Lost in Translation

I like old kung-fu movies - you never quite know which way the subtitles will go. I especially liked these two:

"Yah-hah, evil spider woman! I have captured you by the short rabbits and can now deliver you violently to your gynecologist for a thorough extermination."

And:

"You're a bad guy. Where's your library card?"

English subtitles for a Hong Kong kung-fu film. That one about the library card is really scary.


There are other examples of the ubiquity of slightly 'off' English translations. Here's one from a ferry in the Philippines.

ADULTS: 1 USD

CHILD: 50 cents

CADAVERS: Subject to negotiation

After you have absorbed the implications of that, puzzle through this piece of Chinese fortune cookie philosophy from the mysterious East:

Consolidate your interest while the lights are active.

Or this one from a Japanese beauty salon near the Chuo Rinkan station:

Beauty Brain's
Fantastic Fannie

My favorite, though, is this one from a Turkish cocktail lounge:

No drinking prohibited.

No wonder the Turks want into the European Union.