300 Hairy Bears! Introducing the IDIOMASCOTS
Today we’re proud to unleash a curious set of critters onto the world of creative translation. We affectionately call them the IDIOMASCOTS.
A friendly group, each one of the five illustrations represents an oddly amusing idiom from a different corner of the world – from Slovenia’s 300 hairy bears to Japanese monkeys, we take a look at the delicate task of translating from one culture to another, and the often comical effects of an overly literal translation.
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- You might overhear this peculiar saying on a stroll through the Slovenian countryside, though it’s nothing to do with the resident population of brown bears – it’s an expression of surprise. But holy moly! We wouldn’t expect you to get that from a literal translation alone.
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- This Japanese adage is a reminder that everyone slips up from time to time. But the literal translation left us thinking there was monkey business afoot.
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- Through Neapolitan piazzas and the rolling hills of Tuscany, these are the peculiar words Italians use to wish a pal good luck. ‘Break a leg’ is more the sort of thing we Anglophones would reach for. But you couldn’t have guessed that from the literal translation, could you?
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- Though not renowned for their luscious locks, giraffe combing is said to be the most pointless task a Frenchman can imagine. Perhaps that’s how the expression came to mean ‘wasting your time’… But the literal translation left us flummoxed.
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- When a German sees a pig whistling his reaction isn’t incredulity, as ours might be if we saw one in flight. He’s just thinking: ‘how extraordinarily surprising’. Or ‘blow me down’ as we might say. But you’d be forgiven for being confused if we left the translation word for word.
What do you think of the IDIOMASCOTS? — tweet us @fftranslations using #ffidiomascots
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