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5 p+ Y$ G% B& P+ @0 o; nhttp://www.chainletters.net/?item=190
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The name Coca-Cola in China was first rendered as Ke-kou-ke-la.
9 R2 t/ a) }& v! iUnfortunately, the Coke company did not discover until after thousands of signs
1 [9 i* v# A w- L& Ahad been printed that the phrase means "bite the wax tadpole" or "female horse ' Y7 P2 L6 T2 D9 ^0 H
stuffed with wax" depending on the dialect. Coke then researched 40,000
4 p1 z' |1 D3 R2 JChinese characters and found a close phonetic equivalent, "ko-kou-ko-le," which
$ i3 Y" Z, y( V# C4 a. acan be loosely translated as "happiness in the mouth."+ G6 H' {( [, `, s1 u" r
9 B0 p, V2 s: `" TIn Taiwan, the translation of the Pepsi slogan "Come alive with the Pepsi ' N- ?7 D, [" c& W* f( O
Generation" came out as "Pepsi will bring your ancestors back from the dead."
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, U. I% O$ s; B( M3 dAlso in Chinese, the Kentucky Fried Chicken slogan "finger-lickin' good" came |4 d& I' r4 i1 j4 m g4 q
out as "eat your fingers off."! L+ O+ b+ w6 o* d. }
7 K( n3 N+ H* E4 OThe American slogan for Salem cigarettes, "Salem - Feeling Free," got 9 E, ^! u6 x% }* s! J# l
translated in the Japanese market into "When smoking Salem, you feel so
- H: e$ }# ]. W8 V. I8 `refreshed that your mind seems to be free and empty."
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$ R% K8 m& J$ FWhen General Motors introduced the Chevy Nova in South America, it was 9 m3 S ^. S/ k
apparently unaware that "no va" means "it won't go." After the company figured
* ^& y. n& x# l$ h* Lout why it wasn't selling any cars, it renamed the car in its Spanish markets to 2 y/ b$ a* W T/ e: v9 {5 t3 Q* _
the Caribe.
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8 G6 ]( ]4 e2 t- OFord had a similar problem in Brazil when the Pinto flopped. The company # \% x2 n; ]( }2 ?0 B& x2 h7 g2 @
found out that Pinto was Brazilian slang for "tiny male genitals". Ford pried all
1 m7 ^: M& f5 ^) w. ]/ I) j! D% S' kthe nameplates off and substituted Corcel, which means horse.) J/ R, G/ I1 u1 Y. j+ z: w
5 O$ k/ z5 k* P Q9 {% zWhen Parker Pen marketed a ballpoint pen in Mexico, its ads were supposed to 7 E# Y7 K: O+ |+ K; V. T6 [
say "It won't leak in your pocket and embarrass you." However, the company's
, o6 C: b3 r: z; \mistakenly thought the spanish word "embarazar" meant embarrass. Instead the
/ V8 S p7 C7 Vads said that "It wont leak in your pocket and make you pregnant."
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An American T-shirt maker in Miami printed shirts for the spanish market
7 j8 P, h/ V: }3 r# \: T* ~which promoted the Pope's visit. Instead of the desired "I Saw the Pope" in ' ]* z' K7 G. i7 V$ y3 k3 U
Spanish, the shirts proclaimed "I Saw the Potato."
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In Italy, a campaign for Schweppes Tonic Water translated the name into : y( ]( z8 \* a- V; I) C' b
Schweppes Toilet Water.3 S+ g# f K L, t- I* H. [- Y' Z( U
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On the menu of a Swiss restaurant: Our wines leave you nothing to hope for. " G) T1 |8 O, k) g) u1 V
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In a Hongkong supermarket: For your convenience, we reccomend courteous,
! {* f6 E( [* Qefficient self-service. ' y6 l2 R* Z3 a9 n' V* W
) d" T X& y- ^: H( oIn a Bangkok dry cleaner's: Drop your trousers here for best results. " B4 d, Q1 p5 A' w" G- w8 n
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Outside a Paris dress shop: Dresses for streetwalking. ' `7 s+ t4 F# B, d1 g( u1 X
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Outside a Hongkong dress shop: Ladies have fits upstairs.
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In a Rhodes tailor shop: Order your summers suit. Because is big rush we will
0 @) E) h3 c7 c) ]# texecute customers in strict rotation.
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From the Soviet Weekly: There will be a Moscow Exhibition of Arts by 15,000
) U; v0 x- h4 F- G3 [Soviet Republic painters and sculptors. These were executed over the past two
9 \( b5 A4 e: Xyears. , t' }- \9 u! Z* }3 J; J
* \! |2 [' |: a! ^) r' cIn an East African newspaper: A new swimming pool is rapidly taking shape : a5 W; G9 |7 a# \6 I3 I
since the contractors have thrown in the bulk of their workers. # x5 u/ T7 r- d% W7 b, v
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In a Vienna hotel: In case of fire, do your utmost to alarm the hotel porter.
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A sign posted in Germany's Black Forest: It is strictly forbidden on our Black
! H9 h: S; e, f; h1 IForest camping site that people of different sex, for instance, men and women, 0 d0 T! t4 g- D4 s, e; ~& F: I6 T. w9 N
live together in one tent unless they are married with each other for that purpose. ; E+ Y. a' {7 }6 N* K: B4 B) c$ h3 S- C" b
* V3 z2 b. {0 |% m) \& DIn an advertisement by a Hongkong dentist: Teeth extracted by the latest $ M% `1 R0 W# {
Methodists. . O8 f& A: C: _* @& z5 Y1 I
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A translated sentence from a Russian chess book: A lot of water has been passed
; r- K' G' h; b" v( @# s8 wunder the bridge since this variation has been played.
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In a Rome laundry: Ladies, leave your clothes here and spend the afternoon
# k# b, ]" e8 b$ L! J& v: Q _having a good time. $ L) s1 j" D& x
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In a Czechoslovakian tourist agency: Take one of our horse-driven city tours.
( \4 P. W, s8 K) A* `We guarantee no miscarriages. * E) k, O& U7 z0 }
9 \9 L1 v0 D1 X) p, {, ]. K3 oIn the window of a Swedish furrier: Fur coats made for ladies from their own
8 R2 o2 ]9 L1 |skin.
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On the box of a clockwork toy made in Hongkong: Guaranteed to work
3 i6 v D9 n7 C, zthroughout its useful life. 3 E+ l4 Y' P8 P: V, b0 b% q
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Detour sign in Kyushi, Japan: Stop: Drive Sideways. ( [* F9 I/ H% ^7 a& Z7 B0 O
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In a Swiss mountain inn: Special today- no ice cream. % ]1 g6 _! S5 d$ F8 `
- T- t9 f" V( R( o4 m" tIn a Bangkok temple: It is forbidden to enter a woman even a foreigner if
Z! ~) P; x6 wdressed as a man.
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. `. X% g; V0 z. dIn a Tokyo bar: Special cocktails for the ladies with nuts. b- Y( Q) S* s0 u* l0 ?3 d
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In a Copenhagen airline ticket office: We take your bags and send them in all 4 Y5 f& n% @% B. l2 E0 L
directions. : D- L$ ?) H n
+ R2 b: ^! h2 P5 S, sOn the door of a Moscow hotel room: If this is your first visit to the USSR, you d5 c% ?; Y2 Y6 z5 [
are welcome to it.
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In a Norwegian cocktail lounge: Ladies are requested not to have children in the
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$ h' B. G$ G. \7 C; ^5 @- _At a Budapest zoo: Please do not feed the animals. If you have any suitable
0 ?* U/ L. r: rfood, give it to the guard on duty. + K) t: |2 ?6 W: E& b, R
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In the office of a Roman doctor: Specialist in women and other diseases.
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: U7 e0 J( A1 x6 |5 b6 uIn an Acapulco hotel: The manager has personally passed all the water served
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In a Tokyo shop: Our nylons cost more than common, but you'll find they are 8 w4 `" M2 }, x. G2 P6 @
best in the long run.
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From a Japonese information booklet about using a hotel air conditioner: Cooles
5 j* M% A. \% Vand Heates: If you want just condition of warm in your room, please control
% _: P+ ]3 m+ G- H6 xyourself. 4 B, m4 I, u' X/ _# P6 e2 z1 M V0 ]
" R" L/ F5 E: O1 u8 sFrom a brochure of a car rental firm in Tokyo: When passenger of foot heave in
( |/ l; C9 E$ s+ U. ~8 Lsight, tootle the horn. Trumpet him melodiously at first, but if he still obstacles
8 C, g# j, _+ Uyour passage then tootle him with vigor.
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Two signs from a Majorcan shop entrance:
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-Here speeching American. |
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