Thursday, July 28, 2011

Instructions and translations

We've all seen them... instructions that were clearly translated from another language, phrased in such a way as to cause confusion and sometimes mirth.  Well, today I ran across a good one...

A new Canon multi-function printer... in the setup manual, in the very first step, where they tell you to remove the various bits of tape and packing material, complete with illustrations.  There's a little note that says: "The tape and protective materials may differ in shape and position from what they actually are."

Huh??????????? Now there's a metaphysical mystery... how can something differ from what it actually is?  Hmmmmm...

Now I know they MEANT to say that the pictures of the packing material might be different from the actual items, but...

We all got a good chuckle out of that one.

But nothing will ever beat the gooseneck flashlight instructions I once read... it had a rotary switch on the lens, marked with an arrow in the direction you were to turn the switch... and the instructions read:

"Turn as an arrow, again and again, but not to conversely."

Sounds like some kind of Zen thing, doesn't it?

Now I wonder... did that flashlight differ from what it actually was???

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