Sticking out like an irresistible sore thumb
I wants more! Check out the entire job advert. It takes a lot of energy to bushwhack through those subordinate clauses.
The company is half English as well, by the way. Someone translated this (by this I do mean the rest of the advert) and couldn’t be bothered to run it by someone qualified. I’m really surprised this went to print. Another odd trend is using too many capital letters, which looks more German than English or Dutch.
It’s also this multinational’s second appearance.
(Tip: Ziad)
Tags: capital letters, job advert
August 22nd, 2007 at 3:41 pm
It reads like literally translated Dutch, but if you translate it back, it still sucks major big time. Not that the result would be incorrect Dutch, only awkward.
Quite a performance.
August 23rd, 2007 at 3:53 pm
The ad copy is inhouse and written by and for Brits. It’s the headline that was ballsed up by a Dutch speaker somewhere.
August 23rd, 2007 at 4:10 pm
And how do you know this? Tell us more 🙂
August 30th, 2007 at 1:08 pm
“And it’s about the environment?” Not very good use of English in my opinion. Neither is the use of ‘we’ve’, ‘you’ll’ and ‘it’s’ instead of ‘we have’, ‘you will’ and ‘it is’
August 31st, 2007 at 3:42 pm
@Natashka: Because the same text is on sites in the UK, with the headline using the right conjugation. Plus the first sentence is something no Dunglish-speaker could ever come up with.
August 31st, 2007 at 3:44 pm
@Yoastie: Yes, it’s vague and also an incomplete sentence, but more idiomatic than average Dunglish. As for the contractions, yes, the whole ad is written in a less formal style but it’s nothing unusual for a UK job notice.