09 November 2009

Siarad Cymraeg?

Since I weekend in North Wales, I was looking for a little Welsh language help when I came up with this from BBC Wales:



For those who don't speak Welsh, the lower bit says: "I am not in the office at the moment. Send any work to be translated".

The explanation for this is that all official signs in Wales are bilingual, So Swansea Council e-mailed its in-house translation service for the Welsh version of: "No entry for heavy goods vehicles. Residential site only". Unfortunately, they received the translator's out of office message.

It seems that this not the only time Welsh has been translated incorrectly:

• In 2006, This "cyclists dismount" sign appeared between Penarth and Cardiff was translated into Welsh as "llid y bledren dymchwelyd" - literally "bladder inflammation upset" (or tip or overturn)

• In the same year, a sign for pedestrians in Cardiff reading 'Look Right' in English read 'Look Left' in Welsh.

• A shared-faith school in Wrexham removed a sign which translated the word "staff" into Welsh as "wooden stave".

4 km from Cwmgors, There 's quite a nasty blind dip in the road up ahead that has been the cause of several accidents and near misses both with traffic and livestock. However, the Welsh translation appears to warn us of a Hidden Bridge - which is so well hidden that it actually doesn't exist at all! It SHOULD read "Pant Cudd".


Well, at least they're trying.

Siarad Cymraeg--do you speak Welsh?
For more Welsh language fun go to http://www.funtrivia.com/playquiz/quiz29385021a4338.html