Lost In Trans(atlantic)lation

The fact that English is spoken everywhere you go, particularly in countries that do not have a "global language" of their own, can be a blessing and a curse for anglophones.

Plusses: Yay! We can travel wherever we want with minimal preparation! We hardly ever get in communication-based jams. We can even find employment wherever we go, since our native language skills are in high demand.

Minuses: We are disincentivized to learn new languages and often seem arrogant and uncultured. Even if we try to learn the local language, natives often approach us speaking English, decreasing our opportunities for practice.

The best perk of being a native anglophone traveler is by far the ability to recognize all of the amazing translation errors or misunderstandings.

I was reminded of this when writing my recent blog entry on my trip to Budapest.

Right next to my hostel was a sex shop called "Bad Sex Shop." Officially my favorite sex shop name in the world.
The owners of the shop likely have an advanced, but not excellent, understanding of the English language. I've concluded this because they clearly understand that the word "bad" can mean deviant, kinky, or risqué when used in a sexual context. "Oh you're bad." Their English proficiency is not deep enough, though, to know that this is not the case when "bad" is used in tandem with the actual word "sex." Using "bad" and "sex" together does not mean "kinky sex." As any native English speaker knows, it just means... bad sex. So every night I would burst out laughing when I walked by this place en route to the bars.
"Have you tried their new product, the sweat-stained nightshirt? Or the greasy-skin body oils?"
"No, but I'm just hooked on their male-softening pills."
"Oooh! Crying baby background music! Just what I need to get in the mood!"

Here are a few wonderful examples of translation failures from my street, ulica Tomasza, in Kraków:

This drink has so much energy. Someday, maybe they'll carry drinks that give you energy.

Exotic Travel? Spicy Travel? No thanks. I'll be taking my trip with Vanilla Travel.

Diamond: The Most Luxurious Gentlemen's Club

The most luxurious gentlemen's club in Kraków? In Europe? In existence? Without any further specification, we must infer that this is the most luxurious gentlemen's club that has ever existed anywhere.

And then there's this.

If you aren't aware, Warsaw is an inland city.