Remember when we talked about severe (and hilarious) mistranslations? Well, here’s a short article documenting some of the worst blunders cross-culturally. Some of my favorites:
-a sign in a Japanese hotel: “You are invited to take advantage of the chambermaid”
-a laundromat in Rome: “Ladies, leave your clothes here and spend the afternoon having a good time”
-the Coors beer campaign “Get Loose with Coors” translating into “Get the runs with Coors” in Spanish
-Coke’s “Coke adds life” campaign translating to “Coke brings your ancestors back from the dead” in Japanese
Check out the article here to see them all–it’s only a page long, no fear.
About The Author
Jenny
Jenny Marshall studied Language, Culture, and Society at the University of California Santa Barbara, and now teaches English in Spain. Here she writes about the intersection of language and culture, and lives a life translated by travel.
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