Sliced lawyers with your salad?
In years past we’ve been skeptical of restaurants that offer a menu/ carte in English, but I%26#39;m no longer convinced this always is a sign to avoid a place. Although we generally seek out “non-touristy” restaurants, and despite our earnest efforts to speak French, every once in a while after we’re seated we’re offered alternative cartes in English. (When this happens we usually accept one in English and keep the French version for comparison.)
Our impression is that, in this sense, we are not being catered to as English speakers per se, but instead, the carte in English is offered as a bridge to a variety of other diners. English is understood by many Dutch and Germans, for example, and yet most restaurants can’t offer multiple translations. (This is how I like to rationalize it, anyway . . . .)
In any event, this leads to some amusing translations. Our favorite so far was an offering (in Provence) of “sliced lawyers” -- meaning avocados. (This is odd, because as far as I know the words are same in both languages – and yet the French for lawyer is avocat, so perhaps that contributed to the confusion.)
I’ll bet that others have noticed similar smile-inducing menu (and hotel web site) mis-translations . . . .
Jake Dear
http://parisandbeyondinfrance.blogspot.com/
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Hmmm...%26quot;sliced lawyers%26quot; --- sounds good. :-)
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I have seen tarte du jour translated as tart of the day and daily tart.
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I had %26quot;stuffy pigeon and missed vegetables” once
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That reminds me of a story my father tells of a business trip to Scotland. When he checked in at the hotel desk, he was asked, with a bright smile, %26quot;At what time in the morning would you like to be knocked up%26quot;?
(For Scots and Brits reading: this means something quite different to Americans.)
But I digress -- we are talking about French menus.
Jake
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My first time to France I was on business and just assumed menus were only in French. It%26#39;s not like American restaurants have menus in alternate languages so I assumed France was the same way. My first lunch was in a small cafe. I pointed to something on the menu but the waiter said %26quot;no%26quot; and pointed to the blackboard. He didn%26#39;t speak any English. There were only two choices and looking around the restaurant I only saw two meals on the tables people were eating. One meal was a steak with French fries and the other meal was some pink mush with French fries. I didn%26#39;t know any French so I assumed the Filet Americain was the steak and ordered that. I didn%26#39;t get the steak. Pink mush is what I had for lunch. I ate about half of it and fearful of food allergies and not being able to tell what it was I was eating, I left it half eaten. Another waiter came over to check on me. He spoke English but had a little difficulty explaining to me what it was I was eating. Just as well. I found out what it was after I returned home.
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Bonjour (or bonsoir) robertzimmerman,
Thanks -- I%26#39;m glad I at least wrote %26quot;as far as I know%26quot; (my teenage son is usually the one to point out what I don%26#39;t know). And it is indeed ironic to have a mis-translation in a post about mis-translations.
In lawyerly (avacado-like) fashion, I will raise the %26quot;Babel Fish%26quot; defense -- see http://babelfish.yahoo.com/translate_txt . Before posting I checked there, and lo, it told me that the English word avacado is the very same in French.
What I did not do was check it other way around: Perhaps it will tell us that the French word for lawyer, %26quot;avocat%26quot; is %26quot;avacado%26quot; in English! (Well, I just checked, and thankfully, Babel Fish does not perpetuate this mushy mistake.)
But still, perpahs Babel Fish is, on some level, contributing to this menu/ carte fun . . . .
Jake
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Well the standard %26quot;burnt cream%26quot; instead of creme brulee is always a good one. Yummy burnt cream.
I think it just sounds better in the original language. %26quot;Cuisse de poulet au four%26quot; sounds much better than oven roasted chicken leg.
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Not a menu, but an extract from a comedy routine by the late Gerard Hoffnung, purporting to be a reply from an Austrian landlady:
%26quot;Having freshly taken over the proprietary of this notorious house, I am wishful that you remove to me your esteemed costume. Standing among savage scenery, the hotel offers stupendous revelations. There is a French widow in every room, offering delightful prospects.%26quot; I have it on tape along with his Bricklayer story - which reduces me to helpless laughter every time I listen to it.
I%26#39;ve never understood the prejudice about menus in translation - it seems to me it%26#39;s the mark of a business which is trying to be helpful, and I like that!
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%26lt;%26lt;In lawyerly (avacado-like) fashion, I will raise the %26quot;Babel Fish%26quot; defense ... %26gt;%26gt;
I%26#39;e often suspected %26quot;Babel Fish%26quot; responsible for many mangled translations, I think you%26#39;ve just proved the point. :-) :-)
You might like to try the somewhat more reliable Wordreference.com:
http://www.wordreference.com/enfr/ - English/French
http://www.wordreference.com/fren/ - French/English
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