I am totally reblogging something I saw today on Dave Reevely's blog in the Ottawa Citizen, as it fits in so well with my "Why the world needs translation editors" series. This is an actual press release sent out this afternoon by the Service de police de la ville de Gatineau. (Gatineau is the city in Quebec right across the river from Ottawa.)
"Appeals in connection with two animals.
On October 27, 2011 to 12h22 P.M.
The SPVG received a call in relation to an animal or a beef, who was walking in public at large and was threatening to the population. The call stated that there could be two beef in liberty.
The call was received October 27, 2011 to 12:22. The beef was walking freely on the 148 or the Montreal Road West, near George Street in Gatineau (Masson-Angers). Throughout the duration of the intervention, the police found that the animal was aggressive and threatening to the population. The police even had to ask staff to primary school St-Jean de Brebeuf to bring the children inside the school for safety. Several times the animal has dark on patrol cars and police officers.
Around 1:27 p.m., the animal was at the height of the shore road and path of the Quai. It was impossible to contain the animal because of its high aggressiveness. With the consent of the owner, the police had no choice but to kill the animal. The animal has since been taken over by its owner.
Meanwhile, a police officer spotted the second animal in the George Street exit of Highway 50 eastbound. The police managed to contain the animal for some time, but again, the animal was aggressive and difficult to contain. With the consent of its owner the police had to shoot the second animal (2:08 p.m.).
It is important to know that prior to slaughter animals, including the police tried a few times to get the beef into the trailer of their owners using different tactics (in collaboration). The animals showed a lot of aggression and loaded with police officers, patrol cars and the trailer’s owner several times, the decision to kill the animals was necessary to protect citizens (the animals were threatening the population). All measures have been taken to ensure that no person has been put in danger when the shots were fired police officers."
Ah Google Translate, how I love you.
Poor beefs :(
I can’t believe that the Gatineau police don’t have at least one bilingual cop. If my students passed in something like that they would not be happy campers afterwards.
ReplyDeletei loved this, actually. there's canada for you.. someone trying to do the right thing, save a bit of coin on a translation (they don't even buy their cops pants in Gatineau)....but overall, i was left wishing with all my heart that i had been there, watching the beefs being collaborated onto to the truck with other animals. mystifying.
ReplyDeleteSo much for "Moose on the Loose" ice cream (do you have that up there?).
ReplyDeleteNew and exciting "Cow on the Prowl" ice cream from President's Choice.
BFF
"This beef has a shiv."
ReplyDelete*snort*
What JOTE said
ReplyDeletePoor Gatineau police, you know if you read in with a French accent it almost makes sense.
ReplyDelete(The pants are a work to rule thing. The cops in Gatineau have been without a contract for a while.)
How utterly pathetic. Seriously, what were they thinking.
ReplyDeleteYou could re-title this post "Why I have a beef with automatic translators".
ReplyDeleteIt is pathetic to publish something like that, but it does point out that the world still needs flesh-and-blood language specialists!
And I appreciate that this stuff makes me smile in amusement...and sometimes also in wonderment. It took me a while to figure out what the heck was the French text that was translated as "Several times the animal has dark on patrol cars and police officers". Has dark?!?... Oh! I get it! "a foncé". (The beef charged at the cop cars and at the cops. I might have done the same if I'd known how atrociously they were going to translate my story.)
I agree with all of you. It's hard to believe that even if they didn't get it translated by a person rather than a computer, that they didn't run it by a bilingual officer or admin staff just to check that the translation was adequate.
ReplyDeleteNow I have a hankering for roast beefs.
ReplyDelete