My favorite section of the newsletter we get from Wycliffe Bible Translators is where they give some interesting example of the challenges of accurate translation. The "back translation"—translating back into English something that had been translated from Engilsh to the new language—often reveals subtleties and misunderstandings that can be quite funny.
As it turns out, one doesn't need to be documenting a rare, unwritten language to find translation humor. Our new printer came with the following warning:
This product is supplied with a plug that has a protective earth pin. This plug will fit only into an earthed electrical outlet. This is a safety feature. To avoid risk of electric shock, contact your electrician to replace the electrical outlet if you are unable to insert the plug into it. Never use an earthed adapter plug to connect the product to an electrical outlet that lacks an earth connection terminal.
It took me the entire quote to get the humor. I guess the German use of "Erde" for both "earth" and "electrical ground" contributed to that.
