2007/09/28

If there is a lawsuit, both parts have to left it to Barcelona court

The Catalan (National) Library is one of the worst and most surprising offenders. Here's part of its exhibition loan policy:

Application form has to be done at least 4 months before the inauguration of the exhibition when the number of items required would be less than 20, and 6 months before if the number of items requested would be bigger than 20.


There are no links to English-language materials on the site from the library's front page, and it provides even less for Spanish speakers, despite Spanish being one of the region's two official languages. The library is well funded and the guys who work there are meant to be smart and worldly. It's shameful.

The website of the Barcelona city

Check the header of the main English page of Barcelona City Council.

2007/09/27

How to move you

Barcelona's transport authority enters the fray.

Ripoll Council is only interested in Catalan-speaking tourists

No translations at all here, not even for Spanish-speaking residents. That Ripoll's romanesque is of international renown is not of the slightest interest to the peasant ethnocrats in charge of the town and its tourism.

2007/09/25

Catalan train company encourages English-speaking users to experiment with drugs

FCG notice at La Floresta station:

Bitllets. Per viatjar cal tenir validat el bitllet.
Billetes. Para viajar debe de tener validado el billete.
Tickets. To trip you should have your ticket ratified.


Vilafranca del Penedès has a major, not a mayor

Sounds like the place is under military administration:

Vilafranca is an open and welcoming town. From this permanently opened window that our web site offers to us, I want to welcome you to Vilafranca.

Marcel Esteve i Robert
Major of Vilafranca del Penedès


The whole translation is gibberish, whichever way you look through Major Marcel's window.