Translation of tattoos and body art
Foreign language tattoos that include authentic and exotic characters can form a beautiful design with a profound, individual and personal meaning. But unless you get your tattoo professionally translated, you may end up with a permanent embarrassment on your skin. To help you avoid a tattoo disaster, here are some tips you should consider when chosing a tattoo in Hindi, Arabic, Hebrew, Japanese, Chinese, or any other language you're not familiar with:
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Whatever you do, don't use an on-line machine translator to get your tattoo translated. The results can be extremely embarrassing, like having "sanitation" tattooed instead of "purity"!
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Explain fully to your translator what you want your tattoo to say and provide them with a description and context to work within. Remember that there is no such thing as word for word translation. A professional translator will ensure the meaning of your wording is translated accurately and appropriately.
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Do not rely on friends who claim to be fully conversant with another language. Even someone who is bilingual may not be able to translate accurately.
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If you see your tattoo as a form of self-expression, make sure you understand what it means, otherwise the whole exercise becomes rather pointless.
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Ensure that your design isn't misaligned, mirrored or applied upside down - a mistake often made by tattooists who don't understand the characters they are working with.
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Make sure you understand the meaning that lies within numbers and images. For example, number 88 is a lucky number in Vietnam, whilst the number 88 represents an elite squadron of Hitler's army.
Still not convinced? Here is an example of what can and did go wrong:
A woman wanted a Chinese tattoo so she went to her local take away shop and asked one of the staff to translate the word "free" into Chinese. He wrote it out for her and she took the design to a tattoo artist. Unfortunately, just like in English and many other languages, the word "free" has a double meaning in Chinese. It can mean freedom, or it can mean free of charge. You can guess which version the waiter translated into Chinese!
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