Signs [Archives:2005/899/Community]

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December 1 2005

BY SHADY FAROOQ
It is very funny and shameful at the same time to see the signs that are hanged on the walls indicating the names of the shops or their purposes. In the beginning it appears ok but then if you look at it again you find out a plunder in the spelling of the words and names that were put on these signs.

The question is : is it the writer fault, or is it the translator's or the owner's who thought he knows English and he doesn't need to check the spelling. For the locals (Yemenis) that is on problem because they will only read the Arabic side, but for the foreigners it's really embarrassing especially when you read the same words spelling differently in two places.

What is the solution through which we can avoid such spelling mistake? From my point of view, the responsibility is on the owner who should choose an educated writer or if he knows English himself he should check the spelling from the dictionary for such purposes.

The reason behind this is that I was walking with some foreigners, friends of mine, showing them my lovely city when they noticed these mistakes and started laughing at them.

It was really embarrassing for me to answer their questions regarding this subject.

I hope such signs will be vanished and such mistakes will be corrected.
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