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Well, Fancy That! (in Welsh)

skunk

skunk

macrumors G4
Original poster
Jun 29, 2002
11,759
6,109
Republic of Ukistan
Oops! :)

sign.jpg

E-mail error ends up on road sign

When officials asked for the Welsh translation of a road sign, they thought the reply was what they needed.

Unfortunately, the e-mail response to Swansea council said in Welsh: "I am not in the office at the moment. Please send any work to be translated".

So that was what went up under the English version which barred lorries from a road near a supermarket.

"When they're proofing signs, they should really use someone who speaks Welsh," said journalist Dylan Iorwerth.

It's good to see people trying to translate but they should really ask for expert help
Dylan Iorwerth, Golwg magazine
Swansea Council became lost in translation when it was looking to halt heavy goods vehicles using a road near an Asda store in the Morriston area
All official road signs in Wales are bilingual, so the local authority e-mailed its in-house translation service for the Welsh version of: "No entry for heavy goods vehicles. Residential site only".

The reply duly came back and officials set the wheels in motion to create the large sign in both languages.

The notice went up and all seemed well - until Welsh speakers began pointing out the embarrassing error.

Welsh-language magazine Golwg was promptly sent photographs of the offending sign by a number of its readers.

Managing editor Mr Iorwerth said: "We've been running a series of these pictures over the past months.

"They're circulating among Welsh speakers because, unfortunately, it's all too common that things are not just badly translated, but are put together by people who have no idea about the language.

"It's good to see people trying to translate, but they should really ask for expert help.

"Everything these days seems to be written first in English and then translated.

"Ideally, they should be written separately in both languages."

A council spokeswoman said: "Our attention was drawn to the mistranslation of a sign at the junction of Clase Road and Pant-y-Blawd Road.

Other confusing signs

"We took it down as soon as we were made aware of it and a correct sign will be re-instated as soon as possible."

The blunder is not the only time Welsh has been translated incorrectly or put in the wrong place:

• Cyclists between Cardiff and Penarth in 2006 were left confused by a bilingual road sign telling them they had problems with an "inflamed bladder".

• In the same year, a sign for pedestrians in Cardiff reading 'Look Right' in English read 'Look Left' in Welsh.

• In 2006, a shared-faith school in Wrexham removed a sign which translated the Welsh for staff as "wooden stave".

• Football fans at a FA Cup tie between Oldham and Chasetown - two English teams - in 2005 were left scratching their heads after a Welsh-language hoarding was put up along the pitch. It should have gone to a match in Merthyr Tydfil.

• People living near an Aberdeenshire building site in 2006 were mystified when a sign apologising for the inconvenience was written in Welsh as well as English.​
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​
http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/7702913.stm
 
I heard this on the radio earlier today. Gave me a good chuckle.

I would've thought that edesignuk would've posted this already as he always seems to get the funnier news stories.
 
Skunk, boyo, I'm disappointed Welsh isn't in your language repertoire.
 
Laughable isn't it. You'd have thought someone would have checked the translation before getting the sign made up. What a bunch of idiots.
 
Oh dear, I actually had to think for a minute if you lot were actually speaking Welsh. And I speak it! :p

Came across this story yesterday, gave me a good laugh.

Nawr peidiwch ceisio siarad Cymraeg os nid ydych yn ddeall yr iaith.
 
selaW si looc!

Or so I used to read from our old cars sticker. Awesome signage. This thread needs more signs :cool:
 
MrSmith said:
Looc si selaw?
Click to expand...

YLR O?

I was waiting to see how long it took for someone to cotton on... had to be a native I suppose, to spot the subtle differences between Welsh and our nonsense ;)

Edit: ...or the differences between their nonsense and our nonsense, as it were :D
 
So there are now so few people in Wales who speak Welsh that they not only have to outsource translation work, but don't even have anyone in the office who can check it?

P.S. They're just lucky they didn't get penis enlargement spam instead. :eek:
 
mkrishnan said:
So there are now so few people in Wales who speak Welsh that they not only have to outsource translation work, but don't even have anyone in the office who can check it?
Click to expand...

Kind of begs the question why they need to bother with the dual language signs....

(cue flaming from pro-Welsh language activists)
 
woolyback said:
Kind of begs the question why they need to bother with the dual language signs....

(cue flaming from pro-Welsh language activists)
Click to expand...

Because we blatantly have nothing better to do with our time. And we like to be different :rolleyes:
 
welsh is weird.

I remember going there one day while i was visiting england. Never got to hear somebody speak it tho :(

Went to some town whos name i cannot begin to try to spell here. It's the longest, or second longest name in the world tho from what i heard.

*EDIT*

The town is Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch. Man i wish i could have heard somebody say it lol.
 
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