Thread: Theatre signboard. Any comments?

I shot this signboard in a famous Kazan theater, a pride of Tatar culture. They play performances only in Tatar but they provide Russian, English and probably German translations with earphones. Russian part of the signboard is OK, and I simply wonder how does its translation look for English-speaking foreigners? Is it natural and am I right in that that it contains a stupid mistake, he-he? (correct, please, this sentence, if possible).

lol, it looks like it has at least three mistakes but let's wait and see what native speakers will say.

Why different figures, I wonder? The English-reading public are more trustworthy?

It has two spelling mistakes and is worded so awkwardly that I don't know where to begin.

"Live" is wrong.....it should be "leave"
Also it should be "deposit".
"beg" sounds funny here. Better to use "ask" or nothing at all.

It would have been better to write:
Earphones distributed for simultaneous interpretation >
Please leave 50 Roubles for deposit.

Code:

Earphones, distribution
(Synchronized translation)
we beg you to live 50 roubles as a deposite

Earphones, distribution
(Synchronized translation)
We beg you to leave 50 rubles as a deposit


But looking at the sign, I did not understand if the 50 rubles would be given back or if it was a suggestion for a "tip". I stated this because I dont know if earphones are something that are cleaned/sanitized and reused.
I know on planes they give them to you, but they always collect them at the end of the flight. So I do believe they are recycled somehow, just dont know if I would want to wear them.
I also would refrain from using the word "beg" as well.

If it is truly a deposit it should state something like this.
"A 50 ruble deposit is required for use of earphones"

And if it is non returnable deposit it should state something like this.
"A 50 ruble non-returnable deposit is required for use of earphones"

I am sure there are other ways, but If I saw that sign I am sure I would laugh a bit.....

I agree with DDT and Тоби.

'Beg' should not be used.

Тоби and DDT have the correct usage if deposit, or non-deposit.

Originally Posted by Тоби

Code:

Earphones, distribution
(Synchronized translation)
we beg you to live 50 roubles as a deposite

I stated this because I dont know if earphones are something that are cleaned/sanitized and reused.
I know on planes they give them to you, but they always collect them at the end of the flight. So I do believe they are recycled somehow, just dont know if I would want to wear them.

Come on, don't be such a girly-man ((c) Governator)! Besides, I fly all the time domestic USA with United and they do not collect them at the end of the flight and they are not in plastic bags. Come on man, they are ear phones! You don't have to eat them.

People are more inclined to recycle the ones that go right in your ear. However if they are the big ear-muff style ones then there is less of an inclination to do so. Anyway, who cares.

Originally Posted by basurero

Anyway, who cares.

One my last couple of flights they have been the ones you stick in your ear. And no I will not put in a pair that has already been open. I would be a little more open to using the ear muff types but the good news is I travel with my own ear phones as they have great noise cancelling abilities.
I have no problem with you calling me a girly man.

Originally Posted by Тоби

I would be a little more open to using the ear muff types but the good news is I travel with my own ear phones as they have great noise cancelling abilities.
I have no problem with you calling me a girly man.

You probably have a pair of Bose ear phones, I bet!

You girly-man!

No I have a pair of Sony MDR-NC11A, I have a pair of Bose at home, and thought about the new ones for the flights but they are just too big, especially for long travel. I want to fit as much as I can into my back back that is going on board with me. So the Sony ear phones work just fine.

Three more days and I am outta here!

But I have to go on a business trip to Dallas tomorrow, and come back home on Tuesday. So I will have a long week of flying around looking silly.

Anyway, his sign clearly applies to one-eared foreigners only (hence the 50 roubles....).
.... so I'd bring my own too.....

I can't access the picture! The site won't load anything. I'm told there's probably a problem with the server, so my request can't be dealt with at the moment.

Originally Posted by Тоби

No I have a pair of Sony MDR-NC11A, I have a pair of Bose at home, and thought about the new ones for the flights but they are just too big, especially for long travel. I want to fit as much as I can into my back back that is going on board with me. So the Sony ear phones work just fine.

Three more days and I am outta here!

But I have to go on a business trip to Dallas tomorrow, and come back home on Tuesday. So I will have a long week of flying around looking silly.

What does a pair of Sony MDR-NC11A look like? Is this type of ear phones so popular in the USA, you can just give a 8-digit (or 8-letter) name and you'll be understood? As for the size of ear phones, I usually take the ear phones that came with my mobile phone for long travel. You don't even need to think about fitting them into your hand luggage Although they are not anywhere near comfortable for long travel.