OT - I'm no longer worried about Asian nukes.

RSY · Post by **RSY** » Tue Dec 25, 2007 12:02 pm

After putting together toys for my two daughters last night, I think we're safe from any threat, unless they send us the mis-manufactured pieces and a single sheet of directions in ridiculous "English" for us to put 'em together, ourselves.

Merry Christmas, everyone!

Post by **Ysabel Kid** » Tue Dec 25, 2007 10:42 pm

Savage99 · Post by **Savage99** » Tue Dec 25, 2007 11:02 pm

GANJIRO · Post by **GANJIRO** » Wed Dec 26, 2007 3:49 am

Ain't the nukes you gotta worry about, it's the lead paint and "date rape" drugs in the kids toys, as well as poison in the pet foods they keep sneaking in, them sneaking little orientals...

bcp · Post by **bcp** » Wed Dec 26, 2007 10:09 pm

Toys are finally put together. Let's go out for a Chinese dinner.

http://www.engrish.com/category_index.p ... =CHINGLISH

Bruce

cutter · Post by **cutter** » Wed Dec 26, 2007 10:36 pm

The Chinese language, written and spoken, is a very fascinating thing.

It is also one of the hardest to translate, along with English. For example,the Chinese words for 'mother' and 'horse', when written with the English Alphabet are spelled the same; Ma. The Chinese Characters, on the other hand , are entirely different and so is pronounciation. So you could see how things would get confused...

Still, there are more English speaking Chinese, than English speaking Americans.

Bogie35 · Post by **Bogie35** » Wed Dec 26, 2007 11:18 pm

cutter wrote:The Chinese language, written and spoken, is a very fascinating thing.

It is also one of the hardest to translate, along with English. For example,the Chinese words for 'mother' and 'horse', when written with the English Alphabet are spelled the same; Ma. The Chinese Characters, on the other hand , are entirely different and so is pronounciation. So you could see how things would get confused...

Still, there are more English speaking Chinese, than English speaking Americans.

And the gap is widening...

bogie

JohndeFresno · Post by **JohndeFresno** » Thu Dec 27, 2007 5:36 pm

cutter wrote:The Chinese language, written and spoken, is a very fascinating thing.

It is also one of the hardest to translate, along with English. For example,the Chinese words for 'mother' and 'horse', when written with the English Alphabet are spelled the same; Ma. The Chinese Characters, on the other hand , are entirely different and so is pronounciation. So you could see how things would get confused...

Still, there are more English speaking Chinese, than English speaking Americans.

You are being too kind to some folks who are out to make a quick buck, but who are too cheap to hire a decent translator. Vietnamese and Chinese words are similar ("ma," with a certain tone, means ghost in Vietnamese, as well). The obstacle of the tones has long been conquered by adding a letter at the end of a word, as in telegraphic Vietnamese or Chinese, that picks up the tone that makes the different word.

E.g. - I don't remember all the translations, but the word for "ban" in the six tones used by the Vietnamese (no inflection, rising, falling, falling and rising, broken rising, and glottal stop - the abrupt low tone) are written thusly: ban, bans, banf, banr, banx, banj. Combined with the word for "me", they mean "I am busy," "Sell me," "Shoot me," "My friend," and two other things I don't remember.

Nope - it's not the language, it's just like here in the U.S. - people are becoming too lazy and/or ignorant to take time to use the proper English, spelling, and so on, as we get yet more technologically dependent and internationally dependent on products!

Whoops - almost stumbled over my soapbox...

Bitmap · Post by **Bitmap** » Thu Dec 27, 2007 5:40 pm

The problem with the Chinese instructions is the guys from Poland who can't read Chinese or English that they pay to do the translations.

As far as lead goes, look on the bright side. If worse ever comes to worse we can melt down the toys to make bullets.