Re: Multi Language Support on the AS/400 -Reply

Scott Cornell wrote: [snip]...

> "Please rate your proficiency with English -
> Poor
> Fair
> Excellent"
>
> The actual meaning of the resulting German
> translation was as follows:
>
> "Please value your skills in English
>
> Lacking money (e.g. "poor")
> County "Fair" or Marketplace
> Outstanding"
>
> I still chuckle today at the thought of any native
> speaker of German NOT familiar with English trying
> to make sense of that!

Scott:

I have a book, somewhere around here, that is intended for use by
English speakers wishing to do business in other countries. Idioms and
clichés are a constant stumbling block. Even between the British and the
Americans, "I'm mad about my flat" mean two completely different things.
"Bomb" implies failure in the USA, and success in England.

I also remember from the book, that, to express surprise in German, one
would say, literally, "My hamster is scrubbing the floor". :-)


--
Francis Lapeyre                    flapeyre@communique.net
----------------------------------------------------------
"The probability of life originating from accident is
comparable to the probability of the Unabridged Dictionary
resulting from an explosion in a printing factory."

Prof. Edwin Conklin

****** If you spam me, you will incur the wrath of your Internet **
****** Service Provider. I KNOW who you REALLY are!!***************

Opinions are my own. Otherwise, they are someone else's.


* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
* This is the Midrange System Mailing List!  To submit a new message,   *
* send your mail to "MIDRANGE-L@midrange.com".  To unsubscribe from     *
* this list send email to MAJORDOMO@midrange.com and specify            *
* 'unsubscribe MIDRANGE-L' in the body of your message.  Questions      *
* should be directed to the list owner / operator: david@midrange.com   *
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *