Bad Vietnamese translation in U.S. primary

Yahoo! News ^ | 03/21/02

[socal_parrot]

SANTA ANA, California - In a California primary, voters recently had the choice between a "low-level officer who examines dead bodies" and an "office secretary" — at least that's what the Vietnamese translation of their titles said.

A group representing Vietnamese-Americans has complained that Orange County election officials did not translate some of this month's primary ballot descriptions correctly.

Among the examples of poor translation cited by the Vietnamese-American Voters Coalition of Orange County were the job titles of Sheriff Michael Carona listed as a "low-level officer who examines dead bodies" and District Attorney Tony Rackauckas as "hamlet prosecutor." County Clerk-Recorder Darlene J. Bloom's title translated as "office secretary."

"They translated some things very, very wrong," said the coalition's director Chuyen Van Nguyen. "These kind of sloppy translations have happened in prior years, too."

Translations from English to Vietnamese have proven difficult at times because both languages often lack word-for-word equivalents, said Scott Rodermund, chief deputy of the Orange County registrar of voters.

"We've never had an election where someone didn't call in and say they didn't like something," Rodermund said.

California provides ballot translations in Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Tagalog as well as Vietnamese.

[socal_parrot]

These folks need to be learnt some Englush.

[CFW]

"low-level officer who examines dead bodies" and District Attorney Tony Rackauckas as "hamlet prosecutor." County Clerk-Recorder Darlene J. Bloom's title translated as "office secretary."

So, who won?

[socal_parrot]

I know Corona and Rackauckas won. I don't know about Bloom.

[Bigg Red]

"They translated some things very, very wrong," said the coalition's director Chuyen Van Nguyen. "These kind of sloppy translations have happened in prior years, too."

Perhaps voters in the USA should learn the language before they vote.

[Logophile]

Translations from English to Vietnamese have proven difficult at times because both languages often lack word-for-word equivalents, said Scott Rodermund, chief deputy of the Orange County registrar of voters . . . . California provides ballot translations in Spanish, Chinese, Japanese, Korean and Tagalog as well as Vietnamese.

I am waiting for a legal challenge to a ballot initiaive based on slight differences in meaning between the English version and the translated versions. If the translated version differs from the English version, which interpretation is legally binding? And which one did the voters intend to vote for?

[junta]

bttt

[Logophile]

Oops: Change "initiaive" to "initiative".

[Hillarys Gate Cult]

According to 1990 US Census Data, at least 329 languages are spoken in the United States.

They better hire more translators and get busy typing before the next election.

[Eva]

It is obvious that a hamlet and a district were probably as close as they could get in Vietnamese. These whiners need to deal with the translations they are given or learn English. I guess that if their is no equivalent term, the English should be used.

[socal_parrot]

Very true. Some of our ballot iniatives are several pages long. What are the odds they get it right.

[Logophile]

It is obvious that a hamlet and a district were probably as close as they could get in Vietnamese.

You may be right. But what if an initiative were to use a term that has a precise legal definition in English, but no exact equivalent in Tagalog or Korean? Close may not be good enough.

Imagine what would happen if our laws and regulations had to be translated into other languages. That would be a mess even if the translations were limited to two "official" languages (as in Canada); three or more langauges would be a disaster.

These whiners need to deal with the translations they are given or learn English.

Learning English is the only solution.

[Bikers4Bush]

Here's an idea. LEARN THE F'ING LANGUAGE!!!!

[Logophile]

By the way, I think every American should know at least two languages (mine are English and Spanish). However, one of those languages must be English.

[toupsie]

These folks need to be learnt some Englush.

That's Engrish!

Imagine how many trees we could save from evil loggers if we printed all Government documents in English only. These multiculturalists are anti-environmentalists!

[toupsie]

By the way, I think every American should know at least two languages (mine are English and Spanish). However, one of those languages must be English

Do programming languages count? If so, then I ain't monolinguist anymore!!!

[Dialup Llama]

>"They translated some things vely, vely wong," said the coalition's director Chuyen Van Nguyen.

[Lurking Libertarian]

I guess that if their is no equivalent term, the English should be used.

That is what people in Asia actually do. I have handled litigation involving South Korean companies, and their business corespondence is typically written in Korean, with certain English words interspersed-- "bill of lading," "letter of credit," etc.

[Rebelbase]

Would'nt it be ironically funny if another Presidential Election was so close it came down to the interpretation of the translated ballots?

[Eva]

Like I said, they should use the English where no exact equivalency is available. If the people don't know what the terminolgy translates to in their own language, and they don't know the English equivalent, they shouldn't be voting.

[alex]

"Perhaps voters in the USA should learn the language before they vote."

I suppose that citizenship is still a requirement for voting and English is still a requirement for naturalization.