> Howard might appreciate this. It's apparently one page of a scooter manual that's pretty hard to understand. Can you make anything of this link, Howard? Click on the picture on the page to get a larger version.
>
> - Ciaran.

This is a growing problem and a good reason to "Buy American."

The scooter was made in China and the instruction manual was translated from Chinese to English, probably by the only guy in the factory who was thought to understand English. He was more than likely the janitor, who spent a week in India and picked up a little English there 30 years ago. Either that, or the translation was made by a Japanese guy who lives in Samatra and translates texts that are faxed to him from China. He heard someone speak English once in Australia.

The pictures are made with a Brownie Hawkeye, using film that is past the "use by" date and printed on WWII surplus Japanese print paper. The pictures are copied repeatedly on an early prototype Zerox machine until they are properly blurred.

Then there is the printing process. The Chinese manual, translated to English, is sent via tramp steamer to a printer in Malaysia, who learned to operate a Linotype and letter press in Sri Lanka. His copying equipment dates to 1970, and needs work.

Then the newly printed manual goes to the factory in China where a blind North Korean puts them in the wrong box which may or may not contain a scooter.

I think "spanner" is an English expression that referes to some kind of wrench, so there may be an Englishman in there somewhere who can't read Chinese.

Actually that one looks better than most.

I really don't know much about Chinese scooters. My collection is mostly American with a dash of Italian and a pinch of Japanese.
Howard