The Wonders of Translation

[Garry Russell]

Made me laugh......and it's not even rude

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/wales/7702913.stm

Garry

[airboatr]

and I was thinking it was gonna be the language barrier we have.
English vs English Something Or Other
:roll:

[VEGAS]

I live approx 45 mins from the welsh border and it always makes me laugh when I think that in that time you can be in an environment where people are speaking a foreign language. Bizarre!

[DelP]

Many years ago I lived and worked in Brussels and knew a few folks who worked at the EEC.

One of them, a translator, was at a meeting concerning the transport of frozen semen for artificial insemination of cattle....when the translation came through the English speaking contingent were baffled as to why refrigerated trucks were travelling around Europe full of frozen sailors.......

On another occasion, something to do with apples from Normandy, the Brits were in stitches when told that: 'This is yet another benefit of Norman Wisdom....'

Derek ;-)

[Garry Russell]

Great stuff Derek ........

The real ones are the best

Garry

[markw]

I live approx 45 mins from the welsh border and it always makes me laugh when I think that in that time you can be in an environment where people are speaking a foreign language. Bizarre!

(Pedant Warning)

Except of course it is not a foreign language, it is an indigenous British language that is spoken by a sizeable minority. A foreign language is one that has been imported from abroad, usually through immigration or commerce, like French, Italian, Polish - or for that matter the Germano-Danish language spoken in the UK called English.

Sorry but as someone learning Welsh since I moved to the country I do get slightly annoyed when I hear it referred to as a "foreign" langauge. As you are probably aware, it has equal legal status in Wales to English and so is most definately not foreign, and of course several hundred years ago what is now Welsh was more widely spoken on the other side of Offa's Dyke.

The sign though is hilarious, as are some of the others the piece refers to.

[VEGAS]

Sorry but as someone learning Welsh since I moved to the country I do get slightly annoyed when I hear it referred to as a "foreign" langauge. As you are probably aware, it has equal legal status in Wales to English and so is most definately not foreign, and of course several hundred years ago what is now Welsh was more widely spoken on the other side of Offa's Dyke

Hi Mark,

apologies if I annoyed you, but I'm a little confused as to why.

Wales is another country within Great Britain.

Perhaps foreign was the wrong choice of word, but factually it is another language.

Now without going into a debate with you regarding what is and what isn't a foreign language can I suggest if you have any issues then please feel free to PM me and we'll discuss them without having to raise an unnecessary and pointless argument for all to see.

Cheers

[markw]

Sorry but as someone learning Welsh since I moved to the country I do get slightly annoyed when I hear it referred to as a "foreign" langauge. As you are probably aware, it has equal legal status in Wales to English and so is most definately not foreign, and of course several hundred years ago what is now Welsh was more widely spoken on the other side of Offa's Dyke

Hi Mark,

apologies if I annoyed you, but I'm a little confused as to why.

Wales is another country within Great Britain.

Perhaps foreign was the wrong choice of word, but factually it is another language.

Now without going into a debate with you regarding what is and what isn't a foreign language can I suggest if you have any issues then please feel free to PM me and we'll discuss them without having to raise an unnecessary and pointless argument for all to see.

Cheers

I'm the one who should be apologising to everyone for a complete over-reaction. I ignored my own rule, "if you get up with your a*%e in your hands, don't go on the 'net", no excuse of course. Anyone would think I was a militant Welsh Nat instead of an English incomer.

Sorry to all, I'll try and obey my own rule in future.