Thursday, July 05, 2007

Lost in translation?

Carol decided we needed a countertop machine that makes ice cubes. For our camper.

Thorough to a fault, she went online and began comparing models for features, size, and price. One of those she liked had the following description:

(Please do read through it. Aloud, if possible. There's a reason.)

Wrapped in commercial grade stainless steel, the new Edgestar Portable Stainless Steel Ice Maker With Digital Display allows you to make ice virtually anywhere there is 110 Volt power. Just pour water into the internal reservoir, plug this portable ice maker in, and enjoy! Within ten minutes you'll have your first batch of cold, refreshing ice. It's great for home bars, offices, and more. Plus, the commercial grade stainless steel wrapped exterior (with silver lid) matches almost any decor. Between the compact countertop size and the stainless steel finish, there's no need to hide this ice maker under a counter!

Here are the reasons the EdgeStar Portable Ice Maker with Stainless Steel finish and Digital Display is in a class of its own:

Digital display:The electric blue read-out on the digital display is easy to to read and understand.

Self-cleaning mode: This is the first EdgeStar ice maker to feature a self-cleaning mode!

Wrapped stainless steel finish: New and improved, the EdgeStar stainless steel portable ice maker features a body wrapped in true commercial grade stainless steel for unparalleled durability and style.

Upgraded internal components: This EdgeStar ice maker features upgraded internal components for increased durability and reliability. This includes a reinforced pump housing, a redesigned compressor system, and newly designed interior hinges. Rest easy knowing that your new EdgeStar stainless steel portable ice maker will keep pumping out ice in style for years!

The EdgeStar stainless steel portable countertop ice maker produces up to 35 pounds of ice per day, and it stores up to 2 1/2 pounds of ice in an insulated storage compartment. No drain is required, and you can even select the ice cube size (three selections.)

The Edgestar Portable Stainless Steel Ice Maker With Digital Display is the perfect solution for your ice making needs.

No, I'm not tring to sell these things!

Carol then found another listing for the identical model on a different web site. Its description had apparently been translated out of the original Mandarin Chinese (my guess) by a translation machine. Or an alien from Mars. Or. . .??

Read this identical description aloud -- even if you didn't read the first one. You'll want to scroll up and down to compare.

Put down your drink if you don't want to snort it out your nose.

Wrapped in commercial-grade score stainless steel, the young Edgestar Portable Stainless Steel Ice Maker With Digital Display allows you to do steel,0 to all intents and purposes anyplace on that point is 110 Volt force. Just rain buckets irrigate into the intragroup source, stop up this steel,1 steel,2 steel,3 in, and savor! Within 10 transactions you'll feature your 1st lot of moth-eaten, reviving steel,4 It's outstanding in opposition to national bars, offices, and more than. Plus, the commercial-grade mark steel,5 steel,6 wrapped superficial (with silvern eyelid) matches towards whatever decor. Between the thickset countertop sizing and the steel,7 steel,8 destination, there's no demand to hide out this steel,9 Portable0 below a heel counter!

This countertop Portable1 Portable2 produces up to 35 pounds of Portable3 by means of daytime, and it supplies up to 2 1/2 pounds of Portable4 in an insulated storage division. No run out is required, and you tin regular cull the Portable5 dice sizing (three selections.)

The Edgestar Portable6 Portable7 Portable8 Portable9 Stainless0 Stainless1 Stainless2 Stainless3 is the hone root by reason of your Stainless4 fabrication indispensably. Reasons this Stainless5 Stainless6 Stainless7 is in a division of its ain embody:

1)Digital Stainless8 The electrical racy read-out on the Stainless9 Steel0 is easygoing to to say and translate.

2) Self-cleaning musical mode: This is the 1st EdgeStar Steel1 Steel2 to feature film a self-cleaning musical mode!

3) Wrapped Steel3 Steel4 destination: New and improved, the EdgeStar Steel5 Steel6 Steel7 Steel8 Steel9 features a personify wrapped in rightful commercial-grade mark Ice0 Ice1 as antidote to unparagoned lasting quality and title.

4) Upgraded intragroup components: This EdgeStar Ice2 Ice3 features upgraded intragroup components beneficial to increased durableness and reliableness. This includes a strengthened cross-question lodging, a redesigned compressor scheme, and new intentional midland hinges.

Rest leisurely wise that your young EdgeStar Ice4 Ice5 Ice6 Ice7 Ice8 testament stay fresh pumping come out Ice9 in title on the side of years!

Gee. Which one would YOU buy?

12 comments:

Candace said...

"Rest leisurely wise." Love it!
How Zen!
:)

Peter said...

Now this is only a hunch John, but I'm leaning a little toward the first one.... however I must say I liked the honesty of the second in that they counted the repetitions for me... saved me keeping my own score I was also very taken by the reliableness of this one.
Too close to call in the finish!!!!

kenju said...

I honed in on that "rest leisurely wise" also...LOL. This reads like some of the stuff on Engrish.com. I'll bet the original was in Japanese.

Badabing said...

Thanks for the warning to put the drink down...LMAO.

Duke_of_Earle said...

My personal favorite parts were:

"The electrical racy read-out on the Stainless9 Steel0 is easygoing to to say and translate."

and, "This is the 1st EdgeStar Steel1 Steel2 to feature film a self-cleaning musical mode!"

I'm anxious to see that racy read-out and hear the self-cleaning music while I watch the feature film!

(BTW, this was not made up. If anyone wants the URL to read the website I'll be happy to provide it.)

John

Unknown said...

"Just rain buckets!"

I feel the urge to shout this at random strangers today...

Anonymous said...

Rest leisurely wise that your young EdgeStar Ice4 Ice5 Ice6 Ice7 Ice8 testament stay fresh pumping come out Ice9 in title on the side of years!

I like the idea of resting leisurely while all of this takes place.

Duke_of_Earle said...

Steve,

How wise of you!

John

Christina said...

I love the "feature film a self-cleaning musical mode" - sounds more entertaining than the other model. And of course, how can you go wrong when you're resting leisurely wise? It's the best way to rest by far!

Anonymous said...

The second reminds me of some of the very arrogant foreign students I used to get when I taught college English. They had had 10-12 years of English in their native lands and their skills were much like the second one. And...they wanted to argue with me (me being a mere woman) when I attempted to correct them. I just gave up.

Hey, maybe that was written by one of my former foreign students.

Duke_of_Earle said...

r.e.:

I've looked through the two versions, and concluded that an "idiomatic" translator must have been used. For example, "pour" is revised to "rain buckets" in the second version. Well, we say "It's pouring; it's raining buckets."

Likewise "plug this portable ice-maker in" is revised to "stop up this steel,1 steel,2 steel,3 in." Well, if something (like a drain) is plugged we say it is "stopped up."

It's as if they were trying to put the English version into idiomatic speech. (Or idiotic. Or, like I first thought, they're aliens!)

John

Anonymous said...

That's a hilarious translation! One of the reasons that I KNOW that I cannot speak French or Spanish, both of which I have "studied", but not "learned". hahahahahahaha!