Monday, 27 July 2009

w kawiarnii

Outside Tribeca, Rynek Główny, Sunday, 6.30pm:

Waitress: Czy mogę zapytać co Pani robi?

- Robię korektę.

Waitress: ???

- W angielskiej wersji menu są błędy. Normalnie płacą mnie za to. Jestem tłumaczką, to mój zawód.

Waitress: ...
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12 comments:

Bennox said...

:)

But were you writing on their menu, or just doing virtual corrections?

30 July 2009 at 11:24
pinolona said...

writing on the menu. She wouldn't have bothered if I'd been doing it virtually...

30 July 2009 at 15:50
student SGH said...

what you came across is nothing uncommon... sadly...

They should have been grateful!

30 July 2009 at 17:55
Anonymous said...

Pinolona you should do it profesionally. Poland is a big "market" in this area.

Restaurants, Tourist tracks, shops have usually only Polish information...

Look at this for example...

http://tatry.z-ne.pl/UserFiles/Image/tatry/uwaga-niedzwiedz.jpg

poor non-Polish tourists :D

30 July 2009 at 18:13
pinolona said...

Bartek: actually the Tribeca menu isn't too bad compared to some. I was just bored waiting for service :)

Anon: I do do it professionally that's the point! Unfortunately menus don't really have enough content for it to be worth checking them for a living, while most restaurants and cafes would probably baulk at paying even a relatively humble fee per word or page.

Liking the picture though, thanks!!

30 July 2009 at 18:19
Anonymous said...

I know of course that you do it profesionally. But maybe You should do it more "aggressively" :)

For example, if i were you i would print 1000 nice little "Business cards"

"Dear .... owner, your....has some language mistakes (or) is only in Polish. This is an obstacle for non Polish visitors and i would be glad to ......and so on. my E-mail....."

And all you need to do is leave such a card in the restaurants, tourist points, clubs, pubs...

Even if only 10% "call" you back, then you can still make some money...

30 July 2009 at 18:48
Michael Dembinski said...

Andrew Nathan, one of the owners of Lacrosse Legal and Financial Translations, moved to a new house and checked out his local restaurant. He did just this with the menu and gave it to the owner. It was a 'nautical themed' restaurant; Andrew's corrected translation was not just more accurate English, it captured the poetry of the original Polish menu. The owner was so impressed he invited Andrew and his wife for a slap-up meal free of charge!

30 July 2009 at 22:23
Michael Dembinski said...

My favourite, from the Orbis Tychy, August 1989, was:

Zestaw surówek

A set of rawness

30 July 2009 at 22:25
Anonymous said...

Pinolona

that Menu was written not only for native speaker!!! :D

You destroyed somebody possesions without asking "Can I make correction?"! You were impolite!!! You should be punished!!!

31 July 2009 at 10:56
pinolona said...

anonymous - you are scary. what do you mean 'not only for native speaker'? does that mean that non-natives speak a different English to the rest of us, or don't have the right to a correct menu?

I did not destroy their possessions. Given the amount of tourism Kraków receives, it's appalling that restaurants and cafes allow such poor standards.

And if they had served us five - rather than twenty - minutes after we sat down, I might not have felt the need to occupy myself with correcting their menu...

31 July 2009 at 11:40
pinolona said...

Michael - thanks for the set of rawness example. My favourite so far has to be the wine list:
'Wina - Guilt'

Oh how true in so many ways.

31 July 2009 at 14:17
Michael Dembinski said...

Wina - Guilt - that is priceless!

Stick to the red, in moderation, and you need feel no guilt.

Did I tell you about the CV that said Marital Status: Slow?

(slow as in wolny)

2 August 2009 at 23:20

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