April 5, 2008

• "It's a Coincidence!"

  In order to cheer on Japanese player Kosuke Fukudome at Wrigley Field in Chicago, some fans are holding up signs in Japanese that are supposed to display the Cubs' slogan "It's Gonna Happen," ("it" being the Cubs winning the World Series, which is in itself a topic for another day).  But, as the exerpt below from MLB.com states, something is lost in translation:

  "Fans are holding up signs in the Wrigley Field bleachers that appear to be an attempt to say, "It's going to happen" in Japanese. But whatever dictionary or phrase book they are using has converted the message instead to: "It's an accident."

  Fukudome and the Japanese media have spotted the mistakes. Ryuji Araki, Fukudome's interpreter, said the problem is that there is no Japanese equivalent to, "It's going to happen." He suggested, kotoshi koso, which means, "They will win this year.""

  Here is a video clip from a Japanese news show which also explains the situation:

   

  The article above says that the mistaken signs (which say in Japanese "Guzen da zou") say "It's an accident."  But I think the phrase is more accurately translated as "It's a Coincidence."  So basically what's happening is that everytime Fukudome steps up to the plate, he sees fans waving signs reminding him that "It's a coincidence!"  I suppose someone used a dictionary and picked out the first definition listed.  hahaha.

  • 8:19 pm
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