How an 'out of office' e-mail became a road sign

If you've never been to Wales, you should rectify this immediately.

The people have a talent for being more miserable than a lonely, one-legged sheep. The weather can be more spiteful than coach-class cabin crew.

Yet the nation often finds a way of creating beautiful absurdity beyond the imagination of any French film director.

The latest example, from Wales' second city, Swansea, is a singular delight.

Swansea is not a city that every swan would choose as its home. Its average monthly temperature never exceeds 19 degrees Centigrade--yes, 66 degrees Fahrenheit. But its city council tries to make it a livable place.

For example, the council is assiduous in ensuring that those who speak English and Welsh have equal rights when it comes to its road signs.

Every sign has to be bilingual, although that doesn't mean that every city employee is bilingual.

In the area of Morriston, a new sign was needed, one that told drivers of heavy goods vehicles that they were not welcome on a particular street.

The official responsible for the road sign immediately e-mailed its in-house translation service for an accurate Welsh rendition of "No entry for heavy goods vehicles. Residential site only."

The translator wasn't around--perhaps, he or she was in the pub or, perhaps, practicing indoor bowling (Swansea hosts the world championships). So the official received an automated e-mail reply: "I am out of the office at the moment. Please send any work to be translated."

Those who speak Welsh tend to be proud folk. They also tend to send e-mails in Welsh. However, the English-speaking official thought the automated e-mail was the actual translation. Well, it was two sentences and it seemed like the right length.

The Welsh here reads: "Please meet me in the office supplies room for a snog."

(Credit: CC Spixey)

Please imagine the delight (for those with a sense of humor) and the angst (for most of the neighborhood) when the bilingual sign was put up, with the nontranslation printed verbatim.

It does make one wonder just how many council officials might have seen the sign before it was erected. It also makes one wonder whether at least one of them thought this was so funny that he would just let it happen to brighten his otherwise woeful day.

The strange thing is that this is not the first time Wales has been lost in mistranslation. Cyclists between the Welsh cities of Penarth and Cardiff in 2006 were somewhat surprised to see a bilingual road sign telling them they had problems with an "inflamed bladder".

I do have a suggestion for all Welsh councils, though, that might solve the problem. Write all of your e-mails and road signs in Wenglish.

Wenglish sounds like the perfect compromise. It is a dialect, rooted in both English and Welsh, that should surely become the official language of Wales.

The expert on the subject and author of the seminal Wenglish tome is a Welsh (and Urdu) speaker called Robert Lewis.

Lewis appears to be someone significant at VisitWales, a government organization that encourages Welsh tourism.

Perhaps they could put him in charge of road signs. And, um, e-mails.

[Iago82]

lol, I think the author here should actually come to Wales. We are known as friendly and happy people, so I don't know where he gets his claim from. Don't believe me, then come here; even the tourist shop in Cardiff (the capital city) has 'The Happy Country' on it's doors. Lastly, if you are going to put text explaining Welsh underneath your picture, maybe you should get a translator in, (it more or less reads what it says in English; I'm not a Welsh speaker, but I know 'olau coch' is red light and 'yma' is here. Must be someone with English heritage mocking the Welsh language again, a language that has been here much longer than the English mongrel language! Hwyl am nawr!

[ChrisMatyszczyk]

Oh, but Iago82,

I have not only spent much time in Clydach, but several people tried to persuade me to try out for Briton Ferry Athletic...

The Happy Country. I love it.

Got any Edward H Dafis Cds?

Chris

[Stray_Paddy]

As a paddy who has found himself in Wales and who can speak a little of the language, I can assure everyone that the welsh on his pictured sign translates as: "When you see (a) red light stand here" - or a more liberal translation would be "when you see a red light wait here". Sorry to burst your bubble - or spoil a completely rubbish tag line under the picture...
There's actually many examples of this kind of mistake to be found in Wales and in the main Welsh speakers are happy to laugh along at them - after all, they're the only ones who understand the errors :)

As to the assertion that Welsh people are a miserable lot: I've found that the Welsh can be pretty self-deprecating but they are proud and do know how to enjoy themselves. Mr Matyszczyk attempts to build his story at their expense - and I don't like that.

[gareth_pn]

I think the average temperature bit is one of the 99.9% of statistics that are made up on the spot (just like that one).

[John_PRoss]

My wife has personal experience too, whilst on holiday, and found the locals very dour. But then again, they were North Welsh.

[ChrisMatyszczyk]

ah, yes,

the North Welsh.

They don't even have a sing-songy voice...

Sad.

Chris