Real-life translation mishaps can be both amusing and sometimes embarrassing.

Real-life translation mishaps can be both amusing and sometimes embarrassing.

Here are a few examples: 

 1. **"Got Milk?" in Spanish**: The famous "Got Milk?" campaign was translated to Spanish as "¿Tienes leche?" which literally means "Are you lactating?" This was a cultural misunderstanding, as the phrase doesn't carry the same connotation in Spanish. 

 2. **Coca-Cola in China**: When Coca-Cola first entered the Chinese market, the name was transliterated, which sounded like "Ke-kou-ke-la". Unfortunately, this roughly translates to "Bite the wax tadpole" or "Female horse stuffed with wax", depending on the dialect. The name was eventually changed to a more phonetically accurate one. 

 3. **Pepsi in China**: Pepsi's slogan, "Pepsi brings you back to life," was translated in Chinese as "Pepsi brings your ancestors back from the grave." This was clearly not the intended message. 

 4. **HSBC Bank in the US**: HSBC's "Assume Nothing" campaign was mistranslated in various countries. In the U.S., it was translated as "Do Nothing," which was quite the opposite of the intended message. 

 5. **The Bible in Jamaica**: In a Jamaican Patois translation of the Bible, the verse "The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want" became "Di Massa a mi shiipad; mi noh nyam nottn." This retains the spirit of the original, but in a culturally relevant way. 

 6. **Swedish Vacuum Cleaner**: Electrolux, a Swedish vacuum cleaner company, once used the slogan "Nothing sucks like an Electrolux" in an English-language campaign. While it was intended to mean that their vacuum cleaners were powerful, it could be interpreted differently in colloquial English. These examples serve as a reminder of the complexities and nuances of language, and the importance of careful consideration in translation efforts.

Article by:- canwordsee

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