📋Agenda for Training

Source:

Participants may be dismissed from the meeting if they attend working-group meetings other than their own.
AI Translation (Spanish):
Los participantes pueden ser despedidos...

Actual Meaning:
Participants may be fired.

❌ Why it's wrong:
“Despedidos” in Spanish typically means fired from a job—not just dismissed from a session. A misunderstanding like this could create unnecessary panic.

🛠️Technical Manual

Source:

Tap on the map where the household survey will be conducted.
AI Translation (Spanish):
Grifo en el mapa...

Actual Meaning:
Faucet on the map

❌ Why it's wrong:
“Grifo” is a noun, meaning faucet—not the verb “to tap.” This error makes the sentence nonsensical.

🧾 Information Sheet

Source:

MPox can be transmitted via bites or scratches from rope squirrels.
AI Translation (French):
écureuils de corde

Actual Meaning:
Wind-up squirrels

❌ Why it's wrong:
AI mistranslated “rope” literally—resulting in the term for wind-up toys! Comical... but inaccurate and misleading.

📄Information Sheet - Table Title

Source:

Outbreak surveys
AI Translation (French):
Enquêtes de foyer

❌ Why it's ambiguous:
“Foyer” can mean household or outbreak. Without context, even professionals misinterpret it. Downstream translations (e.g., into Wolof - Local Senegalese language) would be incorrect.

AI should have used "Enquêtes de flambées épidémiques" to avoid any confusion.

📊Technical Manual – Misreading Grammar

Source:

Enter household variable data
AI Translation (French & Spanish):
may translate “variable” as an adjective

What it should be:
“Variables” as a noun (data fields/indicators)

❌ Why it's wrong:
This translation changes the meaning from “specific variables” to “changing data,” which is conceptually incorrect.

🔄Technical Guide – Context Matters

Source:

You will only see that role the next time you login
AI Translations (French & Spanish):
Incorrect word order may result in confusion between:

 “only that role”

&

 “only the next time”

❌ Why it's wrong:
AI misplaced modifiers, altering the whole meaning of the sentence.

📄Survey

Source:

…drinking tap water
AI Translation (Spanish):
…agua de la llave

❌ Why is localization so important
“Llave” means faucet or tap in many Spanish-speaking countries, but not all. The litteral translation of “llave” is “key”. 

AI should consider the audience when selecting a term or use a more standard term for "tap water" such as  “agua del grifo” to avoid any confusion.

🏥Hospital Instructions for Patients

Source:

Wait to take your medication until after they withdraw blood.
AI Translation (Spanish):
hasta después de que le sequen la sangre

Actual Meaning:
...until they dry out your blood

❌ Why it's wrong:
“Secar” means “to dry”. It should have been “sacar” (to withdraw). This error could scare patients away.