Translation Mishaps

While in Peru I learned that when speaking in a new language a lot can be left to be desired, and even more will get lost in translation. Neither side of the language barrier can be blamed as countless mistakes were made by both parties. One day, one of my fellow classmates got tired of being hassled by one of the street sellers while we sat outside just to relax. This particular man was trying to sell us wool hats on a sunny and hot day. My classmate intended to inform the man that it was too hot outside to buy a hat but rather, said that it was too expensive outside. To say the least the man was very confused and insisted his hats were very cheap. Unfortunately, this was not the only instance that our Spanish vocabulary failed us. The biggest failure on the other side came in the form of menus in English. One menu offered pasta with “sause any you choise like” and another a whiskey drink simply called “something”. I personally wasn’t too excited to order either of these items. Translations in Peru definitely can be approved upon.