Bong Buffet

Stacey: 13th Apr 2006 - 21:04 GMT

My type of place - although I wouldn't drink the water

chiamattt: 13th Apr 2006 - 21:42 GMT

It's korean food. "bong" in korean means "room". so I guess it's called "at room" or some bullshit. My franglais is rustier than that one way post. "mets Coreens" is "korean specialty"...I think.

Bong is pronounced "bang", the two biggest 'bang' things in korea are the 'pc bang' (internet room) and 'nori bang' (singing room).

You should go in there for some "bee-bim-bop" for lunch. Its delicious.

EvilGentleman: 13th Apr 2006 - 22:30 GMT

Yeah, as far as the real translation goes, I believe it would be:
Bong Place
Korean Food

But since you just said Bong means "room" Then I guess it is really
Place With Room

Multilingual translations, all done poorly, are just part and parcel of life in Montreal.

chiamattt: 14th Apr 2006 - 00:07 GMT

Part and parcel of any multicultural city. boh!

EvilGentleman: 14th Apr 2006 - 01:18 GMT

True, but Montreal seems to be particularly stricken with this affliction. (wtf? when did I stop using English? omg... lemme try this again...)

Montreal sucks more than most for shitty translation. (much better...)

Just browse some of our local websites, and it will be obvious how bad things can be here. Mind you, I must admit that I have encountered a few asian-made products that had "english" instructions that bore no resemblance to any known language on Earth.

And even if english words are used, they need to be used correctly. Otherwise, you spend the rest of your life trying to decipher stuff like:

When happy hammer make pointing iron wood insert, for then go make left push side into connecting. After shelf under screwdriver, make wood make nice be look. For to then to behind helmet, you must careful not make.

Hmmmm, ok.... I guess it could be worse than what I see here in Montreal. But for a city that provides services in both English and French, some things are so poorly done, that I just give up and do not bother using whatever service it is that I cannot understand. And the Quebec habit of not translating the names of government departments is extremely irritating. Check out the Quebec government's english webpage describing services for citizens of Quebec. www.gouv.qc.ca/wps/portal/pgs/citoyens/services?lang=en

EvilGentleman: 14th Apr 2006 - 01:32 GMT

I just thought of something, chiamattt, and only you can tell me if I am on the right track or if I am an insane retard. In Korean, would a room for meetings of practicioners of Falun Gong be described as a "gong bong" (pronounced "gang bang") ?

chiamattt: 14th Apr 2006 - 08:03 GMT

is it pronounced falun gang? I don't think so.

EvilGentleman: 14th Apr 2006 - 08:55 GMT

Fine... be that way. It was a mere attempt at a play on words based on the Korean pronunciation of "bong" being "bang". I was hoping the phonetic difference from English also applied to other similar words. I was wrong, so sue me already.

sigh... pedantic, pedantic, pedantic...

elaine: 14th Apr 2006 - 10:43 GMT

i have some russian correspondents on livejournal, and i mostly just enjoy their pictures, but sometimes i want to know what they are writing about so i run it through babelfish, and get a lot of rubbish, so i though i would share this technique with you. here is what you get if you translate the last evilgent comment into korean, and then back into english...

Fine... There is that method. Blowing which puts out the reading eastern sound which in the word which puts "the foundation in Korean pronunciation is simple in playing" "connecting" was. Me also sound it is different it was hoping from English which is applied in the word which is different similar. Me be incorrect, be like that and will carry and and already pursue.
The present crane present crane and breath... The present crane...

EvilGentleman: 14th Apr 2006 - 21:14 GMT

LOL, just my luck. First time I go out drinking in the last two months, I answer a comment while drunk, and someone slaps me with a babel fish. What would Ford say? Good one, elaine.

EvilGentleman: 15th Apr 2006 - 02:16 GMT

And here is the intro to elaine's last comment babelfished from English to Greek to French to German and back to English:

I have some Russian correspondents enjoyed at live journal and usually exactly I their pictures, but sometimes I want that I know that they write I course via babelfish, and I take numerous wastes, so to i, even if I would divide this technology with you I am here what you take, if you translate the latter evilgent comment in Korean and to it backwards into English...

Babelfish is even more fun if you type a simple sentence that is peculiar and nonsensical, like "My donkey was sleeping under the porthole full of gondolas" and then translate it multiple times to and from numerous languages. The results are usually hilarious.

elaine: 15th Apr 2006 - 11:52 GMT

hah! evilgent, no need to take the babelfishing personally, i was just being sympathetic and illustrating the weirdness of translation, with the help of possibly the least helpful translator anywhere.
i have tried using babelfish to write comments for my russians, but they tell me not to bother, but to write in english. presumalby the babelled version is just as useless to them as it is to me.
i liked how pedantry turned into present crane, and the sigh turned into an instruction to breathe, as if it were a yoga position or something.
you could probably write an entire novel using babelfish, i think i may have read one recently...

EvilGentleman: 15th Apr 2006 - 17:26 GMT

LMAO, I have read some of the same novels. I never take babelfishing personally. I love babelfishing. I do it on chats quite often. Nobody ever understands me, though, except for a few select friends who are in on the gag.