Swansea council contacted its in-house translation service when designing the bilingual sign. The seeds of confusion were sown when officials received an automated email response in Welsh from an absent translator, saying: “I am not in the office at the moment. Please send any work to be translated.”
Unaware of its real meaning, officials had it printed on the sign. The council took down the sign after Welsh speakers spotted the mistake.
We have a similar problem in northern New Mexico with all the road signs being produced at the State Penitentiary. The prevailing illiteracy makes for some fascinating reading while trying to find your way around the region.
This is the funniest thing I have seen in ages. I laughed solidly for several minutes (but I don’t get out much).
It should have said:
Na chofnodiad achos ‘n drwm da vehicles. Residential safle ond.
Sarah Palin Welsh Joke: (Punchline only)
Gwisgi t nydd-dro mewn chyneua bwlb Charlie. Hysgriwi mewn gorweddfa.
“You don’t screw in a light bulb, Charlie. You screw in a bed.”
Eideard wrote: “We have a similar problem in northern New Mexico with all the road signs being produced at the State Penitentiary. The prevailing illiteracy makes for some fascinating reading while trying to find your way around the region.”
Proof please? How about some pictures of signs produced by the “illiterate” inmates?
“We have a similar problem in northern New Mexico with all the road signs being produced at the State Penitentiary. The prevailing illiteracy makes for some fascinating reading while trying to find your way around the region.”
What, the Corrections Officers overseeing the workers don’t know how to read and write English?