Cross-Cultural Translation Problems

Evangelism Parable: Cross-Cultural Translation Problems

From an Air France bulletin, dated December 1, 1989. 

Every culture has ways defined in and by the culture. Learned and shared values, attitudes, and behaviors that are acceptable within that culture. The language useage and spelling is that of the article and the notices as written. It is not so easy to comply within our cultural values.

Here are some signs and notices written in English that were discovered throughout the world.

Tokyo hotel: Is forbidden to steal hotel towels please. If you are not a person to do such thing is please not to read notis.

Bucharest hotel lobby: The lift is being fixed for the next day. During that time we regret that you will be unbearable.

Leipzig elevator: To move the cabin, push button for wishing floor. If the cabin should enter more persons, each one should press a number of wishing floor. Driving is then going alphabetically by national order.

Paris hotel elevator: Please leave your values at the front desk.

A hotel in Athens: Visitors are expected to complain at the office between the hours of 9 and 11 A.M. daily.

Yugoslavian hotel: The flattening of underwear with pleasure is the job of the chambermaid.

Japanese hotel: You are invited to take advantage of the chambermaid.

An Austrian hotel catering to skiers: Not to perambulate the corridors in the hours of repose in the boots of ascension.

The menu of a Swiss restaurant: Our wines leave you nothing to hope for.

A Bangkok dry cleaner's: Drop your trousers here for best results.

Outside a Paris dress shop: Dresses for street walking.

At a Rhodes tailor shop: Order your summers suit. Because is big rush we will execute customers in strict rotation.

A sign posted in Germany's Black forest: It is strickly forbidden on our black forest camping site that people of different sex, for instance, men and women, live together in one tent unless they are married with each other for that purpose.

A Zurich hotel: Because of the impropriety of entertaining guests of the opposite sex in the bedroom, it is suggested that the lobby be used for this purpose.

A Rome laundry: Ladies, leave your clothes here and spend the afternoon having a good time.

A Czechoslovakian tourist agency: Take one of our horse-driven city tours--we guarantee no miscarriages.

Ad for donkey rides in Thailand: Would you like to ride on your own ass?

A Bangkok temple: It is forbidden to enter a woman even a foreigner if dressed as a man.

A Tokyo bar: Special cocktails for the ladies with nuts.

A Copenhagen airline ticket office: We take your bags and send them in all directions.

The door of a Moscow hotel room: If this is your first visit to the USSR, you are welcome to it.

A Norwegian cocktail lounge: Ladies are requested not to have children in the bar.

The life of a Missionary family is such that the encounter of the new culture is something that greatly effects them in life, ministry, and family. As a person in the church it is important to note that the life we live is full of cultural messages that must be interpreted. Failure to do so weakens the opportunity to share God's gracious invitation to those who need it most. 

Each of the examples above can so easily be misinterpreted and as a result will change the message. Be careful with the Message and your life so that the great message of life can be given to those who will receive.