The BBC has a report today about a mix-up at the official tourism office in Israel. Apparently, the pamphlet that they translated from Hebrew to English was supposed to read: “Jerusalem - There’s No City Like It!” Instead, the translation they got was: “Jerusalem - There’s No Such City!” The pamphlet had been out for a while before someone noticed the gaffe.

Of course, advertising that a city does not exist is sure to cut down on tourism. I can see how the conversations would go:

  • Man: “Honey? Why don’t we do to Jerusalem for our vacation?
  • Woman: “I heard it doesn’t actually exist.”
  • Man: “Oh. How about Cairo, then?”
Permalink