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发表于 2007-5-9 12:09
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& B* K- L0 q2 a) Zhttp://www.chainletters.net/?item=190
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The name Coca-Cola in China was first rendered as Ke-kou-ke-la. $ T4 E* V; N) Q! _
Unfortunately, the Coke company did not discover until after thousands of signs 6 C6 l' h" O$ O+ r$ L! b
had been printed that the phrase means "bite the wax tadpole" or "female horse 6 t% c$ z7 x. _3 z9 r/ s
stuffed with wax" depending on the dialect. Coke then researched 40,000
* k6 m8 X/ k7 J6 }. W& z: GChinese characters and found a close phonetic equivalent, "ko-kou-ko-le," which - F+ _5 q* Y! W
can be loosely translated as "happiness in the mouth."3 [5 ~* L2 f3 A1 {8 E5 \/ H
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In Taiwan, the translation of the Pepsi slogan "Come alive with the Pepsi
' V6 t3 l( \* ?/ n$ k' ZGeneration" came out as "Pepsi will bring your ancestors back from the dead."4 p# _$ f+ x5 w: g+ V
6 O$ Z& G0 f: ]0 ]8 |8 |Also in Chinese, the Kentucky Fried Chicken slogan "finger-lickin' good" came : y5 w) G$ C" u- N5 V/ F8 E3 [
out as "eat your fingers off."
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The American slogan for Salem cigarettes, "Salem - Feeling Free," got " m) f0 x+ Q* ^3 v1 G
translated in the Japanese market into "When smoking Salem, you feel so 9 J9 Y# K; `. o _4 y. `/ d: }
refreshed that your mind seems to be free and empty."
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/ v* c- L, c1 J% M+ IWhen General Motors introduced the Chevy Nova in South America, it was % C5 A6 W7 G) C# s9 h# m! U
apparently unaware that "no va" means "it won't go." After the company figured
* D/ K0 R, y+ D. vout why it wasn't selling any cars, it renamed the car in its Spanish markets to
2 `1 _- Z, Y7 lthe Caribe.
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+ @( D; l- E3 j7 [( p7 d, F i. hFord had a similar problem in Brazil when the Pinto flopped. The company $ ^: V5 Q# E9 a& f
found out that Pinto was Brazilian slang for "tiny male genitals". Ford pried all & g( l, O; j( L6 u) X& M" B
the nameplates off and substituted Corcel, which means horse.
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6 N: p* l# Z5 k9 ? V$ pWhen Parker Pen marketed a ballpoint pen in Mexico, its ads were supposed to
+ c$ \2 |" {. M) W4 Dsay "It won't leak in your pocket and embarrass you." However, the company's
& |3 Q/ a% O k/ _- f8 O6 |mistakenly thought the spanish word "embarazar" meant embarrass. Instead the
0 N1 c! s0 R* h! a0 h* @ads said that "It wont leak in your pocket and make you pregnant."
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An American T-shirt maker in Miami printed shirts for the spanish market 7 J3 a4 D$ J; {
which promoted the Pope's visit. Instead of the desired "I Saw the Pope" in
" T7 F' _8 O, [2 H, s: qSpanish, the shirts proclaimed "I Saw the Potato."
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In Italy, a campaign for Schweppes Tonic Water translated the name into ( i# {: `" f, N( B9 P) A
Schweppes Toilet Water.
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8 ]# I/ e, E# ^On the menu of a Swiss restaurant: Our wines leave you nothing to hope for. , e" A/ M2 c, N
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In a Hongkong supermarket: For your convenience, we reccomend courteous,
5 ? n: V( G& n7 T6 w, R4 befficient self-service. ) ?! l* k( Y% i' P& C7 `
7 z3 Z* h9 [$ }& r5 G! bIn a Bangkok dry cleaner's: Drop your trousers here for best results. 9 Q1 F, |! f( M! p
% z4 p) U0 k; z6 t; AOutside a Paris dress shop: Dresses for streetwalking. 6 S' q2 h/ `: d. z
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Outside a Hongkong dress shop: Ladies have fits upstairs.
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) p$ l9 a: m# o7 H* jIn a Rhodes tailor shop: Order your summers suit. Because is big rush we will ; W. z! H0 z8 o" W1 x" @
execute customers in strict rotation.
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2 [$ F0 v9 S. c: |9 l& ]0 yFrom the Soviet Weekly: There will be a Moscow Exhibition of Arts by 15,000 - U2 `8 O9 l4 \) h- d
Soviet Republic painters and sculptors. These were executed over the past two
1 W1 s4 f2 p: D q7 Pyears. ( P( C5 h1 g8 |! @% x
4 l% k* ^& d r7 P6 y5 |In an East African newspaper: A new swimming pool is rapidly taking shape 8 t- ^: U* S' W" z t0 x, }
since the contractors have thrown in the bulk of their workers.
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\/ n4 f: u$ v- XIn a Vienna hotel: In case of fire, do your utmost to alarm the hotel porter. 4 A1 y) c( {* y$ O* v2 F9 K& V
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A sign posted in Germany's Black Forest: It is strictly forbidden on our Black + G: \( F# f. [, H+ t. N
Forest camping site that people of different sex, for instance, men and women, % R$ ]& u8 G* b |9 w7 m
live together in one tent unless they are married with each other for that purpose.
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- p/ m+ O9 L: S' T9 _+ l' \( EIn an advertisement by a Hongkong dentist: Teeth extracted by the latest % S5 y5 Z9 v( |) d x: |
Methodists.
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A translated sentence from a Russian chess book: A lot of water has been passed . u8 c1 ]3 E' f4 I
under the bridge since this variation has been played. 1 T) j. `: p; o9 P- N
) C$ b/ H6 X! q- pIn a Rome laundry: Ladies, leave your clothes here and spend the afternoon 0 G& a4 m/ G! p" k6 r& c
having a good time. ' ?$ C' Y7 j4 |# ]
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In a Czechoslovakian tourist agency: Take one of our horse-driven city tours. 2 Z \0 V- w8 L" l: p. J
We guarantee no miscarriages. ! P; `' @( V) s' D( b! J: m
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In the window of a Swedish furrier: Fur coats made for ladies from their own
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4 y- @2 B$ `, [3 I" B0 N! B1 ROn the box of a clockwork toy made in Hongkong: Guaranteed to work + |7 C6 f% x t) _& e V' X- ~
throughout its useful life.
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Detour sign in Kyushi, Japan: Stop: Drive Sideways. + x- y# l4 N( z" e
: w8 y! S2 P5 o8 l1 p7 w1 ?In a Swiss mountain inn: Special today- no ice cream.
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In a Bangkok temple: It is forbidden to enter a woman even a foreigner if
1 M+ |) O$ B# m8 ]+ y! edressed as a man. 2 Y2 ~1 d' i* @# Y3 a3 z1 l
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In a Tokyo bar: Special cocktails for the ladies with nuts.
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In a Copenhagen airline ticket office: We take your bags and send them in all ' u4 T* G; m+ h8 @7 G
directions.
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On the door of a Moscow hotel room: If this is your first visit to the USSR, you ' x/ J. p# ~# \# d4 }) h0 P$ H5 U
are welcome to it. / w+ \" z9 G0 Q* C
) F6 Y. V1 i. V3 Q7 UIn a Norwegian cocktail lounge: Ladies are requested not to have children in the 0 ]/ D: k8 L% e3 ?5 r3 y. V$ |5 n
bar.
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At a Budapest zoo: Please do not feed the animals. If you have any suitable 0 N( \( f' Z1 O2 L8 h
food, give it to the guard on duty.
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0 H7 e% h$ Y! |' I8 k3 jIn the office of a Roman doctor: Specialist in women and other diseases. e* Z& A8 S& Y/ o5 V+ F
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In an Acapulco hotel: The manager has personally passed all the water served ' ]4 {' e) `! z5 q; Y& b
here.
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In a Tokyo shop: Our nylons cost more than common, but you'll find they are
( W/ v2 ]) l. k2 M2 ]" y6 nbest in the long run. : y9 i- b" u2 u
2 A/ T+ }- v2 W$ {. EFrom a Japonese information booklet about using a hotel air conditioner: Cooles
% K0 S1 G9 Z5 x. M. t9 uand Heates: If you want just condition of warm in your room, please control
* g2 h; |2 o5 \& ]- U1 M1 yyourself.
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From a brochure of a car rental firm in Tokyo: When passenger of foot heave in 7 m6 E/ D1 Z; n" E( N* z
sight, tootle the horn. Trumpet him melodiously at first, but if he still obstacles & Y% Y+ s. b2 H0 }6 x, N
your passage then tootle him with vigor.
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6 q) }3 m$ [! A1 ]' }! F1 M& h: K+ }Two signs from a Majorcan shop entrance:
' @: m/ k4 H8 `3 ]8 E-English well talking.; v$ p. O) r. S9 a) X% J0 _* K5 C1 {
-Here speeching American. |
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发表于 2007-5-8 18:47
