translation problems
I was just reminded of a frustrating and funny experience, something that probably every traveler has encountered in some way.
I remember in China going to a restaurant we'd been to several times, and every time I'd ordered the fried rice. "Chǎo fàn." I went once without the translation page, and ordered it: "Chǎo fàn." The guy was completely gobsmacked. Couldn't understand it at all. He looked at me like I'd ordered a tin can. (I probably had.) So I said "Chǎo fàn? Chǎoo fànn? Chǎo! fàn!" over and over. At least 100 times, no exaggeration.
I drew some pictures which weren't very helpful either. (How do you draw rice?) Finally I went into the kitchen and pointed to the ingredients. He was still puzzled, as was his staff. The entire staff and much of the neighborhood were now on the case. "Chǎo fàn? Chǎao fàan? Chǎo fàn? Chǎo fàn. Chǎo fàn. Chǎo fàn!" No one could understand that I wanted chǎo fàn, a basic staple of Chinese restaurants. They couldn't hear it in what I was saying.
Finally, a light dawned on the restaurant owner's face, and he rushed back into the kitchen, bringing back a bowl of rice and an egg. He showed it to me triumphantly.
I remember in China going to a restaurant we'd been to several times, and every time I'd ordered the fried rice. "Chǎo fàn." I went once without the translation page, and ordered it: "Chǎo fàn." The guy was completely gobsmacked. Couldn't understand it at all. He looked at me like I'd ordered a tin can. (I probably had.) So I said "Chǎo fàn? Chǎoo fànn? Chǎo! fàn!" over and over. At least 100 times, no exaggeration.
I drew some pictures which weren't very helpful either. (How do you draw rice?) Finally I went into the kitchen and pointed to the ingredients. He was still puzzled, as was his staff. The entire staff and much of the neighborhood were now on the case. "Chǎo fàn? Chǎao fàan? Chǎo fàn? Chǎo fàn. Chǎo fàn. Chǎo fàn!" No one could understand that I wanted chǎo fàn, a basic staple of Chinese restaurants. They couldn't hear it in what I was saying.
Finally, a light dawned on the restaurant owner's face, and he rushed back into the kitchen, bringing back a bowl of rice and an egg. He showed it to me triumphantly.
Chǎo fàn!
I naively assumed that he meant that he would fry the rice and serve it with egg in the traditional manner of fried rice. Fortunately, my naivete was rewarded, and, after 5 minutes (plus half an hour of "Chǎo fàn? Chǎao fàan? Chǎo fàn? Chǎo fàn. Chǎo fàn. Chǎo fàn!"), he brought out a beautiful platter of fried rice.
What on earth was happening? I guess you've just got to say that if some Japanese person came up to you and said, "Miruk? Meerook? MI-Ruk. Mi-doook? Meeedook?," you might never guess that they were asking for milk. That's just as close as they can get. I'm quite sure that I simply could not hear the huge difference between what I was saying and what the word actually was.
Crazy!
What on earth was happening? I guess you've just got to say that if some Japanese person came up to you and said, "Miruk? Meerook? MI-Ruk. Mi-doook? Meeedook?," you might never guess that they were asking for milk. That's just as close as they can get. I'm quite sure that I simply could not hear the huge difference between what I was saying and what the word actually was.
Crazy!
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