# Defect This



## Nato_au

hi guys,

could someone please translate the picture below into english please? I believe it is in Katakana.


thanks heaps

nato


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## Flaminius

Hello,

I am sorry for a late reply.

The characters in your pictures are:
カチセマヤホネ
pronunciation: ka chi se ma ya ho ne

Unfortunately, it looks like just a random sequence of syllables that does not mean anything.


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## Nato_au

Flaminius said:


> Hello,
> 
> I am sorry for a late reply.
> 
> The characters in your pictures are:
> カチセマヤホネ
> pronunciation: ka chi se ma ya ho ne
> 
> Unfortunately, it looks like just a random sequence of syllables that does not mean anything.


Thanks for the reply.

It's currently on a sticker that's on my car. It is meant to read "defect this".

Just out of curiosity, what would "defect this" look like in katakana?


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## Flaminius

Could you explain what "defect this" mean?  I don't think I have encountered "defect" used as a verb.  Also, it would help if you clarify what "this" refers to.


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## Nato_au

"defect" means as in my car being defectable (ie un-roadworthy)

see "defect" on dictionary.com (can't post URL's yet)
its the first meaning in noun form.

"this" refers to my car.
see "this" on dictionary.com (can't post URL's yet)
definition 5 (adjective)

i found this translation, is this accurate? (see pic)


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## zebedeee

I don't believe defectable is an actual word in English.

If something has a defect you call it defective.

Unless by defect this you're asking someone to make your car defective.


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## Nato_au

^^^ yes

does the picture in my post above actually translate out?


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## Flaminius

It is not a translation but a transliteration of the English phrase.

Now, I'd probably translate "defect this" as something like "try breaking if you can" but writing it in all katakana is rather unusual.  Is there any reason you prefer all katakana?


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## Nato_au

Flaminius said:


> It is not a translation but a transliteration of the English phrase.
> 
> Now, I'd probably translate "defect this" as something like "try breaking if you can" but writing it in all katakana is rather unusual. Is there any reason you prefer all katakana?


By transliteration, do you mean the characters sound out "defect this"?

Reason I prefer Katakana, is because I am lead to believe it is easier to translate English Phrases into Katakana.


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## uchi.m

Nato_au said:


> By transliteration, do you mean the characters sound out "defect this"?



Worse than that. The katakana would read approximately like this in English:

_deeefecatoe deece_



Nato_au said:


> Reason I prefer Katakana, is because I am lead to believe it is easier to translate English Phrases into Katakana.



Let us think the other way round, then. 

Writing Japanese words with Latin letters, such as _seishi_, does not necessarily mean that a translation has taken place. Do you recognize the word _seishi_ without looking for it in a Japanese dictionary?

That is exactly the same thing for ディーフェクト　ディス. Think of it as _seishi_ above. It is merely a transliteration, not a translation. You ought to explain what does the expression mean in order to have it translated correctly.


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## Nato_au

Thankyou for your swift reply.

The expression "defect this" that I would like the translation for is:

"To make my car defective".


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## Flaminius

This apparently is a coat-trailing remark but I cannot seem to make a literal translation sound as provocative as the English one.  My wooden translations are below:

壊してみ (kowashite mi): Try smashing [this car] if you can!
欠陥車にしてみ (kekkansha ni shite mi): Try making [this car] a defective car!

Having fear of driving any faster than 80 km/h, I may not be the best guy for this translation.  Could I ask one more stupid question?  Who (or what) is supposed to take orders from you and make the car defective?  And how?

If the sticker is basically saying that you are a speed merchant who does not care minor collisions that could result in scars, bumps and possibly fatal crashes, 接触上等 (sesshoku jōtō) is the word for you.


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## Nato_au

Flaminius said:


> This apparently is a coat-trailing remark but I cannot seem to make a literal translation sound as provocative as the English one. My wooden translations are below:
> 
> 壊してみ (kowashite mi): Try smashing [this car] if you can!
> 欠陥車にしてみ (kekkansha ni shite mi): Try making [this car] a defective car!
> 
> Having fear of driving any faster than 80 km/h, I may not be the best guy for this translation. Could I ask one more stupid question? Who (or what) is supposed to take orders from you and make the car defective? And how?
> 
> If the sticker is basically saying that you are a speed merchant who does not care minor collisions that could result in scars, dumps and possibly fatal crashes, 接触上等 (sesshoku jōtō) is the word for you.


 
I wouldn't go to the extent of saying I'm a speed merchant.

The order is directed for an officer of the law, to make my car defective.

Obviously, in an English speaking country, the joke will be on the police officer who won't be able to read, understand or translate it.

*欠陥車にしてみ (kekkansha ni shite mi): Try making [this car] a defective car!*

I think this one is the translation I am after. 

Thankyou so much for your efforts!

Nato_au


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## Flaminius

Ahem, I finally kind of understood what you meant by "unroadworthy."    So, making a car defective is more a legal act than physical, right?

I am not sure to what extent Japanese legalese is relevant to Australian police officers but the Japanese terminology for automobile defects in sense that a police officer can prohibit the driver from driving the car on account of them is 整備不良 (mal-maintenance), according to the Road Traffic Law 道路交通法 in Japan.  A translation with this expression is;
整備不良みつけてみ
OR _sēbi furyō mitsukete mi_ in transcription.

I hope your car is maintained impeccably to thwart "defecting."


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## Nato_au

Spot on Flaminius! Thankyou for your effort. You can close this thread now, if you want.

And of course my car is legal.....


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