'I am not in the office': How an automated email reply ended up on a Welsh road sign



It seemed like a simple request.



Swansea Council sent an email to its in-house translations service to have a road sign - 'No entry for heavy goods vehicles. Residential site only' - translated into Welsh.

The only problem was that the Welsh translator wasn't in at the time. An automated email response was sent to council officials who believed it was exactly what they needed.

Lost in translation: Lorry drivers will make sense of the English but the Welsh reads: 'I am not in the office at the moment. Send any work to be translated'

But in fact it stated: 'I am not in the office at the moment. Send any work to be translated.'



Unaware of the real meaning of the message, authorities had it printed on the road sign under the English.

The council has since taken down the sign, which barred lorries from a road near a n Asda supermarket, after Welsh speakers spotted the mistake.

A council spokesman said the sign was removed as soon as it was notified of the blunder.

