Re: FN-FORUM: Different Language site

date posted 22nd January 2006 12:29

David Sadowski wrote:
> All computer translators make terrible mistakes and often completely
> change meaning of a sentence so I wouldn't rely on them especially
> when it's something that will be seen by others.

A good, relatively cheap, method of getting translation is by contacting
English language schools and identifying a teacher from the country of the
language to be translated. If the language is in a low wages country such as
China then get translations done there.

Never do DIY translation. Meanings are easily lost. For example, during a
visit to Beijing I was in a duck restaurant. Encouraged by my friends to use
Chinese I ordered one of the courses and asked the waitress to place the
meal at each sitting rather than in the centre of the table as traditionally
done. The waitress went off giggling and for the rest of the evening I
received the best service I've ever had in China. Much later one of my
friends told me what I had said. I'd ordered the meal okay but by a change
in only one tone in one word I had politely said not to place the duck at
each sitting but that I'd like the waitress over the table, please!

Mike A.