago. I can’t figure out if this one is so profound that I can’t comprehend it, or if the five o’clock bell rang so the guy just hit the period key and left.   ]]> http://www.due-east.org/2007/07/04/chinglish-10-profound-wisdom/feed/ 2 http://www.due-east.org/2007/06/05/chinglish-9-its-all-about-the-riches/ http://www.due-east.org/2007/06/05/chinglish-9-its-all-about-the-riches/#comments Mon, 04 Jun 2007 19:30:39 +0000 Due-East http://www.due-east.org/2007/06/05/chinglish-9-its-all-about-the-riches/ Link to full-sized pic. ]]>   Who the heck is Rich?! Aaaah, the lack of articles in Chinese makes for some interesting translations.  

Link to full-sized pic.

]]> http://www.due-east.org/2007/06/05/chinglish-9-its-all-about-the-riches/feed/ 1 http://www.due-east.org/2007/06/05/chinglish-8/ http://www.due-east.org/2007/06/05/chinglish-8/#comments Mon, 04 Jun 2007 18:27:05 +0000 Due-East http://www.due-east.org/2007/06/05/chinglish-8/ must know!   This one could be an example of incredible marketing, getting people to open the book to see what the tips lead to success in, but I’m betting that’s not what the authors intended. Aren’t there any proofreaders in Taiwan?   Link to full-sized pic. ]]>
Tips for successful what?! I must know!   This one could be an example of incredible marketing, getting people to open the book to see what the tips lead to success in, but I’m betting that’s not what the authors intended. Aren’t there any proofreaders in Taiwan?  

Link to full-sized pic.

]]> http://www.due-east.org/2007/06/05/chinglish-8/feed/ 0 http://www.due-east.org/2007/06/05/chinglish-7/ http://www.due-east.org/2007/06/05/chinglish-7/#comments Mon, 04 Jun 2007 18:12:42 +0000 Due-East http://www.due-east.org/2007/06/05/chinglish-7/
You want me? YES!   This picture shows the importance of prepositions in English. Not having “to” here totally changes the meaning of this sentence. The uncomfortable look on the guy’s face only adds to it. Or maybe it’s a book about homosexual sexual harrassment in the workplace. I’m far to lazy to translate the Chinese right now.  

Link to full-sized pic.

]]> http://www.due-east.org/2007/06/05/chinglish-7/feed/ 2 http://www.due-east.org/2007/06/01/chinglish-6/ http://www.due-east.org/2007/06/01/chinglish-6/#comments Thu, 31 May 2007 19:13:09 +0000 Due-East http://www.due-east.org/2007/06/01/chinglish-6/
I’m sorry, what?…   This store’s name gives almost no clue as to what they sell inside. What the heck kind of name is Graceful Art Dandy House?! I know they’re not native English speakers here, but surely they could’ve found someone that had any clue as to how to accurately translate the store’s name into English…I didn’t have to go inside to see what they actually had there because of the display in the window, but if there wasn’t a display, I’d have no idea what was inside by the name of the place.  

Link to full-sized pic.

]]> http://www.due-east.org/2007/06/01/chinglish-6/feed/ 0 http://www.due-east.org/2007/05/30/chinglish-5/ http://www.due-east.org/2007/05/30/chinglish-5/#comments Tue, 29 May 2007 16:12:16 +0000 Due-East http://www.due-east.org/2007/05/30/chinglish-5/ Link to full-sized pic. ]]>
I wish I could get treated at a discount by the certification…   This one doesn’t need any introduction. This is sign is at its Chinglish saturation point. Their math skills aren’t so much there unfortunately. What’s half of 150?  

Link to full-sized pic.

]]> http://www.due-east.org/2007/05/30/chinglish-5/feed/ 0 http://www.due-east.org/2007/05/29/chinglish-4/ http://www.due-east.org/2007/05/29/chinglish-4/#comments Tue, 29 May 2007 13:25:30 +0000 Due-East http://www.due-east.org/2007/05/29/chinglish-4/
Can I sook co, too?   This bag was for sale at the mall underneath the Taipei Main Station subway station. This actually qualifies as more than just Chinglish since it also has elements of French in it. So I guess it’s Changlais (Anglais + Chinglish)? I’ll need to sook co on a round-the-world voyage to find out the correct term for this one.  

Link to full-sized pic.

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