This is a great concept I have shamelessly copied from another blog, which gives and idea of how Koreans often speak English when they first turn up in our lessons. Konglish the Korean version of English that often bares little resemblance to our actual language is both a highly amusing and depressingly large part of my life right now. It turns out that sticking an English passage into a translator, translating to Korean and then translating back into English gives a pretty good representation of it. I thought Id experiment, using some lyrics from a particularly poetic Coldplay song. Here are the results:
Original Lyrics:
When you try your best but you don’t succeed
When you get what you want but not what you need
When you feel so tired but you can’t sleep
Stuck in reverse.
And the tears come streaming down your face
When you lose something you can’t replace
When you love someone but it goes to waste
Could it be worse?
Lights will guide you home
And ignite your bones
And I will try to fix you
Korean Translation: (using google translator)
당신의 최고의하려고 할 때 성공하지만 그렇지가 않아
원하는 것을 얻을 때 무엇이 필요하지만
기분이 너무 피곤하면 잠을하지만 할 수 없어
길바닥에 반대합니다.
그리고 당신의 얼굴의 눈물 이리 스트리밍 다운
그 어떤 것도 잃을 경우 대체할 수없습니다
이 때 당신이 사랑하는 사람을 낭비하지만
더 나빠질 것 같은데요?
조명 안내해 드리겠 홈
귀하의 뼈 및 점화
그리고 난 당신이 시도를 수정
And Back Into English:
When you try your best but you do not succeed
What is needed, but when you want to get
I feel so tired you can not do sleep but
stuck opposed.
And the tears come streaming down your face.
If you lose anything that can not substitute.
When you love someone, but to waste
I think it’s worse?
1000000000000 people take you home
Your bones and burns
And I want you to try to fix
Conclusion: This does have an uncanny resemblance to some of the stuff I find myself correcting day to day. Where on earth do those millions of people come from? The meaning is brilliantly, and completely, lost in translation.
Can you tell its a slow day?
J x