Ping Victor (or other Spanish-speaking members)

I have to put a sign up in our break room at work asking the cleaning crew
(who speak no English) to not open the dish washer or turn off the
dishwasher switch. Can you tell me if this is a fair translation (I used
the babelfish web site to get this)?

English:
Please do not open the dishwasher or turn off the right switch above the
sink.

Spanish:

pistor...

echo

No abra por favor el lavaplatos ni dé vuelta apagado al interruptor derecho
sobre el fregadero.

pistor...

I'd say it like this:

Por favor no abra el lavaplatos ni apague el interruptor del lado
derecho arriba del fregadero.

CatNipped...

Thanks Victor!

Jeanne Hedge...

For the linguistically challenged among us, what's the difference
between the two versions as far as meaning?

Victor Martinez...

I think most native speakers would understand what was meant in the
first message, I'm just using better grammar. :)

jmcquown...

LOL Babelfish isn't known for good grammar, is it? Sometimes translations
are downright funny!

Pat...

If you really want funny, try translating a sentence from English to
Spanish, then copy the result and translate it back to English.

My cat Tommy has stripes on his belly.

Mi gato Soldado Raso tiene rayas en el vientre.

My cat Flat Soldier has lines in the womb.

jXwXeXrXmXoXnXt...

Interestingly, I went to that same site and put in the same English
phrase, selected "English to Spanish" and hit enter, then took the
Spanish phrase (which I could tell was correct, based on the amount
of Spanish I do know), and translated it back. No flat soldiers or
wombs...

jXwXeXrXmXoXnXt...

That was the one I tried it at.

But I just did it again, and I got the flat soldier routine this
time.

Then I tried it with just "Tommy has stripes on his belly" and
it left "Tommy" as is. So, why does the word "cat" turn Tommy into
a flat soldier? Especially since they do translate the phrase "my
cat" into "mi gato"?

The mystery continues...

jXwXeXrXmXoXnXt...

They translated a name?? (Not that this is the only problem with that
translation.)

Language still requires live humans, it would seem - at least for the
time being!

Victor Martinez...

"Soldado raso" is basically, enlisted soldier. Raso also means plain, level.

Jeanne Hedge, as directed by Natasha

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