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5 p2 \) J0 v& Z, O% ghttp://www.chainletters.net/?item=190# _! X5 T5 V( S
- D+ ^, G ]3 h: h$ DThe name Coca-Cola in China was first rendered as Ke-kou-ke-la.
2 r5 D( e% B- J& c, ]8 |3 EUnfortunately, the Coke company did not discover until after thousands of signs
; z$ V! a! ~! b2 phad been printed that the phrase means "bite the wax tadpole" or "female horse $ T8 E6 ]$ z4 ?$ Q7 Q
stuffed with wax" depending on the dialect. Coke then researched 40,000
' _3 i+ ^$ p6 l B T5 D2 r( qChinese characters and found a close phonetic equivalent, "ko-kou-ko-le," which 6 w y6 o) F q
can be loosely translated as "happiness in the mouth."
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In Taiwan, the translation of the Pepsi slogan "Come alive with the Pepsi
/ w5 A: Y' l& [$ OGeneration" 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 2 S" N9 H& u2 m c7 w, ?" O
out as "eat your fingers off."
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# b% p) ?; {; k; d& \The American slogan for Salem cigarettes, "Salem - Feeling Free," got & C; k6 C) V7 _9 R
translated in the Japanese market into "When smoking Salem, you feel so
2 `$ w4 w/ s) l# }' h- krefreshed that your mind seems to be free and empty."& ~0 x' Y& A. [: u K) p& n0 i
, ?1 K; J* X$ [' L% bWhen General Motors introduced the Chevy Nova in South America, it was . I. x4 \6 o, O4 J3 x6 Z
apparently unaware that "no va" means "it won't go." After the company figured
" k1 Q( }; g; ?3 @' u' Nout why it wasn't selling any cars, it renamed the car in its Spanish markets to
1 q* T% z. l; X; R, l Pthe Caribe.
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3 Y! L4 ~7 Q# l# nFord had a similar problem in Brazil when the Pinto flopped. The company
: Z# b. m+ D0 {8 `9 h* _found out that Pinto was Brazilian slang for "tiny male genitals". Ford pried all
1 \1 |4 M v+ Q$ {2 H+ _; @the nameplates off and substituted Corcel, which means horse.% D! H4 p- u, f& d6 j
: }1 j- w9 ^ y5 r, G; WWhen Parker Pen marketed a ballpoint pen in Mexico, its ads were supposed to
) Z8 h8 j) V# Gsay "It won't leak in your pocket and embarrass you." However, the company's / m) k1 T/ d$ m7 {% `
mistakenly thought the spanish word "embarazar" meant embarrass. Instead the
- o$ u6 L W6 S ?2 O6 kads 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 3 y7 h. ~( Y1 B/ ^
which promoted the Pope's visit. Instead of the desired "I Saw the Pope" in
5 G( f+ B. G9 hSpanish, the shirts proclaimed "I Saw the Potato."
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In Italy, a campaign for Schweppes Tonic Water translated the name into 7 j" T' P4 S5 e/ H! {
Schweppes Toilet Water.3 t* Q5 p7 [8 U( Y+ u; _" b5 P
0 F7 _2 Z; y% @& ROn the menu of a Swiss restaurant: Our wines leave you nothing to hope for.
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& A6 ]0 E+ p- n- v8 u2 `In a Hongkong supermarket: For your convenience, we reccomend courteous,
' J3 F0 K" t# T( i9 ?6 ?efficient self-service.
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7 x. P: B) S9 X- f- F; D; T2 U/ sIn a Bangkok dry cleaner's: Drop your trousers here for best results. 3 ~1 h9 Y) q0 ]
) F5 |& q# k" T0 pOutside a Paris dress shop: Dresses for streetwalking.
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Outside a Hongkong dress shop: Ladies have fits upstairs. 1 t, i H/ m& d7 p% C) B
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In a Rhodes tailor shop: Order your summers suit. Because is big rush we will
1 s: `2 ^. L9 ^' N$ {) |execute customers in strict rotation. k# o% y8 h! x- O5 I8 R
: n8 Q- b$ A7 ? g sFrom the Soviet Weekly: There will be a Moscow Exhibition of Arts by 15,000 8 ]( f9 H: L7 |
Soviet Republic painters and sculptors. These were executed over the past two
1 B9 J* B2 Q! Y- M0 ` j4 cyears.
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+ z) G( H/ Y6 l4 M8 R7 CIn an East African newspaper: A new swimming pool is rapidly taking shape 9 g8 R& y. x; O8 t8 h$ h
since the contractors have thrown in the bulk of their workers.
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In a Vienna hotel: In case of fire, do your utmost to alarm the hotel porter.
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- l) a& o$ U$ \. n5 g9 \/ HA sign posted in Germany's Black Forest: It is strictly forbidden on our Black
$ E2 a& W8 x: _+ q. ZForest camping site that people of different sex, for instance, men and women, ) C: v) e1 K( K
live together in one tent unless they are married with each other for that purpose. 1 I; _9 m% j9 F$ o, t ~& W
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In an advertisement by a Hongkong dentist: Teeth extracted by the latest
* d# R( z1 ?0 w% \0 rMethodists. 3 y+ v, T# n3 k1 _- S
* Y9 ?4 T. H' X9 r f& @A translated sentence from a Russian chess book: A lot of water has been passed
! s* Z8 [" K$ E6 `$ e, K, tunder the bridge since this variation has been played. . \9 G0 O% o" t# F) d* ^
+ \6 f8 l% }8 C2 e! DIn a Rome laundry: Ladies, leave your clothes here and spend the afternoon
6 ?$ a: \, Y" i8 o* G+ t, N( yhaving a good time. 8 b& c8 x6 @' L/ Y. A
% T% K. T* t! T% t. wIn a Czechoslovakian tourist agency: Take one of our horse-driven city tours.
' v) u2 K' p X/ }+ uWe guarantee no miscarriages. : r: Q- p7 O' E6 J: n9 S
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In the window of a Swedish furrier: Fur coats made for ladies from their own - ~, p6 x/ |5 C' m( @% U; b
skin.
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+ ~9 [0 c5 l. ~9 S& kOn the box of a clockwork toy made in Hongkong: Guaranteed to work 3 g0 E! J) Z# r& ~$ g* c9 l+ w
throughout its useful life. $ j8 r1 s Z% S7 a B& b$ |
' Q5 d4 m6 v: _/ m: a( X6 C% Z% FDetour sign in Kyushi, Japan: Stop: Drive Sideways. " N( B1 M" f v) h
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In a Swiss mountain inn: Special today- no ice cream.
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In a Bangkok temple: It is forbidden to enter a woman even a foreigner if 6 H' P9 r, V: J4 B, d4 A, e |- D
dressed as a man. 7 c: C- U; Y$ m& b8 O4 G
. i6 l4 d0 ?1 U+ c5 qIn a Tokyo bar: Special cocktails for the ladies with nuts. % c% J' l" G5 t
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In a Copenhagen airline ticket office: We take your bags and send them in all
. ?- ^' k" y/ s( j vdirections. 2 ]6 D7 b& H1 F- H5 M) A1 V F# [
: {: X. M5 Y6 o5 NOn the door of a Moscow hotel room: If this is your first visit to the USSR, you # K1 i2 [3 h- v: \ [7 l0 R
are welcome to it. / S |! z/ n& Q( Q- `( o* E
& }2 N8 S3 ]5 q& F# ]- }In a Norwegian cocktail lounge: Ladies are requested not to have children in the 3 o# p7 c" o# O' |6 f- R
bar. : M2 w5 ~" C% r
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At a Budapest zoo: Please do not feed the animals. If you have any suitable
. x7 _" a q; Y8 Jfood, 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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( h3 H- f v& ~% LIn an Acapulco hotel: The manager has personally passed all the water served
' I5 O. E" \! @- I3 Jhere.
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In a Tokyo shop: Our nylons cost more than common, but you'll find they are
+ f8 H% ?4 t* O9 Ibest in the long run.
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1 l$ G0 Q$ S8 h% |; DFrom a Japonese information booklet about using a hotel air conditioner: Cooles 4 _# g/ `& F# s; B* i
and Heates: If you want just condition of warm in your room, please control
! Y, u9 m) j! o5 Byourself.
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. J& y# N5 c0 x. i" x* uFrom a brochure of a car rental firm in Tokyo: When passenger of foot heave in
2 r( d F5 o( t/ C4 O3 |sight, tootle the horn. Trumpet him melodiously at first, but if he still obstacles
. d! r" J! e5 }/ hyour passage then tootle him with vigor. 4 i( ?! b+ `7 W
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Two signs from a Majorcan shop entrance:
/ c" P. ?; G M- K' a1 @9 n-English well talking.
1 H( X( g) Q! ^2 |8 G' y-Here speeching American. |
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