Lost in translation

[VictorR]

Like many aspies, I often interpret things literally.

I recall once being asked to say "hello" in another language and I froze up and after an pause, advised that I couldn't come up with any.

What I was thinking was:

French bonjour is literally "good day"
German guten tag is also literally "good day"
Mandarin ni hao is literally "you good"

and therefore I did not know a non-English word that translated to "hello"

 

[unperson]

ola

 

[Aspychata]

In Finnland, you say "hey. ". Which is hi.

 

[Thinx]

Ahoy! Apparently Alexander Graham Bell liked to answer the phone with this nautical term, but the popularity of Hello as a greeting is thought to have grown with the advent of telephones.

Yes I know what you mean, I don't necessarily notice I have taken something literally, but sometimes I realise. I'm guessing it's part of the nonfiring mirror neurons situation, or whatever it is that makes processing slower.

 

[Soleil]

I hate being asked to "say something" in another language because unless you tell me what to say, I won't be able to come up with anything myself.

But one problem with translation is that there are so many subtle things to consider that it can be tricky. Like, "I'm going to the store" can be translated a number of ways depending on gender and formality.

But I think most languages' "good day" could be an acceptable translation of "hello".

 

[Crossbreed]

(FYI, there is a "LOST" in TranSLatiOn... )
whisper

 

[Mia]

Usual greeting where I am is not bonjour, it's Ça va? Or how's it's going or is everything okay?

To which you usually reply; Ça va bien, (it's going well) or pas mal (not too bad) or comme si comme ca (it all-right, or like this like that, good and bad).

 

[MyLifeAsAnAspie]

I probably would have come up with "guten tag" and then went into an explanation of what it actually means.

 

[Wolfgangus Faldestolius]

In some rather comical countries it depends what time of day it is!

 

[Skittlebisquit]

(FYI, there is a "LOST" in TranSLatiOn... )
whisper

Nice!

 

[SDRSpark]

I was asked as part of a neuropsych eval whether or not "the tag in my shirt bothered me".

I said "no" because my shirts don't have tags. *facepalm*

I probably should have realized that question was about sensory sensitivities in general, I might have gotten my ASD diagnosis. (Maybe I am too autistic for the autism questionnaire.)