Installation Manuals

[Uno-Hoo!]

Having just completely replaced my bathroom and installed new bath, toilet, wash-basin, taps, shower tray/cubicle, Shower mixer, etc. I've had to read through quite a few installation manuals.

Most of the products are (of course) manufactured abroad despite being chosen from UK supplier's brochures.

What has astonished me is that still, in this day and age, most of the manuals have hilariously poor English translations.

Examples:

"Overweight products could not be put on toilet, and sit on toilet forcibly at a sudden is not workable."

"Put force on toilet to close is prohibided."

"Chemical cleaning agent is unavailable. And don't clean the seat by rigid brush."

It provides for endless amusement, and rarely causes confusion because it is obvious what they are trying to get at. Nonetheless it is surprising that in this day and age of rapid communication, manufacturers who are wanting to sell their products in the UK do not have their manuals translated by someone who at least understands the language of the country they are wanting to export to! At the very least they should send a copy of their manuals to the UK suppliers so that they can correct and amend them!

Kev

[Palindrome]

Be very grateful that English is the World's second language of preference. The French would love for it to be French.

However, one side effect is that many, many people claim to have some proficiency in it. Those people get jobs as translators in places where there is often no one to challenge their competence.

The manufacturers /don't know/ that the translations are crap.So they don't know that there is a need to make alternative arrangements, such as the one you proposed.

Of course you could write to them and point this out - but, if you write in English, guess who will translate your letter?

Better still, you could consider becoming a volunteer for an organisation such as VSO. Go to China and teach English. No need to worry about your skills being not up to the job, VSO will train you.

-- Sue

[Uno-Hoo!]

Very interesting Alan! I suppose most of the problems involve products emanating from the Far East - Thailand, Korea, etc. and maybe there aren't that many technical translators fluent in those languages!

Kev