pavandeep

I've noticed that a lot of the time when people attempt to translate English into Punjabi they don't really translate the words. They just re-write the word with punjabi letters. Take a look at the sign above. On the bottom left (behind the traffic sign) it says "PARKING AT BACK" and on the right it says "ਪਾਰਕਿੰਗ ਬੈਕ ਤੇ" (Parking Back thay). I can understand that "Parking" was kept the same... consulting my English-Punjabi dictionary I see that there are 3 ways to say "Parking" in Punjabi:

1. ਗੱਡੀਆਂ ਖੜੀਆਂ ਕਰਨ

2. ਗੱਡੀਆਂ ਖੜਾਉਣ ਦਾ ਥਾਂ

3. ਪਾਰਕਿੰਗ

It makes sense to use ਪਾਰਕਿੰਗ because there doesn't seem to be a real Punjabi word. However, it does not make sense to use ਬੈਕ (back). Consulting my Punjabi-English Dictionary I see that there is an entry for ਬੈਕ:

ਬੈਕ n.m. back, defender (in team games), full back
n.f. back (side) rear

While the person who did this is correct (technically), using my own common sense I would think that ਪਿਛੇ would be more appropriate.

Also, has anyone seen the sign at the Driver Licensing Office in Surrey, where they have "Receptionist" (or is it "Reception"?) written out in Punjabi letters underneath the English version? Someone who doesn't know how to read English may not be familiar with the word, so writing it out in Punjabi isn't all that helpful.

One more thing... what happened to the signs at Home Depot(ਘਰਾਂ ਦਾ ਡੀਪੂ)? I remember that they used to have Punjabi signs for each aisle. They're not there anymore.

...a Sikh prisoner may soon have to submit to procedures in the Florida state prison system that will result in the forcible cutting of his hair and removal of his turban, the gravest violations of Sikh faith and praxis. The prisoner, Satnam Singh, is scheduled to be transferred from the Federal Bureau of Prisons system to a Florida state prison after April 9, 2006.

Hopefully everyone who visits my blog has already signed this petition. If you haven't, then please do. I don't know how effective online petitions are, but they certainly can't hurt.