Instructions translated to English

[faraway]

When I was much younger I used to ride Japanese motorcycles. The repair manuals for them was really funny. Basically, you used the pictures and the torque specs, because any instructions were totally unintelligible. The problem was native speakers teaching English as a second language, but still using Japanese or Chinese or Korean syntax. I understand that there is now a demand for Americans to go to Japan, China, and Korea to teach English as a second language.

At that time the English version was used by the next interpreter without any clue about the subject itself to "produced" the German version. That was true for stereo equipment, first wrist watches etc. It was a great fun for newspapers to print the most funny technical manuals.
Time has changed...