"May you have better luck in the future!"

[Shibi]

Currently, if you lose the lottery you are met with the message



Although it's likely an accurate translation I am not sure this is localised with neutral words over all cultures. To my Australian ears it's a tad insulting, although I can understand that people from other countries with different cultures might not find it so.

It's too close to "May you have better luck in your future endevours" which is the sort of thing you get when you are terminated from a job.

Maybe it needs to be a little more positive? more like;

"The winning number is 0... We are sorry you didn't win this time, the next lottery is in 5 days".

It's a small problem, I admit, but I think the wording could be improved to take a little of the sting out.

[Breakbeat]

I think any sting is in the head of the consumer, honestly. I'm very, very familiar with Australian culture, slang, idioms and social behavior. I don't conceive of a situation where "May you have better luck in the future!" could be considered... less than positive.

And what is wrong with, "may you have better luck in your future endeavors," when being sacked from a job? It ain't an apology, sure, but neither is it, "don't let the door hit you on the ass on the way out!" "May you have better luck..." is magnanimous, which is about all you can expect from your boss when you're getting fired.

I know "good luck to you," can be used as a 'send-off' of sorts when you're done having a negative discussion with someone, both in AU and the UK. ("Oh yeah, you're gonna behave that way? Well good luck to you!") But 'good luck to you,' can also genuinely mean, well, that you are wishing someone good luck, in both the UK and AU.

In person, the meaning would be obvious from inflection and tone. Barring the availability of inflection and tone, you give the benefit of the doubt.

And, being given the benefit of the doubt, "May you have better luck in the future!" is a positive wish from one entity to another. It's intent is to wish better luck, not to be flippant. The wording is correct and acceptable, to North Americans, Europeans, or Australians. "Better luck next time," or just a straight-up 'Price is Right Losing Horn' would have been a bit insulting, sure, but that's not what's going on here.

As an example, I will end this post with the words "good luck." Those words can be taken two ways by yourself. Either sarcastically, or friendly. It's up to you to decide. My intent will be the latter - but your brain may incorrectly tell you it's the former. That is a problem in perception, not my writing, as there's nothing at all in my post to indicate I wish you bad luck when I say, "good luck." If there's no impetus in your head to attach negativity, you should take the words as they are written, give the benefit of the doubt and read them as positive.

Good luck.

[Jeeqbit]

It looks fine to me. It's wishing you luck with the next one because it is a lottery where luck is all you have unless you are the only person trying to get the plot. Wishing you luck isn't necessary, so the sentence could be removed as well.

[BluCross]

This is the Japanese text:



当選番号は0です。落選しました。
The winning number is 0. You did not win the lottery.

"May you have better luck in the future!" has nothing to do with the original text and could be removed or improved.

[Stepjam]

I don't think there's anything that needs improving. It sounds fine (I think it sounds fine anyway)