This morning I was browsing the Internet to see what is going on in the chess world. Quite a lot, actually. The headline events are the Biel chess festival in Switzerland, where Magnus Carlsen is leading the grandmaster tournament after three rounds, and the World Team Championship in Ningbo, China, where Armenia is in first place after five rounds (I think).
One thing I came across was an unintentionally hilarious column about the World Team Championship on a Chinese travel website. Obviously it had been translated from English into Chinese and back into English, which is always a recipe for disaster. Can you figure out what the writer is trying to say here?
Thus distant a United States has mislaid a initial compare to heavily adored Russia by a measure of 3-1( you mislaid dual as well as drew dual games) as well as drew a second compare opposite a difficult Armenian group 2-2. Armenia had aloft rated players upon each house, though Kamsky was means to win upon house a single opposite Universe No. 3 Levon Aronian to equivalent Alexander Onischuk’s detriment upon house two. You scored a initial feat in turn 3 opposite Egypt, a lowest ranked group, for a really bad indispensable win.
Of course on the Internet it’s possible to find anything, and so I eventually tracked down the original. It turns out that it’s a column written by GM Ben Finegold for the St. Louis Beacon. Here is what Ben actually wrote:
Thus far the United States has lost its first match to heavily favored Russia by a score of 3-1 (we lost two and drew two games) and drew the second match against the tough Armenian team 2-2. Armenia had higher rated players on every board, but Kamsky was able to win on board one against World No. 3 Levon Aronian to offset Alexander Onischuk’s loss on board two. We scored our first victory in round three against Egypt, the lowest ranked team, for a badly needed win.
Somehow, that doesn’t quite have the charm of “heavily adored Russia” and a “really bad indispens[i]ble win,” even if it does make sense!
But the best is yet to come. Ben wrote the following innocuous description of the host country:
China is fascinating, and, obviously, a lot different from the United States.
Here’s how it came out after being translated into Chinese and back:
China is erotically appealing, as well as, patently, a lot opposite from a United States.
Whoa, sounds as if that U.S. team is having a really good time! No wonder we’re in fifth place. Please, Ben, tell us more! Don’t leave out any of the details! 😎
