This entry was posted on January 30, 2009 at 6:37 pm and is filed under 1. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed.
You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.
This blog proves it: there are things in a good translation that you just can’t get in the original.
I love this so much. You have nailed both the wording and the content perfectly. I have shown it to pretty much anybody who I’ve seen since discovering it.. Including several Russian speakers, who find it extra hilarious.
I’ve just been reading the Russian Criminal Tattoo Encyclopedia, and this complements it nicely. If you haven’t seen that, let me know via email and I’ll have Amazon send you one.
Very roughly translated, the original reads “We didn’t mail-order tomcats! Climb up into the box, and with the return address we will send you a valuable message!”
if you’re gonna be smart… get it right! its more like:
we didn’t order any cats by post. get back in the box and we’ll put you on special delivery “return to sender”.
The humor is off-colour… Tired, too, and soooo last decade, these days: “that fat old Russian ex-pat in the States expects you to be a good servant, since he has a HOUSE (which he shares with his mom), but you only have to wait a couple of years till you get a greencard and take him for everything he’s got!!!”
I agree, Marina. I would have typed everything into google translate if the text was copyable. It’s not, so I’ll just sit around hoping someone provides the russian text :3
Lol at the three different people with three completely different translations. Isn’t this, um, a language, that, um, should be possible to actually translate precisely? =D
January 31, 2009 at 12:54 am
This is the most phenomenally surreal blog I’ve ever seen. It’s either quietly brilliant, or a sign of impending doom.
January 31, 2009 at 8:11 am
Uhm… your “translations” are completely wrong.
January 31, 2009 at 10:14 am
this blog has changed my life. I appreciate your genius. and your incorrect translations.
January 31, 2009 at 10:35 am
Love this. Love it.
January 31, 2009 at 10:52 am
Cats are evil
January 31, 2009 at 6:29 pm
This blog proves it: there are things in a good translation that you just can’t get in the original.
I love this so much. You have nailed both the wording and the content perfectly. I have shown it to pretty much anybody who I’ve seen since discovering it.. Including several Russian speakers, who find it extra hilarious.
I’ve just been reading the Russian Criminal Tattoo Encyclopedia, and this complements it nicely. If you haven’t seen that, let me know via email and I’ll have Amazon send you one.
January 31, 2009 at 10:20 pm
more! more!
February 1, 2009 at 8:23 am
The class struggle will be enriched by your efforts, comrade.
Just beware of straying into the minefield of revisionist treachery.
February 2, 2009 at 11:36 am
anon, of course the translations are entirely wrong. That’s part of the joke.
February 2, 2009 at 5:17 pm
Very roughly translated, the original reads “We didn’t mail-order tomcats! Climb up into the box, and with the return address we will send you a valuable message!”
February 2, 2009 at 6:54 pm
tim, uh, that’s not even roughly translated. “we didn’t order any cats. we’ll send you back as a fragile package to the return address.”
February 3, 2009 at 4:38 pm
if you’re gonna be smart… get it right! its more like:
we didn’t order any cats by post. get back in the box and we’ll put you on special delivery “return to sender”.
February 4, 2009 at 9:05 pm
you are officially my favorite интеллектуально блогer
February 5, 2009 at 7:26 pm
Fantastic site! This humor is spot on.
February 10, 2009 at 7:02 pm
The humor is off-colour… Tired, too, and soooo last decade, these days: “that fat old Russian ex-pat in the States expects you to be a good servant, since he has a HOUSE (which he shares with his mom), but you only have to wait a couple of years till you get a greencard and take him for everything he’s got!!!”
February 13, 2009 at 11:58 pm
I am Russian and find this to be hilarious. I have also shown it to my other fluent friends, and they love it.
February 17, 2009 at 10:17 am
[...] Cease your protests, the deal is done! You are to make a fine wife for uncouth American businessman! ↵ [...]
February 18, 2009 at 6:57 am
I like you better when you can’t afford the vowels.
February 18, 2009 at 9:28 am
Stunning. Love this blog.
February 18, 2009 at 1:46 pm
We, ugly Americans, sure do love to laugh – so long as its @ others’ expense. Someone hx0rz this site already. Lame.
February 18, 2009 at 8:46 pm
“We at the CIA have ways of making you talk at Guantanamo Bay”
February 19, 2009 at 1:40 am
For those being able to understand both the original title and the “translation” makes these pictures even more hilarious!
February 27, 2009 at 4:11 am
I agree, Marina. I would have typed everything into google translate if the text was copyable. It’s not, so I’ll just sit around hoping someone provides the russian text :3
Lol at the three different people with three completely different translations. Isn’t this, um, a language, that, um, should be possible to actually translate precisely? =D
March 1, 2009 at 8:59 am
Elli: Just for your amusement, here’s what I got by typing the Russian into “Google Translate”:
“We Kotov not ordered by mail! Climb into the box, the return address value premise send!”
And Babelfish did only a little better — apparently that’s what “Tim” used:
“We did not by mail order tomcats! Climb up into the box, by valuable message let us send with the return address!”
(On the other hand, both “what” and “Gareth” got the gist of it correct.)