Translation Note

I recently was inspecting a Heineken ad I saw on the back of one of my French magazines. Like typical ads by foreign companies in France, there are some English phrases featured along with an asterisk that leads you to the translation into French along the bottom.

As someone familiar with the translation process, I know that of course literal translations are not always best. However, I wonder how the translator arrived at the translation displayed on this ad for the whole world to see.

Underneath the Heineken logo is the slogan "open your world". This was translated into French as "Ouvrir une Heineken, c'est consommer une bière vendue dans le monde entier" (Opening a Heineken means drinking a beer sold worldwide).

In addition, the ad also features the phrase "Be Fresh", which was translated into French as "Pour être fraîche, Heineken doit être servie à 3°C" (To be fresh, Heineken must be served at 3°C).

While the translations are factually accurate, I don't think they quite capture the cosmopolitan feel that Heineken was trying to impart to consumers.

What do you think? Let me know in the comments. (Bonus points for suggested translations!)

Mot du jour: cire de l'oreille

Today's word is a two in one bonus!

Définition: earwax (medical term: cérumen)

As you may have figured out, cire means wax and oreille is the word for ear, thus cire de l'oreille gives us earwax.

Je me cure les oreilles avec un coton tige pour enlever la cire de l'oreille.
-I clean my ears with a cotton swab to remove the earwax.

Mot du jour: coton tige

Definition: cotton swab, cotton bud, Q-tip

You can also use the more generic term bâtonnet ouaté


Click here for a word related to the use of coton tiges!