UK fire cheifs tell people to 'jump on a donkey' incase of fire

[Sarah_Jayne]

RED-FACED fire chiefs were forced to withdraw a safety leaflet advising people to lower themselves from a burning building on a donkey.

The Scottish Executive-produced brochure had been available for five years before a confused member of the public reported the mistake to Strathclyde Fire and Rescue Service.

The Fire Kills - You Can Prevent It document's English version reads: "Never jump straight out of a window. Lower yourself on to cushions, etc."
But language experts charged with putting the passage into Urdu, which is the national language of Pakistan and is widely spoken in India, translated it as "never jump out of a window straight. Put yourself on a donkey." Thousands of the leaflets were produced, and around half had to be destroyed in October.

Bashir Ahmad, an Urdu speaker and SNP councillor for Glasgow Shawlands, which has a high proportion of users of the language, said: "How can you mix up cushions with a donkey? My constituents will be laughing that such a silly translation has been made."

Urdu expert Bassneem Kareem, who came up with the language's Standard Grade and Higher programmes, also hit out.

She said: "The Urdu word for donkey is 'gudhaa,' while the word for cushion is 'guddaa'.

"It is a very big error - ridiculous and stupid."

A Scottish Executive spokesman apologised for the error and said: "Since this leaflet was translated in 2001, quality control on translated material has been improved by running a system that includes proof-reading."

But Rosemary Dale, founder of the Scottish Borders Donkey Sanctuary, added: "I would not let the people who made this translation anywhere near my donkeys."

http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/hi/news/5059009.html#

[rodney25]

lol

Twisted language translation