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Subject:Language skills necessary for int'l travel? From:Nancy Hoft <nhoft -at- WORLD-READY -dot- COM> Date:Tue, 18 Feb 1997 00:08:28 -0500
I was reading the online version of USA Today just a short while ago
and happened upon this small tale. For those who travel to other
countries, this story is just a reminder perhaps that knowing even a
few words in the target language is useful:
Foreign businessmen fail to clear language barrier
DNIPROPETROVSK, Ukraine - Two Turkish businessmen were briefly
detained by police after losing their way while seeing the sights of
Dnipropetrovsk, an industrial city in central Ukraine. Since the men
did not speak Ukrainian or Russian, they carefully copied down the
Cyrillic letters from signs outside their hotel and subway stop. The
reaction when they showed the signs to passers-by, hoping for
directions: Annoyance and tumult. The signs read: "Entrance" and
"Sorry, no vacancies." The men were later released when their local
business partners arrived to translate.
Cheers, Nancy Hoft
~~ N A N C Y H O F T ~~
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