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<\/div>\nWHEN using any kind of translation helper\u2014dictionary, Babel Fish or Google Translate\u2014remember that if you don’t know the target language, you should always have a native speaker take a look at the final product. Otherwise, your results might be as flamboyantly incompetent as those in this shop window, which I passed not long ago in midtown Manhattan. <\/p>\n
To attract foreign tourists, the store’s owners have tried to translate “Welcome” into a variety of languages. But in almost every case, they chose something inapt. Here they are, starting at the top left:<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
Welcome<\/em> <\/strong>(English): OK, this is right.<\/p>\n Empfang<\/strong> <\/em>(German): Nope. This is “welcome” in the sense of a reception, like “they received a fine welcome,” or the reception area in a hotel. It can’t be used to greet people. That would be Willkommen<\/em>.<\/p>\n accueil<\/strong> <\/em>(French): Nope. This means “reception” or “greeting”. They want bienvenue<\/em>.<\/p>\n