Theme Thursday: "Sign".

Or "Lost In Translation".

I decided to participate in Theme Thursdays this week as I just could not miss the opportunity to share a fun story about a sign.

Posted in an article on the BBC news site, it tells an amusing incident with a road sign that was standing near a supermarket in Swansea, printed in both English and Welsh.

The sign was comissioned by the Swansea Council, that sent an email to its in-house translations service to have this road sign translated into Welsh:

"No entry for heavy goods vehicles. Residential site only."

However, the Welsh translator wasn't in his office at the time, thus an automated "out of office" mail response was sent back to council officials. They were under the impression though that what they recieved was indeed the needed translation, when in fact it stated:

"I am not in the office at the moment. Send any work to be translated."

Unaware of the real meaning of the message, authorities had it printed on the road sign under the English text. The sign was removed as soon as the official became aware of the mistake; however not before a few pictures were taken and news stories were written.

(For more sign translation blunders, please see this article.)