Sign in shop in Saigon (Ho Chi Minh City), Vietnam
This is one of the most hilarious signs I’ve seen anywhere and to see it hanging on a door in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, made it even more hysterical. Maybe this is the Vietnamese version of shaming a deadbeat landlord.
I love words and I love to see what people do with them when translating or communicating in another country. The English language can be tricky – think of all the words that sound alike but are spelled differently, such as sine and sign. These homonyms must be a constant source of frustration for the English learner – the devil is in the details.
Some signs are fun and humorous in their depiction, such as this “Beware of Dog” sign in France. Yikes!! Yes, a picture is worth a thousand words and possibly a deferred medical bill. Notice the absence of underwear.
“Beware of Dog” in France
And here is another sign you don’t see every day. Kind of made me want to jump on the ramparts, but I had to ask my friend, “What EXACTLY are ramparts?” And would I incite the fury of the French police if I tiptoed across one? I’m sure the French version of jail with bread and water might actually mean Perrier and croissants. Unless it’s really as grim as in Les Misérables. I settled for the photo.
Sign at a castle in central France
I found this sign to be so politely perfect while walking through one of the temples at Angkor Wat, that I couldn’t even be upset that they had blocked a section to tourists.
Angkor Wat apology sign
There is the occasional best attempt to translate into English and it is generally not a bad effort, if only off by one letter. I let it go, with a chuckle. I can’t even pretend to translate into Cambodian. My sign would probably end up saying, “Vice Shop and Drug Shop.” And then I would wonder why I had such a shady clientele.
Shop in Siem Reap, Cambodia
And sometimes the concept is communicated…. well, almost. I get it. This is not a hat.
Road sign in Cambodia
And then I found this especially interesting. I had turned on the TV in a small hotel in Sittwe, Myanmar and found the movie “Tremors” playing. But what really surprised me was the notices that kept popping up every time one of the actors lit a cigarette! “Smoking causes Cancer. Smoking Kills.” And this was in a hotel where I actually had to move rooms because the stench of smoke in the hallway was so horrendous. Go figure.
Smoking Warning, Myanmar TV
I’ve decided I could make an entire career by translating various signs all over the world. I’ve visited amazing places like the Shanghai Museum, knowing they’ve made a huge effort to translate exhibit descriptions into the internationally recognized language of English, and then I see a small misstep that always seems to catch my attention. I know I’m not perfect either so I just smile and keep reading. The intent is genuine and that is most important.
For more travel stories and information, check my website: www.wanderlynn.com
Copyright 2016 ©wanderlynntravel.wordpress.com; photos cannot be reproduced without permission.
wanderlynntravel 