“Congraturation” to B.C. Pires on a very funny column
Before China became the manufacturing powerhouse it is today, we got most of our translation chuckles from Japan. The first Nikon camera my father owned came with an instruction manual that began something like “Congraturation for buy new Nikon!”
Japanese manuals are better today but can still provide a few laughs. The website Engrish.com is always good humour as the Chinese and their Asian neighbours strive to translate both language and culture into a message that might mean something to an English speaker. How about a restaurant menu that offers this delectable fare: “Gourmet orgasm without plastic surgery“
Sometimes translations can show us some bad things about the culture or society doing the translating into English. I’ll never forget walking into a men’s room in a small rural town in Taiwan a few years ago and seeing a translated sign over the urinals “Shit no. Piss yes”. Ahhh, okay!
Then there’s a Chinese translation issue that BFP already covered in our April 10, 2007 article Honey, Let’s Order The New Sofa In That “Nigger Brown” Colour…
But leaving the cultural issues aside, Chinese manuals can make you smile – or in the case of B.C. Pires, inspired his latest newspaper column. Here’s a sample…
“Have to make admittance is very much fun murder mosquito electronic bug zapperfully. Person of write column not bloodthirsty like mosquito but still like hear crackle before mosquito is popping. Feel gleeful at inflict revenge within whining-in-ears-ful mosquito. First time had electronic bug swatter, person of write column murder all mosquito in house very effectiveness, very fastly, all mosquito gone in one hour; person of write column had fill barrel with water and let stand stagnantly in garage for days for get back plentiful mosquito to zap joyful duplicate once more.”
Take a moment to laugh a bit and head over to the Nation News to read B.C. Pires’ column BC’s B’dos – Chinese instrictions
post by Robert
Barbados Free Press 
If this was a column on eating watermelon or how Caribbean night cricket is a bad idea as how one could spot players, we’d all be hollering how nasty and let’s boycott whoever…
I fail to find the humour in this racist drivel?
Chinese are here to the point of second generation with Bajan accents now.
Most of them know the island better than those, whose ancestors were on whichever side of the plantation, have lived here as fifth generation or more!
Anyhow, not impressed, Pires just fits the Chinese-bashing policies of this Blog. I am aware China’s GOVERNMENT is full of many policies which need major overhauls, but not all of its PEOPLE are bad – or is that where its carried too?
Aw come on Ian,
The Japanese and Chinese are famous for destroying English. Why can’t we have a little fun about bad translations? It is not racist, it just is.
Now if you want racism, then you’d have to stop having a bit of fun with the Japanese bad English and talk about how it is legal in that country for hotels, restaurants and businesses to refuse to do business with people based upon their race. Or… you’d have to talk about how the Chinese banned BLACK PEOPLE from dining in certain areas during the Olympics because (according to them) black folks are trouble.
Hang on a moment and I’ll find the references for both. Be right back!
OH IAN!!!
I just re-read what you said and you should rethink your statement about this blog bashing Chinese. We do not. We bash the commie government so the people of China can be free someday.
Please show us where we bash Chinese people on this blog… or please consider a retraction.
Thanks.
For some strange reason, I recall how on BET’s erstwhile ‘Comic View’ they would slam racial situations viz. stores and Security yet everyone laughs at retarded, physically challenged, Hispanics and Asiatics including Koreans apart from Chinese.
I did a search on China in BFP’s entries and I realise that Cliverton scraped the edge in Sept 9th 2009 in the conclusion of his Chinese Tourism article when he made an apocryphal comment of “I no like room”!
But I guess in your view this is not racial, IMHO it qualifies, but for the sake of peace I extend all requisite courtesies and Olive Branches for the Barbadian Blogosphere to prosper, nevertheless, from my perspective, I am compelled to state you skate near a dangerous precipice which led others Underground.
A true friend says your fly is open, a so-called friend sees it and says nothing, eh?
Hey Ian,
OK, yes Cliverton made fun of the Chinese linguistic challenge between R and L. I hadn’t noticed that before and we’ll talk about it at Friday’s lunch meeting.
But if that’s all you can find that seems an awful long way though from your statement of the “Chinese-bashing policies of this Blog”.
Chinese-government bashing policy of this blog, yes. But Chinese race bashing? That is so unfair considering our articles about freeing the slaves in China’s slave camp system, religious freedom in China, government abuses of citizens and forced abortions of Chinese women. How can you say we “bash” the Chinese people as a race as our policy? That is so unfair.
As I said, we disagree on where your Chinese agenda seems headed but I have acknowledged your items – on the main – seem directed at administrative as opposed to persons of Chinese descent. Nevertheless, as a concerned friend and reader, I think you need to exercise more caution? If you are crossing the street without looking, then I will holler, even if you think you’re Evel Knievel – that’s what camaraderie calls for… Sorry if the collective ego of BFP is bruised, but stay above the ground and don’t drop thy standards (I am sure many will ask what standards, but I can espy the diamond in the rough), ok?
Hi Ian,
Okay – I just had a call from Cliverton (amazing really, it’s not yet noon) and he has changed the September 9 2009 article to address your concern. He said (and I quote) “tell Ian thank you as one friend to another.” He also asks (somewhat tongue in cheek) that you point out “all the other” comments on BFP that are racist against the Chinese.
For my view, I see you say “in the main” which means there must be other articles or comments you consider racist against the Chinese people. If you’d like us to look at any other articles don’t hesitate to tell us.
If however, you’d like to reconsider your statement “in the main”, well, that option is open too.
Thanks Ian, and any criticism we receive from you we take as coming from a friend who wants us to be the best we can be with what God has given us to work with.
Marcus
By ‘IN THE MAIN’ I was stating that you deal with gubernatorial as opposed to perceived racial traits. I hope this interaction can let folk realise I am not BFP, I do not have the time for this, mine and my day-job plus a personal life and chasing assignments! I would have to be more than schizophrenic, LOL!
“gubernatorial”
Too big a word so early in the morn! 🙂
Aside to Marcus: will send the private placement article soon. Honest!
Don’t you just love it when father and son have a bash at each other on here?!
Give the evidence? Pure conjecture and utter crap 😛
Feeling guilty, huh? No names were mentioned. Qui la pac coupes ….
Um, no… Barbados’ libel laws indicate that omission does not leave off connotation once many individuals can clarify reference? I even think an MP once got a piece of change from Eric ‘Fly’ in that same basis…
Your contention is laughable in too many ways;-
First, me & Pater are not on speaking terms at the moment
Next, His laptop bought 3 years ago with ADSL (he’s never used) is encrusted with dust at his residence. His idea of high tech is an Olivetti typewriter with carbon sheets and a fax machine, ask anyone at the Nation. E-mails and him are strangers and you expect him or me to be involved HERE?
Finally, I have my day-job, my website, my family life AND chasing assignments for website… WHERE do I find time for here? BFP is indeed co-authored, and I have a strong suspicion who is part of it, but I am not letting on for Kingdom Come!
PS – You are oh so brave to drop snide yet uninformed remarks with your sobriquet yet here am I, as I am, what does that make you?
BTW, Re “Next” He wants me to sit him down and WRITE instructions on how to e-mail, so you really feel he can understand how to BROWSE the Net? LBAR 😉
What a pathetic LIAR you are.
If I’m a liar, reveal your identity so you can enlighten us as to how you know me better than myself? Your grammar and syntax are very interesting, sounds so familiar? I can almost see where this is going…
I am not joining the discussion on whether or not BFP is racist, but want to make a general comment. I was amused to see mention of monitoring the potential of Chinese tourism in the press today. I think we need some racial sensitivity training first!! Bajans are generally unaware that what we think of as funny about other peoples can be offensive/taken as racist. We think nothing of shouting “Chinee” to call forward a Chinese person in a line (as witnessed at an Embassy, done by security guard), or pretend to speak “ching-chong”. Do we like when we travel that people mimic our accents?
Wait, somebody call Ian Bourne a liar … recently? All I looking I can’t find it.
I just had the best of both worlds a good laugh and a webfight.How good can that be.
Just be careful what yousay it might come back to bite you in the arss.
Payback can be a S.O.B