"English as She is Spoke"!
To put you into the right mood, here's one of my favourite
Babel
Fish translations from the original French ("Jeune Gaulois au gui
l'au neuf") to gibberish in English: "Gallic young person with the
GUI the new year". This is the title of a famous statue by Jean
Baujault. As the statue is of a boy, the translation into correct
English should be: A Gallic Boy Celebrating the New Year. Why
he should celebrate in the nude is anyone's guess!
In case you don't know the quotation in red text, it comes from
an old English/Portuguese phrasebook and should read: English
as it is spoken. This kept the English amused until the Japanese
and the Scandinavians began sending us hi-fi and DIY furniture
with unintentionally humorous instruction manuals. Now we're
chortling at foreign websites allegedly translated into English.
To read about English As She Is Spoke in Wikipedia, click
HERE.
Why trust Coxsoft? Do you know the biggest difference between
UK English and USA English? Gerunds! Know what a gerund is?
I hold an honours degree in Psychology, gained in a Department
of Excellence, and yes: I do know what a gerund is. Colons too!
I've also received training from the Plain English Campaign and
have lectured colleagues on the importance of plain language.
