HP Forum Archive 08

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Re: HP 11C Message #1 Posted by Peter on 24 Apr 2002, 10:01 p.m. "I costi perfetti quello di pił gradiscono $200" Translated back into English, this is something like: What the perfect costs enjoy the most is $200. Or in another way: What the perfect costs most like is $200 where "perfect costs" is together, and "costs" is a name, not a verb. So now I have two questions: 1) What did the original writer write before translation? 2) Which automatic translator was used? These automatic translations are really funny. Once on the paper encasing two chopsticks I read (in Italian): to hold the rods, enjoy a pencil the original English (reverse engineered): hold the sticks like a pencil Peter

chopstick instructions Message #2 Posted by Ellis Easley on 24 Apr 2002, 11:16 p.m., in response to message #1 by Peter You have brought up one of my favorite topics: the messages printed on chopstick wrappers. For as long as I have used chopsticks (only occasionally over the past 30 years or so), the English endorsement printed on the different brands and styles of disposible chopsticks in the north- and central-Texas region, where I have lived, has remained fairly constant. Here is the sentence from a pair that were in my kitchen drawer: "Welcome to Chinese Restaurant. please try your Nice Chinese Food With Chopsticks the traditional and typical of Chinese glonous history. and cultual." I've stared at this set for some time and it definitely says "glonous" but usually they say "glorious" which I'm sure is intended. What first caught my attention was "cultual" which is always spelled that way. I have wondered, are they trying to avoid the word "cultural" because it raises painful memories? Or are "cult" and "culture" synonyms in Chinese? Or am I missing the boat: are they synonyms in English? My little pocket dictionary defines "cult" as "1.A system or community of worship. 2.Obsessive devotion." and "culture" as "...3. Socially transmitted behavior patterns. 4.Social and artistic expression and activity." I'm sure I'm making too much out of it. Also I'm sure whoever is printing these could put perfect English if they wanted to. So I have concluded that they intentionally print a sort of "pigeon" English because it increases the exotic charm of Chinese food. Couple this with the fact that using chopsticks makes food taste better (I think this is because it makes you take smaller bites) and there's no reason to change the message.

Re: chopstick instructions Message #3 Posted by Juan J on 25 Apr 2002, 3:02 p.m., in response to message #2 by Ellis Easley Not to mention those "Are you expecting?" pamphlets/cards, providing instructions on how to handle a phone call you're waiting for or to receive a message, found in non-English-speaking countries hotel rooms. "Expect" is often sinonymous with "wait" in several languages.

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