The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1916-1920, 1919-05-19
ERRORS IN WORDING RUIN
TRADE PLEAS FROM u. S.
Merchants Warned Against Garbling South American
Catalogue by Ridiculous Mistakes of Translators
Money Wasted if All Not Correct.

ports Of a bridge, was literally trans
lated 'encordador,, meaning a man who
strings. referring particularly to musi-
cal instruments, such as guitars, violins
&C.
I'm a catalogue issued by a sewing
machine manufacturer, the expression
rotary family sewing machine was trans
lated 1dQuino de coser para Fdniitds
Gtratortas,' which means sewing ma
chimes for rotary families
still another containing Suggestions
regarding packing. shipping, &C. the
word suggestion was translated literally
| as 'supestton,' which conveys the idea
OF hypnotic suggestion.
"A Cincinnati carriage manufactures
recently issued a catalogue In which the
word buggy meaning vehicle, was
translated as 'Chtnchoro,' the popular
meaning Of which is a place where
bugs abound'-and he IL still wonder
ing why his catalogues do not pay.
"a harness and saddle manufacturer
got out an elaborate catalogue with a
handsome cover design with the word
ing We Lead the World The trans-
lator. with the aid of the ever-ready
dictionary, translated 1t as 'Nosotros
plomo 81 mundo,' the word 'plom0
meaning lead (metaD instead of the verb
| to lead
a catchy phrase, the iapeSt HncInVtA
| OF the efficiency family applied to
small electrical machine for opening en-
| velopes. in a catalogue issued by an
| electrical speciality house, was literally
| translated 'EI HIttnto na@enbro de la
| fantiItd efcds,' the meaning Of which
| will surely bring a smile to the lips OF
| our Spanish speaking friends.
"a Western house selling building ma
terlals, in one of their Spanish cata-
| 10 rafn 10 a-nr haa Va al
Is q technical word meaning a corner
piece for walls, as Ia como dc la os-
qltnos' which means in Spanish. the bed
Of the corner and of course meant
nothing when used in the catalogue"
Local Significance OF Words.
The difficulties OF the translator are
still further increased when considera-
| ton Is given to the many colloquialisms
and words having distinctive local Gig
nificance In various parts of Central and
South America.
| Arpulero, for instance, in Castilian
means sackcloth. or what is commonly
known as burlap, but along the west
coast the word would have no COM
mer cial significance as cT1Ido is the
term In local usage. Again, in the Ar
gentine the sack itself Is referred to as
| boLsd, while on the Pacific side OF the
| comment inc worn SUCO 10 ubSu. AhCiS
| fore the manufacturers OF burlap bags
will need to study the respective usages
| of the phrases Bolsas dc drpillerd and
socos de crrIdo before he can intelli-
gently use either of them In his
| catalogue.
| The manufacturer of rubber goods
must use particular care in selecting the
| words with which he will describe his
product to the merchants of various
1 Lob
| and huIe each refers to rubber In
some particular form, with varying sig
nifcanee in different localities. The
point may be illustrated by saying that
huIe, while having reference to rubber
| in Mexico. is understood to mean oil
skin or oil cloth elsewhere.
| Lentes, anteojos, dnttporTds and gdJos
all refer to eyeglasses or spectacles OF
one sort or another, but careful discrim-
nation Il essential to the proper usage
| of the various terms
Wide Experience Needed.
Unless the translator has travelled
widely in South America or has devoted
considerable study TO Latin American
commercial Technology, he Will be FOR
tunate indeed, no matter how excellent
This command of literary Spanish, TO com
plete a catalogue without committing err
FOTS or amDlBulueB as IdE as SOiio Cum
tries and districts are concerned.
To this problem there is. however. a
definite and simple means of solution.
The original customs tariff OF each coun-
try contains the exact phraseology APP
plying to every product most commonly
used In that republic. Reference 10 each
i of these tariff documents will AFFORD a
compilation regarding any product which
should permit of the Intelligent applca-
Nha 80 LIB
there may be doubt.
i There is one point more which it is
timely to mention. 1t Is poor business
to send an expensive catalogue-costing
perhaps 81, So or even $5--by other than
first class mail. Many manufacturers
follow the practice of registering II as
we'll, as petty costs are not a considera-
ton in getting the book safely in the
hands OF the prospective buyer. II 1t is
not worth while making as certain as
possible that the catalogue will arrive
safely, 1t Is surely a waste of postage
and printing to send It at all. Some
catalogues contain numbered receipts
which the client Is requested to fill out
and mail to the manufacturer in &C
acknowledgement of the book. The receipts
at the same time serve as a mailing list
for supplements and discount sheets. To
insure the return of this receipt, the Gus
toner Is informed that this acknowledg-
ment will serve as a request on his part
to receive any printed matter which may
be subsequently issued, supplementary
: to the catalogue.
1t is possible to build UP a considerable
export business in some lines through
; catalogues alone II the proper fore
J thought Is put into the matter. But nc
matter how little the manufacturer may
think he II dependent on his cataloguine
for obtaining business. experience has
demonstrated that a poorly written and
badly printed catalogue is hardly better
than none at all and is certainly a waste
OF both time and money.
Ii Cara In Addraaana