With the recent return of my son from Cambodia, it has been easy to point out some miserable and humorous attempts at translation into English from that country. But I want to be fair, so I went looking for Cambodian interests and entities that have websites, to see if I couldn't find some good ones. The results are encouraging.
Using Google's advanced search features, and limiting the results to only those sites that end in .kh, the suffix for Cambodia, I got results that highlighted, for the most part, international organizations with offices in Cambodia, and not Cambodian firms. However, tucked among OXFAM, the International Red Cross, and the United Nations is the site for PRASAC Microfinance Institution. Their translation into English was not done by a native English speaker, as evidenced by scattered minor errors, but it is of a quality that doesn't interfere with comprehension. In fact, the broken English enhances parts of the site. For example, consider this passage from their "Our Clients" page:
"At the 60 years old Mr. Khim Khot a father and a grand father of 18 members... Depend on the natural climatic condition and a poor irrigation system, Khim Khot cannot support his family with his main subsistence is rice production. Fortunately, he heard about PRASAC MICROFINANCE INSTITUTION from his neighbors . He did contact PRASAC MFI for related information to the loan product and service. He had borrowed 250,000R for the first time to buy a loom for Khmer traditional cloth production (Hol, Phamourng etc.....) . By now he can run his business successfully and able to repay loan very smoothly, intending to expand his business he is now applying for larger amount of loan in order to expand his production as well as to generate more income to be better living condition. 'Without loan from PRASAC, he could not imagine what was happened to his family with insufficient food. He thanks to PRASAC MICROFINANCE INSTITUTION and commits to work even harder for his family', he said."
Would that have been as effective with perfect English? I think not.
Meanwhile, the homepage of the Cambodian Ministry of Culture and Fine Arts says, beneath a photo of Bhuddist monks:
"Ministy of Culture and Fine Arts primaly does its thing
No existence for the skin"
Most of the government sites, as well as the sites of major organizations with Cambodia, are quite good. This one, however ... isn't. Parts of it are OK, and parts are just plain annoyingly wrong. The site warns "Our homepage is still on renewal." But it needs help NOW! Can't somebody from the national government lend a hand to the MCFA?
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