Date:         Sat, 22 Oct 2005 12:58:47 -0500
Reply-To:     Jim Felder <felder@KNOLOGY.NET>
Sender:       Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From:         Jim Felder <felder@KNOLOGY.NET>
Subject:      Re: Names?
In-Reply-To:  <BF7F9E79.5B1F%camper@tactical-bus.info>
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>
>
> This is also a big reason why product brand names and trademark symbols
> change from country to country.  Don’t remember what US soft drink it 
> was
> but its symbol in certain Afrikan countries meant "POISON".
> jimt
>
>

Coca Cola had to change its translation of the phrase it used in the 
eighties in China: "Coke Adds Life" was was understood by the Chinese 
to mean "Coke brings your ancestors back to life." I understand it was 

really selling well, too. The translated phrase was then rendered so 
poorly that it was then understood to mean "bite the wax tadpole."

There is a fascinating book on such translation foibles around 
somewhere.

Jim