Translations

Re “Fractured Spanish and Linguistic Assaults,” Feb. 1: Long ago I learned that you cannot take what you read literally when that writing is provided by someone without the command of the language in which they are writing. That was nearly 40 years ago, while trying to put together a bicycle from that very un-English land of Japan.

I was reminded more recently, while trying to understand a menu in an El Salvadoran restaurant that was subtitled in English. Don’t expect special treatment of Spanish, don’t expect special treatment of English. Live with it or provide the translation yourself. Of course, if you try and do that, you will be laughed at as I was when I told a Hispanic lady at the aforementioned restaurant that it shouldn’t be written “Pok & Tartila wish shese.”

BEN BOORMAN

Compton