by Deborah Alexander
These are two signs at different Gisborne beach entrances. Both are warning signs: one in English and one in Te Reo. These signs are not next to each other and depending on which entrance is used you get different signs.
Which works better as a sign communicating the danger that the logs create?
Which language effectively communicates the required message?
How many people would understand both signs?
If we have a sign with the view of communicating a message it needs to be as clear as possible at communicating to whoever reads it. Therefore if one language is to be used it should be the language that communicates most effectively.
If we have Te Reo and English they need to be together.
And given English is the language that is understood by almost everybody, English words should appear first.
There is a problem with the Maori translation too:
Does it say: “DANGER: DO NOT PLAY ON THE LOGS!”?
I have translated online as follows:
BE CAREFUL
WATCH OUT
The sea is still unclean and the beach by the logs
There’s a problem with slowly, and do not come near the palms [logs] in the sea.
It does not simply say: DANGER! DO NOT PLAY ON THE LOGS.
I am horrified at this craziness.
If anyone suggests I used the wrong translation app then it just highlights that Te Reo should definitely not be used as there are so many differing word translations for just one word and so adds to ambiguity.
Translation Information:
Kia Tupato: be careful, or prudent, prudish, be indifferent, be careless, beware, be puzzled… https://www.wordhippo.com/what-is/the-meaning-of/maori-word-0f37041a12e62c69dad121f4dd8f1f0a902b4f60.html
Me Mataara: Watch out
e pokea tonutia te moana: The sea is still unclean
me te takutai e nga poro rakau: and the beach by the logs
OR if you type the whole sentence:
e pokea tonutia te moana me te takutai e nga poro rakau
| English Translation: The sea and the coast are tightly. |
| kei aitua me ata haere” English Translation: There is a problem with slowly; me kaua hoki e whakatata atu ki nga poro rakau ki ro moana” English Translation: and do not come near the palms in the sea |
How many Maori understand the warning written in Maori.
It’s easy to bring out the “racist” accusation when a non Maori disagrees with anything to do with Maori. Why doesn’t it happen when it’s the other way around?
It’s standard response Leftists make.
All signage should be written in English except maori organisations can pay to have whatever sign they want as can Chinese,Indian,Spanish,Portuguese, etc, ect..
I read with interest your helpful information on the difficulty of translation.
I agree totally that safety should come first , but a stuff article today says it is about promoting te reo..
With Maori being 16% of the population but 50% of the prison population , building up Maori esteem with the road signs would seem reasonable to some.
While I do believe Maori under achievement is because of self destructive behaviours , I also believe our thoroughly rotten education system is also to blame.
We need to rid ourselves of crazy European educational ideologies and theories that are causing failure overall in our schooling, but cause most harm to low SES children. One example is lack of direct instruction.
Sticking up te reo road signs is a lot easier than attacking the power structures who are infused with these theories. They are the ones who also run our education system currently. This is notably the Ministry of Education.
I am sick to death of this Maori language bullshite! Its the elites and the woke government pushing this racist nonsense. There are 160 ethnicities in NZ. Yet, this useless woke government is pushing the rights of just one – the “Maori” which (true Maori) are only 2% of the population. This injustice to the MAJORITY of NEW ZEALANDERS has gone far enough. It must be stopped. We are on the road to destruction of democracy in this country. God help us all! VOTE THEM OUT!
Ridiculous, as a Kiwi living overseas I find translating English into Te Reo, confusing for everyone over 50 Yrs who doesn’t speak it, maybe if it had been taught optionally in school back in our days it might be different, but it wasn’t.