r/engrish • u/zachhayne • Dec 10 '24
I have zero clue what they were trying to say here. It's on a box to a mini washing machine??
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u/joyfullydreaded23 Jan 08 '25
You won't find any corporation in America that thanks the delivery crew...or any other crew that works for them...and acknowledges the hard work they do.
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u/Odd_Sir_5922 Dec 21 '24
亲爱的快递员，感谢您的辛勤付出！
"Dear courier, thank you for your hard work!"
运输过程中请避免撞击。
"Please avoid impacts during transport."
该产品无法处理船上可能出现的过量水。
"This product can not handle excess water that may be present on board."
机器在运行过程中不会产生振荡模式。
"The machine does not produce oscillating patterns during operation."
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u/Arbeitsloeffel Jan 16 '25
That makes sense at least. But how can someone mess up a translation this badly? Did they just look up every word individually and then just took the first possible translation, regardless of context?
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u/Odd_Sir_5922 Jan 16 '25
Grammar and spelling in Chinese are both very different from English. Without understanding grammar or intent, someone might just grab the first translation they find, resulting in nonsensical phrases.
For example, 轻 (qīng) means "light" or "gentle," but it could be mistranslated as "softly" if taken out of context.
Chinese is also full of idioms and culturally specific phrases that don’t translate well directly.
An example would be "辛苦了" (xīn kǔ le), which means "You’ve worked hard," but in English, we’d usually say, "Thank you for your effort." As a result, the direct translation becomes awkward.
On top of those things, earlier low-quality machine translators (such as outdated versions of Google Translate or other cheap translation tools) often ignore grammar and idioms, which could lead to overly literal or bizarre interpretations.
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u/SuperMaysterre Dec 14 '24
Now I understand what Sseth meant by "translation ranking from Engrish to totally esoteric"...
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u/newhappyrainbow Dec 14 '24
Heavy, fragile, don’t shake, this side up.
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u/xxbog_monsterxx Dec 15 '24
Omg how did you know that
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u/newhappyrainbow Dec 15 '24 edited Dec 15 '24
Shaka, when the walls fell.
Honestly though, I started with what a parabola is and when “this side up” made sense, the rest was obvious.
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Dec 13 '24
Is this sign located above a toilet seat in the bathroom? Are you mumbling to yourself, or the turd you're struggling by shaping it into a ship? When do the parabola pirates come into play?
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u/Hotcrystal0 Dec 13 '24
This thing is a terrible graphing calculator. It can’t even draw a parabola?
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u/WildflowerBurrito Dec 13 '24
I’d imagine its 辛苦 which basically means thank you for your hard work but its “hard work” literally~?
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u/NumerousSun4282 Dec 13 '24
I don't believe this is the answer, but there's a little practical joke you can play by having someone hold their tongue with their fingers and say "all aboard the pirate ship"
If often comes out sounding like "I was born on a pile of shit"
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u/Working_Cry_8647 Dec 14 '24
Or if you say 'apple' it sounds like asshole... I was a very naughty child as you can clearly tell
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u/OskarTheRed Dec 13 '24
Soft, warm place to be born. I don't see the problem?
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u/SomethingWitty2578 Dec 14 '24
Most people poop while giving birth. Thats a lot of baby with a big head pressing out a small space right next to the rectum. Plus they’re using those muscles to push baby out. And sometimes baby poops too! So really, unless you’re c section, there probably was a bit of shit.
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u/joyfullydreaded23 Jan 08 '25
Can verify, shat myself during my 2nd born's birthing experience. Doctor was worried that my 1st born had shat while still in my womb because they induced me when he didn't want to come out after overshooting his delivery date by a week. I was given pictocin after my water FINALLY broke but not making any cervix dilation progress, it makes your contractions unbelievably strong, I was in labor for 12ish hours and hard labor for 4 hours because he was sunny side up (his face was looking up/out of my womb/vagina instead of having his chin tucked in for a smoother slip and slide). He did end up pooping, medical terminology is meconium, but he didn't have any adverse reactions to it thankfully.
TL;DR Lots of poop involved with the birthing experience, especially if the nurse is too late with your enema and your baby didn't get the eviction memo. Mom verified.
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u/OskarTheRed Dec 14 '24
Thanks for the insight! I've always said that kids are shitty, so it's good to get support for that view
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u/WorldsSpecialestBoy Dec 12 '24
They just mean it's a fragile package and needs to be handled with care. Also, they thanked the delivery driver at the beginning (for their hard work). They're probably using like Google translate or something.
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u/No-Program-1217 Dec 13 '24
Permutations of "speak softly to me" can be translations of requests for private messages "whisper me"
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u/OmegisPrime Dec 12 '24
Dear u/WorldsSpecialestBoy, Hard work!
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u/Sovereign444 Dec 12 '24
I hate it when I'm trying to draw a pirate ship and then I remember that I can't draw a parabola! So relatable!
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u/fuacamole Dec 12 '24
fed it to chatgpt and here’s what i got:
The English text is likely a whimsical yet awkward translation of a polite request to handle the package gently. The original Chinese might have said something along the lines of:
“亲爱的快递员，辛苦了！请轻拿轻放，我不能像海盗船那样摇晃，也不能被抛出抛物线。”
Literally, this would mean: “Dear courier, thank you for your hard work! Please handle [this package] gently. I can’t sway like a pirate ship, nor can I be tossed to form a parabola.”
In simpler terms, the original intent was probably: “Dear courier, thanks for your effort! Please be careful and don’t shake or throw the package.”
The references to a “pirate ship” (a theme park ride that sways) and “drawing a parabola” (being tossed in an arc) are just humorous metaphors meant to discourage rough handling.
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u/Sovereign444 Dec 12 '24
Wow, finally a good use of AI! Good job, robot!
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u/chronsonpott Dec 12 '24
We are now using AI in genome sequencing. AI is doing God's work right now in the STEM universe.
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u/Mikeinthedirt Dec 12 '24
Just remember it’s a theory.
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u/IKnowOneName Dec 12 '24
I know AI seems to be impractical or not really useful for anything important...
But let me tell you about the neurodivergent community. I am autistic with adhd, and AI has helped me to understand confusing things better and communicate better. Wait, no, "better" is an understatement... It's like a cheat code has unlocked God mode and opened a secret room with unlimited supplies. It's like trying to travel on foot through terrain with every imaginable obstacle or difficulty or impedance, and someone appears and opens a hidden passage with supplies and refreshments to easily continue your journey unhindered.
Delayed processing, the need for context to be given when listening or speaking, difficulty transitioning between any tasks or topics or functions, tangents causing distraction from what's actually important and the near-inability to discern that it's unimportant.
This is just one short list of things that kinda beset most autistic people, and they are near-constant all day long. Like, when working at retail jobs these are basically every minute my entire time on the clock. AI has been a lifesaver during times that it can be opened and used.
So, yeah, AI has been practical and useful at least for me since at least the first time I tried it out.
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u/Tippity2 Dec 12 '24
Yes, AI will help neurodivergent people tremendously. MS Co-Pilot is terrific in MS Teams meetings.
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u/DP500-1 Dec 12 '24
Honestly seems like a better explanation than any human could have given
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u/Big_Ostrich_5548 Dec 12 '24
I doubt it's right though.
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u/whatsshecalled_ Dec 13 '24
Nah, the Chinese pretty much tracks, like it even reverse engineered the parabola joke (the Chinese word for parabola includes the word "throw", so it's like "dont throw me into a parabola")
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u/ProtectedSpeciment Dec 12 '24
It distracts the courier enough that they slowly puts it down instead of yeeting it.
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u/satanpro Dec 12 '24
It looks like they're describing the four symbols depicted at the bottom of the box! Then it's badly translated.
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u/Thylacine- Dec 12 '24
Looks like this:
- Hard work! - heavy
- Please mumble softly to me - be gentle/I’m fragile
- I can’t make a pirate ship - do not get wet
- Unable to draw a parabola - do not rotate/keep upright
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u/mysteryo9867 Dec 12 '24
I.t. Seems as if there discusing the floor sin bells delinked at the cotton of the hoax? Than bits sadly transformers,
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u/Darbypea Dec 12 '24
Reading this felt like having a stroke.
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u/mysteryo9867 Dec 12 '24
Grip beams cas glyph bear disc sussing ha flower bin hells glee wrinkled age jar soaks? Ban hits sad me hans traumas
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u/MonokromKaleidoscope Dec 12 '24
Ow, my synapses
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u/mysteryo9867 Dec 12 '24
Drip means sass miff hair lisp huffing a bowser grin Mel’s been trickled safe far jokes?
Ham mits mad tree sans dramas
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Dec 12 '24
[removed] — view removed comment
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u/benniesjet Dec 12 '24
Could the pirate ship part have anything to do with stacking? Like I know I get product in at work that’s fragile and the boxes will say ‘do not stack.’
I have no knowledge on Chinese languages at all, just trying to think what else they might’ve been trying to say. 🤔
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u/LambSmacker Dec 12 '24
For what it’s worth, I couldn’t draw a parabola off the top of my head either. I’d have to look that word up.
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u/Pretend_Evening984 Dec 12 '24
It's a curve that is equidistant between a given point and a given line. The basic path of a thrown object. y = ax2 + bx + c
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u/Imaginary-Hornet-397 Dec 11 '24
Ok, so they are instructing the courier the box may be hard work to lift, if it is heavy. Washing machines, I suppose when churning, could be likened to having a swishing sound that could be a soft mumble. The drum should turn all the way around, and not only make a u shaped motion. Could the pirate ship also be part of that? Like the fairground rides that swing up and down in a u shape?
Edit: Ahh, never mind, I’ve now seen the translation below.
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u/my_naughty_accoount Dec 11 '24
I'm not sure, but if you say it and bote your tongue you say pile of shit
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Dec 11 '24
“you can’t make a pirate ship” the courier mumbles softly to the box
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u/rollo_read Dec 11 '24
“Made In China” tells me all I need to know about the structure of those statements.
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u/Adventurous-Pop446 Dec 11 '24
Please mumble softly to me.....true words of love 
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u/VVen0m Dec 11 '24
- Ulysses
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u/HamLiquor Dec 11 '24
No, see, these are Phish lyrics
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u/Spin737 Dec 11 '24
Control for smilers can’t be bought.
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u/Pavementaled Dec 11 '24
The solar garlic starts to rot
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u/Sh2d0wg2m3r Dec 11 '24
Original Chinese might have been something like: 亲爱的快递员， 辛苦了！ 请轻拿轻放， 不要倾斜像海盗船一样 画不出抛物线~
Which would literally mean: “Dear courier, Thanks for your hard work! Please handle with care, Don’t tilt (it) like a pirate ship (Don’t make it) draw a parabola~” Which would most likely be a joke related to shipping vessels and keeping them steady
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u/Doomhammer24 Dec 12 '24
I thibk maybe its referring to that common amusement park ride thats depicted as a ship- often a pirate ship- and being swung side to side in a somewhat parabolic arc?
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u/bazem_malbonulo Dec 11 '24
The parabola thing may be throwing the box (you draw a parabola in the air when throwing something)
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Dec 11 '24
In just surprised how close the autotranslate was to the actual translation
"Please don't draw a parabola with it" is gonna be my new way of asking ppl to be gentle with things
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u/Sh2d0wg2m3r Dec 11 '24
P.s Chinese is hard
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u/Bulk_Cut Dec 11 '24
Is it typically this full of idiom? That would make me feel like I was talking in clichés all the time.
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u/ThinWhiteRogue Dec 11 '24
Shaka, when the walls fell
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u/MF_DOOMs_Mask Dec 11 '24
Chinese has a lot of idioms (chengyu) that they use in speech and writing, and a lot of them come from folklore
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u/laowildin Dec 11 '24
Yes, it is. Every language uses idioms and figurative language, ime the Chinese especially love number puns
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u/Sh2d0wg2m3r Dec 11 '24
No from my google search and asking Claude it doesn’t appear to have a lot of idioms and are more sparingly used
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u/Bulk_Cut Dec 11 '24
Strange that they chose to use two for translated text!
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u/Sh2d0wg2m3r Dec 11 '24
🤷 they typically try to appeal to the target buyers but something really wrong happened here.
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u/miloworld Dec 11 '24
The first line was translated correctly, and then..
Mumble Softly - likely 輕待 which is "Handle with Care"
Can't make pirate ship - Pirate could mean copy and 翻 is turning it upside down
Parabola is easy, it's 拋物線 which literally means "Don't Toss"
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u/monkeyhello36 Dec 11 '24 edited Dec 11 '24
Dear courier, I’m a heavy package! Please carry me gently. I shouldn’t get wet. I also shouldn’t be bent.
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u/NinjaPandaOnSkates Dec 11 '24
Dear courier,
This box is heavy, handle with care, keep upright and dry.
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u/thefaultinourseg Dec 11 '24
That pirate ship is gonna draw a parabola, and there's not a damn thing the hardworking courier can do about it except mumble softly to me
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u/musicalharmonica Dec 11 '24 edited Dec 11 '24
Dear courier,
Hard work!
Please mumble softly to me I can't
make a pirate ship
Unable to draw
a parabola~
The waves and lines of
thoughts lifting up and
setting down are
heavy,
hard to bring to a pen.
I like to imagine you,
dear courier~
your simple hands,
quiet voice,
the box that speaks
at my doorstep.
I say nothing at all;
You leave, and I stand in the frame of
my door -- black sweats and piled bun,
watching your dark ship idle
into silence.
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u/craigechoes9501 Dec 11 '24
all pirate ships can naturally draw parabolas
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u/Chaost Dec 11 '24
The solution is obviously to obscure the bottom of the pirate ship with some waves 🌊🌊🌊🌊 then no parabola is needed.
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u/Hobbies_88 Dec 11 '24
Dear courier , Thank You for your hardwork .
Do NOT drop
Do not Rock the box delicate parts inside machine
Keep Dry - i do not carry an umbrella in case of rain
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u/12bWindEngineer Dec 11 '24
I don’t doubt you but how the hell did you get this from that?
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u/Hobbies_88 Dec 11 '24 edited Dec 11 '24
Just another translation from the language chinese / mandarin
Normally its just chinese translated from english
For example : pirate ship = 海盗船 ，equal to the amusement park ride so it is guessed that whatever in the box is better not be shaken or dropped due to the machinery parts in the washing machine .
And i spoke the language 🙂
And the parabola is a mathematical term ?? for a curve so where do they translate it from ?? If it were me i would think something to be related to parasol or umbrella .
But the translation is a bit weird i can tell you so its a tiny bit of inferred guessing .
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u/Adverse_Congenality Dec 11 '24
Hard work, = heavy Murmur softly to me = fragile I'm not a pirate ship = don't get wet Unable to draw parabola = keep upright
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u/FunSushi-638 Dec 11 '24
How in the world did you figure this out!?!?
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u/goodboyscout Dec 11 '24
The symbols at the bottom prob
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u/CaptainWonk Dec 14 '24
Yeah. Nobody else was gonna mention how all the answers kinda seem like the instructions for the bottom symbols?
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u/Itsacardgame Dec 11 '24
They speak Chinese
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u/uncomf_numb Dec 11 '24
And English
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u/circlekay47 Dec 11 '24
I also speak both and am struggling to understand how they got to this conclusion…
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u/piroko13 Dec 11 '24
Try mumbling to it softly “I can’t make a pirate ship”, maybe that will activate the next step to decipher what does “Unable to draw a parabola~” means. Or maybe it will be able to draw it. Just try and share results. Thank you
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u/ceno_byte Dec 11 '24
I have no idea but it sounds like the state of my life right now.
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u/mediocrehomebody Dec 11 '24
Based on the icons, here's what I think it should say:
Handle with care
Fragile
Do not get wet
Do not lay on side
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u/Hot-Can3615 Dec 11 '24
I'm guessing "Dear courier, hard work!" means something along the lines of "heavy" or "Caution: heavy", although it could also mean "fragile".
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u/kdnx-wy Dec 11 '24
“Unable to draw a parabola” may derive from “parasol”, another word for “umbrella” (but specifically one for sun use rather than rain use)
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u/artbug Dec 11 '24
If there is Chinese text on there, you can post it here and someone can give an accurate translation
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u/The77thDogMan Dec 11 '24 edited Dec 11 '24
Shot in the dark here. I wonder if it’s something to do with the little handling logos? Perhaps meant to be conveyed in a cutesy anthropomorphic way (hence the speech bubble)
My guess would be something like this:
Dear Courier ( “Hi Movers!” Or “Attention! Movers,)
Please mumble softly to me (perhaps a bad translation of “Please handle with care” or “please be gentle/kind to me”)
I can’t make a pirate ship (this one is the most confusing. I wonder if it could have been a typo in the original language. But at face value maybe something to do with not being able to be tilted/shaken as others have said??? I see there is a pictogram with a vague boat shape in the bottom left? Could that be related? Maybe it was something like “Do not rock me like we are on a pirate ship?”)
Unable to draw a parabola (I feel this is related to the umbrella pictogram. I suspect it’s something like “I can’t just pull out an umbrella/parasol” maybe parabola is a related term due to their dome-like parabolic shape?)
So all together with the cutesy voice the intention might have been something like
“Hi there movers! Please be gentle with me. I won’t survive if you tilt me around like we’re on a pirate ship, and I can’t pull out my own umbrella so keep me dry!”
Or maybe it’s even trying to crack a joke?
“Hi movers! I can’t be shaken/handled roughly, and I don’t have an umbrella to keep myself dry… so don’t transport me by pirate ship!”
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u/FranceBrun Dec 11 '24
It’s gibberish. You see it a lot in China. Like the way people get tattoos that they think are meaningful, in Chinese or Japanese characters, and it turns out to be other than what they thought.
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u/thomasp3864 Dec 11 '24
ㇳㇵイㇲイㇲノㇳđアパニーㇲ,アイヂュㇲㇳローティンㇰリㇱヰㇳㇵカタカナ,ㇳㇵイササヌィㇰザㇺペロゥ゙ウzインイㇳライケィㇴタㇳūㇲ
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u/FranceBrun Dec 11 '24
That’s great, but I can’t read one word of this. Sorry.
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u/Agreeable_Ad3800 Dec 11 '24
First things first - what’s a mini washing machine?
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u/zachhayne Dec 11 '24 edited Dec 11 '24
a little battery powered washing machine that can hold a couple items of clothes. we have a cat who likes to poop on our clothes when he's mad at us so figured it was a hood investment lol
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u/Friender0ni Dec 11 '24
Nah in the hood we just use a big washing machine, you think we can afford tiny washing machines in this economy
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u/CharlesButWorse Dec 11 '24
i think this means that like, if it gets so shaky that it’s bouncing around (pirate ship=washer [shakiness=if you’re on the ship you can’t draw a parabola {curved line}]) you should be gentle with it because it’s hard at work and trying its best
this is the only assumption i can come to
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u/MaximumOverfart Dec 10 '24
I'm pretty sure their translator was having a stroke, but they just wrote it down anyway.
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u/Spies_and_Lovers Dec 10 '24
This is the message I got from my bootleg copy of Fallout New Vegas
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u/baron-von-spawnpeekn Dec 11 '24
This is what you get when you try and cross Mr. House with the AI Colonel from MGS2
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u/Molly_rae18 Dec 10 '24
I had such a rough day and this is making me cry actual tears what the hell
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u/hmbse7en Jan 13 '25
It's very musical, I like reading this tbh