The official road sign of the Kew-Kew! Kew-Kew! littered across Kampong Thom province on the way to Siem Reap
The English equivalent of the above official road sign:
Now, you understand why this Kew-Kew! Kew-Kew! has been so EFFECTIVE in curbing traffic accidents (everyone is so busy trying to decipher the incoherency and messy punctuation), drunk driving and transporting overweight merchandise.
41 comments:
The fact that you literally translate three don't as "don't three" alone makes you not the right person To speak on Khmer language.
Next you're going to pick on both the Khmer and Spanish language for saying "cat black" instead of black cat?
ទំងន់សសេរខុស។កាលណាយើងរាយពាក្យបានន័យថា ទំ នឹង ងន់។ ទំ ផ្លែឈើទំ ឯងន់ ឥតមានន័យអ្វីសោះ។ ដូច្នេះត្រូវសសេរ“ទម្ងន់“ជាប់គ្នាទើបត្រូវ៕
Have you ever heard of Chinglish?
It is the same way here that you try to translate Khmer into English by using Khminglish; it is not going to work, dummy.
And your “DON’T THREE” should be “THREE DON’T” or “THREE NO”.
Why do you distract us from our bigger problem, Vietnamese encroachment and migration into Cambodia, corruption, dictatorship…
Khmer Democrat, who do you work for?
According to you: dog shit = chkae ach = shit dog
Khmer Democrat, you know as well as I do.
The warning sign does not cause the accidents, but the corruption and bribery do. I hope you are smart enough to understand that.
Khmers abroad call Arabs,North Africans's peoples POUK A CHAMS it's HUMAN CRISIS OR LANGUAGE CRISIS?
គួរឧ្យសោកស្តាយណាស់ ? ហេតុអ្វីបានជាក្រុម
KI-MEDIA យកពាក្យខ្មែរ៖ កុំបើកបរ នៅពេល
ស្រវឹង!!!មកបកប្រែជាពាក្យអង្លេសថាយ៉ាងដូច្នេះ
ទៅវិញ ?៖ DON'T DRIVE WHEN DRUNK!!!?
ការបកប្រែនេះខុសទាំងស្រុងទៅលើន័យរបស់
ពាក្យថា ៖ កុំបើកបរ នៅពេលស្រវឹង!!!?
ពាក្យនេះត្រូវបកប្រែមកថា៖ DON'T DRIVE WHEN DRUKENNESS!!! ? នៅក្នុងព្រះរាជាណាចក្រអច្ឆរិយៈចោរនៃប្រទេស
កម្ពុជា គេមិនប្រើពាក្យថា៖ កុំបើកបរ នៅពេល
ពិសារស្រា!!! ដែលបកប្រែមកថា ៖ DON'T
DRIVE WHEN DRUNK!!!
ដូច្នេះនៅក្នុងប្រទេសខ្មែរសព្វថ្ងៃនេះគេអាចពីសារ
ស្រសាបាននៅពេលបើកបរ កុំឧ្យតែស្រវឹង ?
សួរថាតើអ្នកពីសារស្រាហើយបើកបររថយន្ត តើ
នៅពេលណាអាចដឹងខ្លួនថាខ្លួនដល់ពេលស្រវឹង
ស្រា ? ដូច្នេះពាក្យថា ៖ កុំបើកបរ នៅពេលស្រ
វឹង!!! បានន័យថាអ្នកបើកបរយានយន្តទាំងអស់
នៅក្នុងប្រទេសខ្មែរអាចប្រព្រិត្តពិសារស្រាបានគ្រប់
ពេលវេលា កុំឧ្យតែមានការស្រវឹងស្រា ? ។
នៅក្នុងប្រទេសទូទាំងពិភពលោកគេមិនដែលប្រើ
ពាក្យថា ៖ កុំបើកបរ នៅពេលស្រវឹង!!!ឆ្កួតៗៗ
ដូចនៅប្រទេសខ្មែរនោះទេ ? គេត្រូវសរសេរថា៖
បើបើកបរ កុំពិសារស្រា!!! ឬ បើពិសារស្រា កុំ
បើកបរ!!! ត្រូវជាពាក្យ ENGLISH : DRIVE
NO DRINK or DRINK NO DRIVE!!! ?
នៅពេលក្រោយៗៗៗៗទៅមុខទៀត មុននឹងបក
ប្រែពាក្យខ្មែរទៅភាសាបរទេស ឬ បកប្រែភាសា
បរទេសមកជាភាសាខ្មែរ សូម KI-MEDIA មេត្តា
សិក្សាន័យឧ្យបានច្បាស់ មុននឹងយកមកបកប្រែ
ជូនជាសណ្តាប់ដល់ពលរដ្ដខ្មែរ ៕
សូមអរគុណទុកជាមុន!!!
The poster Khmer Democrat is the biggest IDIOT in this case. You are the most stupid IDIOT in this translation case, you stupid jerk. Who would ever translate the Khmer language sign into English the way you do you stupid retard!. First of all, the Khmer grammatical structure is way different from that of the English one. Consider for example this Khmer sentence: Kyom Mean Arv Krohom. Word for word it says, "I have shirt red." Grammatically in English you have to write it as "I have the red shirt" so that it is comprehensible to the speakers of English. The Khmer sign is written properly. It is you who can't read its meaning. Have you ever heard or read the "Three Don'ts" in English. Yes there is such a thing.
Dear KI and Khmer Democrat who posted this. Please don't exagerate the translation. The Khmer official sign "Bey Kom" is gramatically correct.
theary, you're not the right person to interpret or translate khmer language. in khmer like any other language, especially like french or english you just don't translate literally. imagine if you translate english or french into khmer, it's all backward and sound all funny in khmer. same concept here, the three dos and don'ts above, could also be translated as the "three warnings" for road safety. for your info, don't try to translate khmer, english or french literally or it becomes a language in crisis like theary said. theary my dear, use a little common sense, ok; be a little resourceful and translate not literally or word by word, but for the whole meaning of the phrase, ok! theary, you can be a good lawyer, but you look like you can be an awful translators for khmer language; learn the proper translation, please! or perhaps the people who put up the sign didn't do it right in the first place. to make it look better, they should've posted a sign something like "bomram bei" or "brong brayat samrab kapea kros thnak charachar" in english simply means the "three dos and don't" for road safety, etc... just because some incompetent, uneducated or uninformed people posted this sign all wrong, doesn't give ms theary seng the right to assume that all khmer language is in crisis, really! again, this is where common sense is essential in life, yes, people should use more common sense as well when translating khmer, etc, ok! that's all!
imagine theary translated "pong tea kon" from khmer to english: egg duck baby, now think about it, of course, in khmer it is translate such, however, we should translate it and put in proper english to mean the duck egg with embryo inside, a type of khmer smack or delicacy often seen on the street than in restaurant, in the philipines, they called that ba lut. well, of course, khmer don't call it "ba lut", we called that "pong tea kon", ok! and it doesn't mean "egg duck baby", it means baby duck egg. so, my point is it a matter of proper translation. so, of course, khmer language is not in crisis, theary seng is in crisis for translating literally or word by word, especially in a phrase. imagine how khmer people see english, all backward, really. nothing against english, just my illustration, ok!
Such post confirms KI Media is a bin trush now. This is my last time visiting the site.
Too bad we have very few to none good blogs on Cambodian politics.
ឧខ្មែរអើយ ! តើហេតុអ្វីបានជាខ្មែរមកដល់ពេល
នេះនៅល្ងង់ទៀត?៖ បីកុំ នេះមានន័យនៅក្នុងអត្ថ
បទនេះថា ៖ គប្បីកុំ គប្បីកុំៗៗៗៗៗៗៗៗៗៗៗ
មិនត្រូវយកមកបកប្រើទៅជាភាសាអង្គេសថា ៖
DON'T THREE !!! ឆ្កួតៗៗៗៗទ្បប់ៗៗៗៗៗ
នោះទេ ? សូមខ្មែរយល់ពាក្យខ្មែរឧ្យបានច្បាស់
លាស់សិមយកមកនិយាយ ? បើខ្លួនមិនដឹងន័យ
នៅក្នងបរិបទណាទេ កុំយកពាក្យនោះមកធ្វើជាអំ
ណះអំណាងអួតថាខ្លួនជាអ្នកចេះឧ្យសោះ ?
សូមត្រូវឧ្យចេះខ្មាស់គេឯងផង ? មានតែមនុស្ស
ឆ្កួតម្នាក់នេះទេ ដែលយកពាក្យ (បីកុំ)មកប្រែជា
ពាក្យ ENGLISH as DON'T THREE ឆ្កួតៗៗៗៗ
ទ្បប់ៗៗៗៗៗៗៗៗៗៗៗៗៗៗៗៗយ៉ាងដូច្នេះ ។
What about the other 3? or the 3 S?
1- Hun Sen
2- Chea Sim
3- Heng Samrin
CORRECTION ! CORRECTION !
PLEASE READ DRUNKENNESS,
INSTEAD DRUKENNESS.
FOR 8:57PM
THANKS,
10:43 PM,
Don't let the door hit your ass on your way out!
(___O___)
it shows a lack of skills and experience for khmer language, really!
The 3 Do Not? must be implemented or must comply
1. Do not drive over the speed limit
2. Do not drive while under the
influence
3. Do not transport over the weight
limit
9:29 PM,
You translation is wrong.
You wrote: kyom mean arv krohom.
Your English translation: I have the red shirt.
Uh, where did you get 'the' from?
The correct translation would be: I have red shirt.
I'm just saying!
10:43 PM,
I am quoting a saying from the Khmer Rouge to respond to you.
"Thook ghar min-jumnay, dhark ghar min khut"
Bon voyage!
9:29 PM,
You translation is wrong.
You wrote: kyom mean arv krohom.
Your English translation: I have the red shirt.
Uh, where did you get 'the' from?
The correct translation would be: I have red shirt.
I'm just saying!
10:43 PM,
I am quoting a saying from the Khmer Rouge to respond to you.
"Thook ghar min-jumnay, dhark ghar min khut"
Bon voyage!
To 5:30 or 5:32. You can't just simply translate the Khmer sentence, "Kyom mean arv krohom", into English as "I have red shirt" as such because it violates the English grammatical rule. The noun shirt is a countable noun. Thus, it needs an article to specify it. When it is written as "I have the red shirt", this means that the talker is referring to his/her definite particular shirt. If it is written as "I have a red shirt", then it refers to an unspecified red shirt among other red shirts that the person has. Some English nouns do not ever need an article because they are classified as "uncountable nouns". For example, I have clean water for drinking. Or I have enough rice only for a day. Hope this helps.
Anon, 8:24 PM said:
Khmers abroad call Arabs,North Africans's peoples POUK A CHAMS it's HUMAN CRISIS OR LANGUAGE CRISIS?
Answer:
That is ignorance.
It's a new trend that's a bit disturbing. This is equivalent to the American generalization of Asians as "Chinese".
It is the result of Cambodian undergoing change in perspective and worldview to try to compute with fact that there are more to the world then what lies adjacent to its border.
Cham is an ethnic group, Muslim is a faith affiliation. You cannot call every muslim person a Cham nor can you assume that every Cham person is a muslim.
6:44 is right about the correct spelling of "tomngon" It should be spelled correctly. Good catch.
Also I think it is overstretched to say that "Bey Kom" is actually the same as "Koubey Kom". But again the city people of Cambodia now aday enjoy speaking unclearly or not enunciating their words phonetically. Just observe any Westerners who are guests on any Cambodian TV shows and the Cambodian hosts will be delightfully shocked to declare that the Westerners speak/enunciate Khmer so very clearly unlike them at all. These so-called Cambodian speaking "Khmer" love to distort the word sounds so much that the word "truv" or right becomes "TaHuv" or "Trah" or stamp becomes "Tahea". Khmer speaking Cambodians in Cambodian now aday enjoy being unclear and retarded when speaking.
6:14 am, what you referred to is what's called regional dialect. yes, in cambodia, there are regional dialect like phnom penh khmer, siem reap khmer, or even svay rieng khmer, etc, pronounce the "r" khmer sound sort of like using the apostrophe sign (') in the west. for example, is not = isn't, etc... you see, once you master khmer language, it has its advance level, its complications, its basic, etc... i think every language, include khmer has this sort of rules and exceptions, etc, really! but in khmer, there is no use of apostrophe at all, instead, where we think apostrophe might be needed in khmer, there are what khmer called subscripts. khmer is probably unique to the fact we use subscripts where the west use apostrophe. the trick in pronouncing khmer subscript is like you would pronounce the english words where you see contraction by the use of apostrophes, really. in khmer when you see subscripts, you must pronounce that word fast. for example: phnom penh(pronounced p'nom penh), nh in khmer sounds like ny as in canyon in english, it sounds more like the spanish nh sound like in el nino. and khmer often spell with ph, but ph in khmer never sound like "f" in english, in contrary the h in khmer is of actual silent when use with another nouns like ph, kh, sh, etc, etc, really. and sh doesn't sound like show, instead it sounds like saw in the english sound, you know. anyway, yes, there are some exceptions and rules in our khmer language.
for mastery of khmer language, i suggest you practice with a native, educated khmer teacher anywhere in cambodia, they can show you the correct way for khmer khmer, really!
7:15 It is never a regional dialect as you pointed out at all. It is simply called a MISREAD or a MISPRONUNCIATION at the face value. It is a result of immitating the approximation of the limited Khmer speaking foreigners such as the Chinese or the Vietnamese, etc. For example, the Japan-born Japanese or China-born Chinese have a hard time pronouncing the English words such as "rain" or "rice" To the very best of their ability, they can approximate it to "lain", or "lice". The Cambodians CHOOSE to pronounce the written letter /r/ as /h/ so that they can be identified with the economically successful Chinese. The Cham of Cambodia also approximate the pronuniation of some of the Khmer words. Consider the word "trey". While the Chinese say "TaHey" the Chams say "Takey" or "Jrook" as "Khoog". However, no one is immitating their mispronunciation because the Chams are not well represented in any fields in the Cambodian society. So it is not a regional dialect or the Phnom Penh dialect but a deliberate copy of the mispronunciation of the foreigners instead.
8:44am, that's interesting to know, really.
yes, i too noted that japanese language don't "l" sound, like laos don't have the "r" sound, so any word that begins with an l for japanese people, they pronounce it as "r" and for lao people, any word that starts with an "r", they pronounce it as "l". that so true, if ask the japan people and the lao people for the example i pointed out above, really! and for khmer, it is real easy for us to say any sound in any language, really. khmer is a good language because we can say mostly any sound, really. anyway, i learn something from you, 8:44am. jas, awkun!
I am just amused by the lawyer's translation of the above sign.
Mounti = Department/Bureau (not office like the lawyer translated)
Sathearanakkar = public works (the lawyer got it right)
Deuk choumhchoun = transportation (because "mounti" denotes it as a noun, not as a verb to transport like translated by the lawyer).
ohooh, I am beginning to love to paaarrrrsse language for clarity, too, now...
And for a bonus, she is also an engineer and public health expert who discovered that the stupid sign with the dying language directly correlated to the high numbers of traffic scofflaws and accidents!!! Excellent work, nak neang me theavy amarich!!!
8:58 AM,
Don't you dare call fried rice as "phalie lice" and butcher a language for a brutal death!
10:15 pm
I totally agree with you! Great points!
At first sight, I thought បីកុំ! is influence from English because I don't see it often and I reflect to English as Three Don'ts which I see more often. And I think about about it a moment, I didn't see any crisis in there even if it doesn't sound very naturally to me but it does make sense and grammatically right. I don't know, maybe unless you don't feel the language so that you feel there is a crisis.
And when I saw the translation, oh yes, there is a crisis. She didn't understand what she's reading. It's not in English!
ស៊ីបាយ
11:18 am
You are absolutely right...Theary doesn't understand Khmer so she says Khmer is in crisis, not her!
What a joke...it just shows that she is ignorant and feels above everyone else. "My shit doesn't stink"
What de fuck does don't three means? High educated cambodian. why don't just say don't drink n' drive?
In cambodia in this regime, most of their high educated people are fucked up, both khmer langauge n' english. We should say NO DRINK NO DRIVE. Too many fake PH-D... That's how it goes. Some signs wrote land mine reduction in this way(REDUCETION) and one sign at PREAH VIHEA wrote that: i have a pride to be born as khmer... why don't just say( i am proud to be khmer?)
Lol I think 3:16 is very angry and annoyed at Theary the trained lawyer from Ah Pepper or oops I mean Ah-Mrek. Lol.
In English it is perfectly grammatically correct to say something like the "Three Don'ts" because don'ts are used as a countable noun. In Khmer it is tricky instead since the word "kom or don't is most always used as an perative command instead. In this context "beykom" does not ever sound familiar at all to the Khmer speaking ears anywhere on this earth. It has to be reworded instead.
I think we have found our brilliant composer of the road sign!
"bei kom" is a result of trying to immitate English version of "three No or Don't". The young and creative minds would come up with these kinds of cute slogans.
សញ្ញាបើកបរនេះឆ្កួតស៊ប់មែនទែនហើយ!
អាឆ្កួតស៊ប់ទីងមោងបីនាក់ អាហ៊ុន សែន,
អាជា ស៊ឹម,និង អាហេង សំរិន។ពួកវាជា
អាត្រក ភ្លើល្អីល្ងើពកថ្ងាស់ បានជាក្រសួង
សាធារណការរបស់វាសរសេរពាក្យឡប់យ៉ាង នេះ។
តើនេះឬជារបៀបកែប្រែយានកម្មខ្មែររបស់វា?
តើនេះឬជាសម័យខ្មែរក្នុងការអភិវឌ្ឍន៍របស់
អាភ្លើបីនាក់?
Lol I think 3:16 is very angry and annoyed at Theary the trained lawyer from Ah Pepper or oops I mean Ah-Mrek. Lol.
6:57 PM
ខ្មែរដេកស្រាត លួចលប់ 316PMចោល
កុំឲ្យមេខ្មែរដេកស្រាតវាបាក់មុខក្នុងទីនេះ។
316PM was stealthy removed by Khmer Deksraat,shame on you!
Original 3:16PM commentator
-
ឈីឡូក ឈីឡំ មែងទែងហើយមែងទេ
បង ភីអូង ឃីម៊ែ ? !!!
There is no such word as បីកុំ in Khmer but កុំបី which meant
"Should not".
កុំបី មានន័យផ្ទុយនឹង គាប់បី ឬ គប្បី
ពាក្យបីនេះមិនមែនចំនួនទេតែជាកិរិយា
ស័ព្វដូច បីបម បីបាច់រក្សា។
I think someone try to play
with the wrong word here.By
twisting កុំបី to បីកុំ and then
try to list 3 things not to
do !!!
Oh well,what do I know about Khmer language !!!
Miss Theary Seng, I'm sitting on the fence
but facing into your lot !!!
ហ្ស៊ីលី យិន តា ម៉ាន់
Wow! That's the official signs! I'm gagging right now. This sign looks like it comes out of instant messenger, text message, or a chain email. And it's in Khmer with many exclaimation marks too! Chhun Nat must be turning in his grave.
i think road signs in khmer must be professional, not like out of some blog or instant messaging, you know. even in america, all road signs must be universally standardized and short and recognized and understood by all the public, not letting the public guess at its meanings, you know. cambodia should put some of these questions on the driving exam, you know. i told you, when lack of ideas, etc, do come visit america, japan, europe, australia and learn from them so cambodia can improve our road signs, traffic law and traffic safety, etc, really! nowadays, nobody has to invent new traffic sign, you know. all one has to do is travel overseas to america and borrow and copy from america roadway systems, ok! wake up cambodia, stop be primitive forever, ok! it's time to modernize and reforms cambodia traffic law, signs, etc, ok!
ឧទាហរណ៍:
ហាម !!!
អាហ៊ុន សែន អាម៉ាបុំាងតោ-កំបុតក, អ្ហែងល្មមដល់ពេលគួរឈប់អបគមន៍
កាត់ដីខ្មែរឲ្យអាចោរយួនទៀតទៅ...OK!...អាចង្រៃ!
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