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Looking for translation assistance for my food allergy statement

I have some food allergies and wonder if someone who is fluent in Norwegian would assist me in translating a short paragraph from English into Norwegian. My husband & I will be spending 2.5 weeks in Norway in August and will be going to some out-of-the-way places; I would feel better having something in writing as to what I can & cannot eat in case there is any language difficulty. If you are willing to assist me, please email me directly and I can send you my statement. Thanks so much if you are willing to translate!

From reading some of the other forum topics, I understand that some restaurants have menus with allergen information (YEA!) but I'm sure that is not true everywhere. I do love fish and am looking forward to having fresh fish every day!!

Posted by
21140 posts

Try google translate. Then see if you can get someone who speaks Nowegian (or Swedish or Danish for that matter) to do a basic proof read so there is nothing ultra silly in there. You could even post it here to see if any Norwegian speakers participate. If Boulder is the one in Colorado, there's bound to be someone at U of C that can help.

Posted by
2679 posts

I have a food allergy and have learned to bring a homemade food allergy card with me, but it's still usually a hassle. I don't know what your allergy is, but mine is corn and I've had some pretty agonizing exchanges about what does or does not have corn in it. When I went to Turkey last fall, I did a lot of research and, using that research, used Google translate to make myself a nice little "I am allergic to corn" card. The first time I handed it to a waiter, he had no idea whatsoever what I was trying to tell him. I went back to my apartment and tried another website, got a whole new translation and had better luck with that one. But eating out still requires A LOT of vigilance.

I bring Benadryl, Zyrtec and an Epipen and I try to eat in(rent apartments) more than eat out. Without knowing the details of your allergy, it's hard to know if you have any wiggle room - if it's the instant anaphylaxis-type deal, I'd be really really really careful, even with allergen info on the menu.

Posted by
3398 posts

We just spent 3 weeks in Norway and nearly every restaurant we went to had a key at the bottom referencing the food allergy notation next to each item on the menu. This is becoming very common in Europe.. Not only that but the level of English spoken in Norway is impressive! All that, along with a card that you prepare should work out fine for you!

Posted by
9 posts

Thanks to everyone so far for taking the time to respond. I wrote the post quickly last night and neglected to include some key details. (1) The statement I would send for feedback would be both in English & my attempt at Norwegian from the RS book & online. (2) I'm a nurse & always travel with an inhaler, Benadryl, Epi Pens.... Safety is always #1, and if the food is in doubt I just won't eat. For past trips I have taken written notes with me in the languages where we are traveling and it has worked really well. I usually come home 5# lighter, but that's fine. (3) I always take nonperishable food items with me for emergencies and I will buy fresh foods in local markets, but I like to eat the local food if at all possible. (4) My allergies are more complex so it requires a non-standard allergy statement. (5) I must be able to convey that "a little" of something is not acceptable and that cross-contamination (like using a knife to cut a sandwich with one of my allergens & then using it on my sandwich) is a danger to me. I've lived & traveled with allergies for years, but am just looking for a little assistance in making sure my note conveys my situation appropriately in Norwegian.

Thanks again for all of your concern & ideas - hopefully others will benefit from your kindness also!

Posted by
345 posts

Since your address seems to be Boulder, CO, have you tried any of the foreign language departments at the University or in Ft. Collins.

If you can't get it done in CO, try contacting foreign language departments at colleges in Minneota or here at Luther College in Decorah.

This may be too much work but it does seem like you might have options.

Oh, is there a Norwegian consul office in Denver? If so, you could try that office.