manlion
SENIOR MEMBER
- Joined
- Mar 22, 2013
- Messages
- 7,568
- Reaction score
- -3
BBC News - Sri Lanka apology for translation blunders
The second line is in Tamil ... but it says "dogs" instead of "mothers
Sri Lanka's government has apologised for errors in translating official notices and documents into the language of the minority Tamil community.
One was of a sign that read "Reserved for pregnant mothers" in Sinhala and English. A mistake changed that to "Reserved for pregnant dogs" in Tamil
Some Tamils say it is quite common to find mistakes in their language.
"Tamils find language errors in name boards on buses, streets and many government official buildings," says a local Tamil rights activist, S Balakrishnan.
They also allege that Tamils find it difficult when visiting government offices as many officials can't speak Tamil fluently.
Language policy
The issue of language in Sri Lanka is highly sensitive.
Sri Lanka endured more than 30 years of war
In 1956, the government decided to replace English as the country's official language with Sinhala, the language of the majority.
But it did not give official status to Tamil.
Many Tamils lost government jobs because they were not fluent in Sinhala.
Although the policy was eventually amended, the decision contributed to a growing sense of alienation in the Tamil minority.
Confrontation between the two communities erupted into full-scale civil war in 1983, with the Tamil Tigers fighting for a separate homeland
The second line is in Tamil ... but it says "dogs" instead of "mothers
Sri Lanka's government has apologised for errors in translating official notices and documents into the language of the minority Tamil community.
One was of a sign that read "Reserved for pregnant mothers" in Sinhala and English. A mistake changed that to "Reserved for pregnant dogs" in Tamil
Some Tamils say it is quite common to find mistakes in their language.
"Tamils find language errors in name boards on buses, streets and many government official buildings," says a local Tamil rights activist, S Balakrishnan.
They also allege that Tamils find it difficult when visiting government offices as many officials can't speak Tamil fluently.
Language policy
The issue of language in Sri Lanka is highly sensitive.
Sri Lanka endured more than 30 years of war
In 1956, the government decided to replace English as the country's official language with Sinhala, the language of the majority.
But it did not give official status to Tamil.
Many Tamils lost government jobs because they were not fluent in Sinhala.
Although the policy was eventually amended, the decision contributed to a growing sense of alienation in the Tamil minority.
Confrontation between the two communities erupted into full-scale civil war in 1983, with the Tamil Tigers fighting for a separate homeland
Last edited:
