lost in translation

"Lost in translation" is not just a nice sounding phrase, it really happens. Having ploughed through numerous articles online, I realise that while the Vietnamese translators aren't too bad at their job, sometimes the attempt to stay as close to the truth as possibly simply hurts. For example, I have read (quite a number of times) that some official is decribed blithely as having said something "painfully." "Additionally", people have "quitted" their jobs and they need to be offered "preferential treatments." I'm not trying to be a snob here, after all, these little quirks really do add joy to the dreary prospect of having to read so much stuff, but sometimes I feel a bit disturbed. It is no wonder that one of the guidelines for Singaporean companies looking to do business in Vietnam is to hire a professional (read foreign) translator to help in formulating proposals.

Having said all that, I wonder if the Europeans and Americans view our efforts to speak English with equal amusement? I work in an office that deals with foreigners so often, and while I know my colleagues are able to switch into a totally different mode when they entertain clients, I wonder if "lah" or "is it" ever escape. Whenever we talk to one another, we switch into full Singlish mode. Even meetings aren't much better -- while there is a certain regard attached to speaking good English (you're afterall in the presence of your boss), nevertheless the language never fails to escape the weird sentence structures only comprehensible to us. And even now as I am typing this I am acutely aware of the need to write properly, to spell right -- further proof of the fact that I am not used to this in the first place.

Is it just me?