世界各地搞笑错误英译

A sign posted in Germany's Black Forest: It is strictly forbidden on our black forest camping side 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.
注释：告示的意思是禁止未婚的人在同一个帐篷里过夜。但是念起来，让人觉得是：在黑森林露营的人们，要想睡在一个帐篷里，就得为了这个目的先结婚："unless they are married with each other for that purpose．"

In all advertisement by a Hong Kong dentist: Teeth extracted by the latest methodists.
注释："methodist"是基督教中的"卫理公会"派。广告中似乎把这个词"the latest methodists"沿用成了"最新技术人员"的意思，因为"method"有"方法"的意思。

In a Rome laundry: Ladies: leave your clothes here and spend the afternoon having a good time.
注释：罗马一家洗衣店的告示念起来好像是让太太们把衣服都脱在店里(Ladies，leave your clothes here)，然后下午去玩个痛快。

In a Czechoslovakian tourist agency: Take one of your horse-driven city tour and we  guarantee no miscarriages.
注释：捷克一家旅行社告示的原意是保证游客对骑马游城的效果满意。"carriage"有"马车"的意思。但是"miscarriage"却是"流产"。"guarantee no miscarriages"就有"保证您不会流产"的意思。

Advertisement for donkey rides in Thailand: Would you like to ride on your own ass?
注释：泰国一幅广告原意是每位游客都可以有自己的毛驴，不用跟别人共骑。但是"ass"一词，原意为"毛驴"，但在现代英语俚语中，是指"屁股"；"would you like to ride on your own ass"就成了"您想骑坐在您自己的屁股上吗?"

In the window of a Swedish furrier: Fur coats made for ladies from their own skin．
注释："所指"(reference)在语言学的语片分析中(discourse analysis)是一个很重要的概念。瑞典一家裘皮衣店橱窗告示中的"their own skin"原指"裘皮商的自产皮革"。可是该告示中的人称代词"their"，由于句子结构上的错误，所指就成了"ladies"。全句的意思就是：本店的女装裘皮大衣，是用太太们自己的皮所制成的。

On the box of a clockwork toy made in Hong Kong: Guarantee to work throughout its useful life.
注释：如果钟表有"有用的一生"(useful life)，那么可能也会有"无用的一生"。

Detour sign in a Kyushi, Japan stop: Drive sideways.
注释："Detour"："绕道而行"是公路修建场地常见的告示。该句用了"drive sideways"去表达"detour"的意思。然而，"drive sideways"对说英语的人来说，有"向一边开(车)"的意思。车只能向前或向后开，怎么能"向一边开"?

In a Swiss mountain inn: Special today - no ice cream.
注释："本店今日的特别事项是：没有冰激凌供应。""坏事"听起来像是件"好事"。

In a Copenhagen airline ticket office: We take your bags and send them in all directions.
注释：哥本哈根一家机票票房的告示原意是想告诉乘客，他们去到哪里，行李就会运到哪里。但书写文字给人们的意思却是：我们拿走你的行李，然后送到四面八方去。

In a Norwegian cocktail lounge: Ladies are requested not to have children in the bar．
注释："to have children"是"生孩子"的意思。挪威一鸡尾酒廊的告示文字看起来是要求"太太们不要在酒吧里生孩子"(not to have children in the bar)，令人感到十分荒唐。"不要带孩子上酒吧"应该是"not to bring children to the bar"或者"not to leave children in the bar"。

At a Budapest Zoo: Please do not feed the animals. If you have any suitable food, give it to the guard on duty.
注释：布达佩斯一家动物园的告示给人的印象是：适合喂动物的食物，请喂给值班人员。

In an Acapulco hotel: The manager has personally passed all the water served here.
注释："pass water"是"撒尿"的意思。按文字的意思，在这一家墨西哥的店里, 所饮用的水，都是经理亲自"撒"的。"经理检验通过"应该用"check"："the manager has personally checked all the water served here"。

In a Tokyo shop: Our nylons cost more than common, but you'll find they are best in the long run.
注释："In the long run"有"长远来说"的意思。可是当谈到尼龙袜子时，"run"指的是尼龙袜子被钩破抽丝的地方。

From a Japanese information booklet about using a hotel air conditioner: Cools and Heats: If you want just condition of warm in your room, please control yourself.
注释："自行调节"室内空调温度，可以是"adjust the temperature by yourself"。"control yourself''是"控制你自己、节制你自己"的意思，日本出的一本关于旅店空调使用说明书中的原文就会被理解为：如果室内只需暖气，那就得节制你自己。

From the brochure of a car rental firm in Tokyo: When passenger of foot heave in sight, tootle the horn. Trumpet him melodiously at first, but if he still obstacles your passage then tootle him with vigor.
注释：东京一家小汽车出租公司的小册子中一项内容的本意似乎是：看见行人时，轻轻按下喇叭。先小声按喇叭，如行人仍然阻碍你的车道，再大声按喇叭。"passenger of foot"(行人)应为"pedestrian"；"heave in sight"可以是"is in sight"。汽车上的喇叭，可以是"horn"，但跟"trumpet"(乐队里的小号)是两回事。"Tootle"、"trumpet melodiously"等词只能用在乐器上，不能用于汽车的喇叭。

All this global gabble is best summarized by two signs in a Majorcan shop entrance: "English well talking"and"Here speeching American".
注释：在马约卡(地中海西部西班牙的一个大岛屿)一家店里两个招牌上的英文，原意是"能说标准英语"及"我们能说美式英语"，无论是拼法、语法还是词的用法上，都因受当地语言习惯的影响，使说英语的游客难以明白其意思。因而成了"译林迷途"主题中最能说明问题的例子。