We were enjoying a beautiful day in
Baltimore’s Inner Harbor, walking by the water.
My daughter pointed out a brass marker inset in the sidewalk. She was so happy to see something written in
Russian.
Baltimore’s got a heritage trail that
connects historical sites and museums of the city. Along the trail you find brass markers that read “Heritage
Walk” in various languages.
Well, the Russian marker reads «Наследство Гуляют».
Believe me, this is not “Heritage Walk.” First of all, «гуляют» is a verb, not a noun.
The word «наследство» means
“inheritance, legacy, fortune, heirloom.”
True, it may be used in a word combination «культурное наследство» which translates as “cultural heritage”,
but the word “cultural” is essential.
The Russian verb «гулять» apart
from “to take a walk” and other meanings, may mean “carouse, have a spree.” So, here's what the Russian brass marker suggests (still in poor Russian): “Wasting their Inheritance.”
The translation should have read: «Историческая Прогулка».
Now, how something like this could have
happened, I wonder? Did someone just
Google the translation and choose the first thing that popped up without
bothering to check anything? Did someone
even think of consulting a translator?
Or was it the same translator who wrote “peregruzka” (overload) instead
of “perezagruzka” (restart) on the infamous “red button”?
Live
for the Love of it,
The
Happy Amateur
