I’m pretty sure TPTB meant “No graffiti.” But the most appropriate English phrase in Japan is often rewritten to become what a Japanese person feels would be the correct expression, if only English were spoken as it is supposed to be. Or so a certain translator tells me.
(Photo taken at Himeji.)
I agree.
I’m a translator and I often have clients re-write my translations so “Japanese people can understand it better.” These “corrections” are usually incorrect in terms of grammar, syntax etc, but the person offering the advice claims that “Japanese will understand it better this way.”
Never mind the fact that if the point were for Japanese to understand something better, it wouldn’t be translated in the first place.
Thanks, supernattoman
I occasionally work as a translator (from English to Japanese), and feel really embarrassed to see those fake English.
Moreover, there are so many Katakana Engrish invading into Japanese, that ordinary Japanese believe to be genuine English. Native English speakers would be confounded if they knew it.
Some hilarious examples of Katakana Engrish :
One Room Mansion (ワンルームマンション), Correct English : Studio Apartment
Video Camera (ビデオカメラ), Correct English : Video Camcorder
Play Boy (プレイボーイ ), Correct English : Ladies’ Man
Body Check (ボディ・チェック), Correct English : Body Search or Frisk
Miss Contest (ミスコンテスト), Correct English : Beauty Pageant
Short Cut (ショートカット), Correct English : Short Haircut
Three Size (スリーサイズ), Correct English : (Breast, Waist and Hip) Measurements
Morning Service (モーニングサービス), Correct English : Breakfast Special
Paper Company (ペーパーカンパニー), Correct English : Dummy Company or Shell Company
Paper Driver (ペーパードライバー), Correct English : Person who has a driving license but seldom drives or Sunday Driver
Katakana Engrish always amuses me. I think my favorite might be “handle keeper” for designated driver. That one just cracks me up. Miss Contest is a new one for me. Funny!
But Mr. Tofu, Playboy is a perfectly acceptable (American) English term for a ladies’ man, so that one’s alright.
Guess I’ve accommodated too much. All these examples seem perfectly alright to me. Isn’t camcorder just a contraction of camera recorder? Actually, some of them make more sense to me the way the Japanese say them, like paper company (a company that exists only on paper) and paper driver.