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发表于 2007-5-9 13:09
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, a* B s5 L, bhttp://www.chainletters.net/?item=190/ {$ S3 S0 z; g" p3 }) y
2 \0 \, n6 K" rThe name Coca-Cola in China was first rendered as Ke-kou-ke-la. ( R3 b* g+ K/ y8 o, G; w: m+ W( ?
Unfortunately, the Coke company did not discover until after thousands of signs
& g H( K2 a3 m0 K3 `had been printed that the phrase means "bite the wax tadpole" or "female horse
# \ X0 J; j7 \' }; @% }2 \4 Gstuffed with wax" depending on the dialect. Coke then researched 40,000
' k5 J8 a+ O% Y; fChinese characters and found a close phonetic equivalent, "ko-kou-ko-le," which 9 {) r- f1 t% `: s! C
can be loosely translated as "happiness in the mouth."
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% P4 u7 w+ ?5 I2 T- YIn Taiwan, the translation of the Pepsi slogan "Come alive with the Pepsi
~! J2 W3 w' J2 B2 M0 VGeneration" came out as "Pepsi will bring your ancestors back from the dead."
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Also in Chinese, the Kentucky Fried Chicken slogan "finger-lickin' good" came 1 K, r. e. g7 `: K
out as "eat your fingers off."6 P0 V& T" j7 \5 C4 P8 F' v2 y5 T: }
2 q0 T) v4 J6 H: X% }- xThe American slogan for Salem cigarettes, "Salem - Feeling Free," got
+ A; ?4 Y+ h+ ^# L% ^& I" p! P' Jtranslated in the Japanese market into "When smoking Salem, you feel so
2 b2 z% P3 g9 h: W/ w; U+ M0 s4 frefreshed that your mind seems to be free and empty."5 K3 P6 t2 x+ n; m# _
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When General Motors introduced the Chevy Nova in South America, it was / P6 F$ y) s! Z* Q, N& F9 ]
apparently unaware that "no va" means "it won't go." After the company figured - t2 s- b) V- U5 g
out why it wasn't selling any cars, it renamed the car in its Spanish markets to / D# f/ n1 a3 B% j9 A/ g0 L6 l
the Caribe.
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3 G; \% v2 a. N" C# s" p# RFord had a similar problem in Brazil when the Pinto flopped. The company
( @' V2 d5 c/ R0 |. Z% u! _found out that Pinto was Brazilian slang for "tiny male genitals". Ford pried all - A1 ?+ k6 Z" v, d m
the nameplates off and substituted Corcel, which means horse.5 ^/ |' v: r5 |
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When Parker Pen marketed a ballpoint pen in Mexico, its ads were supposed to : Q4 F8 ]- j" d0 g9 `
say "It won't leak in your pocket and embarrass you." However, the company's ) ?& F; D0 r x7 w+ ^* q
mistakenly thought the spanish word "embarazar" meant embarrass. Instead the 1 |, z$ N) E* B$ ^7 |
ads said that "It wont leak in your pocket and make you pregnant."
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! G& q# j7 l, XAn American T-shirt maker in Miami printed shirts for the spanish market
! g$ L/ C6 Z \, O9 N4 Cwhich promoted the Pope's visit. Instead of the desired "I Saw the Pope" in . e+ W* S2 |( X2 k" F' w
Spanish, the shirts proclaimed "I Saw the Potato."
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% Q/ U; @: Q3 L# X6 M& V: G$ ZIn Italy, a campaign for Schweppes Tonic Water translated the name into : E0 [, p. g6 G- h8 j
Schweppes Toilet Water.
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On the menu of a Swiss restaurant: Our wines leave you nothing to hope for. 6 z) j, A; j9 @
! b# g1 ]5 {; M" {' t0 P0 u* yIn a Hongkong supermarket: For your convenience, we reccomend courteous,
2 ]3 Q% r. @- R- S# c1 Yefficient self-service. 8 ^- s$ W$ Q7 Y& M% w U: L' ~! l
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In a Bangkok dry cleaner's: Drop your trousers here for best results.
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Outside a Paris dress shop: Dresses for streetwalking. 2 e, a7 R4 F7 W6 _& `/ {
3 }3 u4 i' t9 c Q- g# w( KOutside a Hongkong dress shop: Ladies have fits upstairs.
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; {# q& J- d# C$ u5 w0 B9 U3 HIn a Rhodes tailor shop: Order your summers suit. Because is big rush we will ! B) D' Y+ ?9 k) b
execute customers in strict rotation.
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% y. O8 u/ x# P; g8 C9 }From the Soviet Weekly: There will be a Moscow Exhibition of Arts by 15,000
2 E% ^9 T4 S" d7 x% d8 K5 MSoviet Republic painters and sculptors. These were executed over the past two ) ?" R$ k. w% [& L
years.
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8 Q4 r& V3 o7 p4 t/ E! A" sIn an East African newspaper: A new swimming pool is rapidly taking shape 9 |) ^6 d" V. [# _( f. v6 g( ~7 J- L
since the contractors have thrown in the bulk of their workers. - G' k# p. D: L! I" B% C5 ^! ~( m
: W5 w8 F& v9 \" z, ~. |/ X# h. dIn a Vienna hotel: In case of fire, do your utmost to alarm the hotel porter. . V: h; J- H% y" u
; R5 O; r. J3 c! }* _6 ZA sign posted in Germany's Black Forest: It is strictly forbidden on our Black
) }; |/ c) p; @1 \Forest camping site that people of different sex, for instance, men and women,
- ^- s3 }/ A7 N( Flive together in one tent unless they are married with each other for that purpose.
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: k4 L* r- a# z7 y8 SIn an advertisement by a Hongkong dentist: Teeth extracted by the latest : t, M0 N0 W' r: p# b4 R1 q
Methodists. % a) R* _: w) X# g# M3 C4 l
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A translated sentence from a Russian chess book: A lot of water has been passed
5 W+ I9 w( Y. e& h0 K" punder the bridge since this variation has been played.
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/ S( a& O3 o$ D0 x5 V" j; zIn a Rome laundry: Ladies, leave your clothes here and spend the afternoon
6 r3 d' N5 ~, p8 O# ahaving a good time.
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3 m* ~5 n/ L$ M6 Z8 m! m' CIn a Czechoslovakian tourist agency: Take one of our horse-driven city tours. * a% |: w$ ?% e, Q! @
We guarantee no miscarriages.
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0 }! H& C- S& z3 M0 G$ T' rIn the window of a Swedish furrier: Fur coats made for ladies from their own
2 J v( N$ {( }skin. % {0 J5 Y3 H6 e* J* Y7 A
# t& J: P# j- M- ]/ P/ u, tOn the box of a clockwork toy made in Hongkong: Guaranteed to work
* n$ `0 {. f/ j) lthroughout its useful life. ; D% D7 `" i3 }7 z' U
4 D8 G. k8 M( \- c! r6 oDetour sign in Kyushi, Japan: Stop: Drive Sideways. ! G/ M( B* E: ~8 l0 T
8 _# j) S4 M$ F. i) n/ q' SIn a Swiss mountain inn: Special today- no ice cream.
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8 p' f6 f/ C3 Z/ a! T, E) Q' P* ^In a Bangkok temple: It is forbidden to enter a woman even a foreigner if / b- [3 d4 K- D3 d5 ]( K$ R" c2 h
dressed as a man.
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In a Tokyo bar: Special cocktails for the ladies with nuts.
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c8 V; ~: t; b8 NIn a Copenhagen airline ticket office: We take your bags and send them in all $ J7 k, ^% h3 s) b9 J
directions. 6 a8 [# r N' A; o0 B
% ]; k- \& ^5 d) R4 }- b! QOn the door of a Moscow hotel room: If this is your first visit to the USSR, you 3 ]7 |+ z4 _& U% s. D- \! A5 y
are welcome to it.
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8 j6 J4 q/ Z, u; v& Z" QIn a Norwegian cocktail lounge: Ladies are requested not to have children in the
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At a Budapest zoo: Please do not feed the animals. If you have any suitable 1 i% ]& S& c6 N
food, give it to the guard on duty.
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In the office of a Roman doctor: Specialist in women and other diseases.
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In an Acapulco hotel: The manager has personally passed all the water served
8 _! L% ?) E( G# o' Uhere.
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In a Tokyo shop: Our nylons cost more than common, but you'll find they are
6 ?% m& L) M% p0 [+ L* bbest in the long run.
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2 `0 x/ O! t. ?/ S. {From a Japonese information booklet about using a hotel air conditioner: Cooles & u6 v% ]3 F, C" E; d+ l0 O
and Heates: If you want just condition of warm in your room, please control
, `) {9 |+ y/ Cyourself. # p2 e3 Z( C/ d
; v- s& Q |. q) N# zFrom a brochure of a car rental firm in Tokyo: When passenger of foot heave in
, C6 |* K3 t2 o c% gsight, tootle the horn. Trumpet him melodiously at first, but if he still obstacles " n# p" @7 o& x5 x O& Z' m
your passage then tootle him with vigor. 8 ~% [. u3 p( |6 u; o
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Two signs from a Majorcan shop entrance: - U, i+ e5 _$ P; l% w! K
-English well talking.
" t# N2 y [7 y3 E4 L# {-Here speeching American. |
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