Beijing stamps out poor English
(http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/6052800.stm)
China has launched a fresh drive to clamp down on bad English in the run-up to the 2008 Beijing Olympics.
Previous attempts to wipe out Chinglish - the mistranslated phrases often seen on Chinese street signs and product labels - have met with little success.
Emergency exits at Beijing airport read "No entry on peacetime" and the Ethnic Minorities Park is named "Racist Park".
Beijing city authorities will issue new translation guides by the end of the year, Xinhua news agency said.
Running joke
The booklets would be handed out to hotels and shopping malls, on public transport and at tourist attractions.
Chinglish has become a running joke among many foreigners in China, and several websites have been set up listing humorous examples of mistranslation.
A road sign on Beijing's Avenue of Eternal Peace warns of a dangerous pavement with the words: "To Take Notice of Safe; The Slippery are Very Crafty".
Menus frequently list items such as "Corrugated iron beef", "Government abuse chicken" and "Chop the strange fish".
The mistranslations arise because many Chinese words express concepts obliquely and can be interpreted in multiple ways, making translation a minefield for non-English speakers.
The municipal government in Beijing first tried to stamp out the problem just a month after being awarded the 2008 Olympics back in 2001.
A year later the Beijing Tourism Bureau set up a hotline for visitors and residents to tip off examples of bad English, and said results would be reviewed by a panel of English professors and expatriates.
What are the more memorable examples of Chinglish that you have seen? Send us your mistranslated phrases using the form below. If you have any pictures of signs featuring Chinglish you can send them to yourpics@bbc.co.uk.
Your comments:
A lot of common errors were transposing errors, for example: First Aid Centre was Fivst Aicl Centrt. Another sign read: Help potect the cultural relecs, help protect the railings.
Mark Quan, Toronto, Ontario
I have two favourites from spending many years working in China. At the Terracotta Warriors Museum in Xi'an a sign said "Cherishing Flowers and Trees" which meant "keep off the grass". The other on a cruise on the Yangtse River, "Don't Bother" instead of "Do not Disturb" on the cabin doors. There were many others but these always made me smile.
Lee Tomkow, Santa Barbara, California
Whilst living in Beijing about a year ago, I came across a park in a residential area in the Shunyi district which (although intended for use as a 'dog park') was translated to 'Dog-Bark Park'. Not to mention an apartment building which, for some bizarre reason beyond my knowledge was named "An Australian Lady and Her Lifestyle".
James, Spring, TX, USA
At the Simatai section of the Great Wall of China there is a sign that reads: People and flowers, plants help each other in breath, if you pick the flowers they will die, and you will reduce your life too. A lovely message somehow gone somewhat wrong.
Ollie Boothroyd, Windsor, UK
"Site of jumping umbrella" (paragliding site)
Michael Pye, Cambridge, UK
"No striding". On a menu: "The oil explodes the shrimp". "Pleasant aftertaste". On a sign: "Keep fire in safe hands, we live in a safe world."
Emily, Bremerton, WA, USA
My favourite is: "Please take advantage of the chambermaids" on a hotel brochure.
Andrei Pogonaru, Bucharest, Romania
At one of the bigger train stations (and I'm kicking myself right now because I can't remember which one!) there is a huge, and I mean huge, sign which states simply "Question Authority". Remember, this is an incredibly heavily controlled officially Communist state. The sign is merely pointing to the help desk.
Peter Douglas, Edinburgh
The taps in my hotel room in Beijing had a fancy engraved sign "No Drinking Without Dealing" - I suspect they meant "boiling". There are so many examples but my favourite may have been at the Ming Tombs "Environmental Sanitation of the Scenic Spot Needs Your Conserve" - indeed it does.
David Graves, Seattle, USA
Forbidden: Prostitution, gambling and drag abuse!
Lou, Beijing, China
I have stayed in Shanghai many times for work. The new subway at Jing An Temple was proudly opened early for tourist trips. All the east exits said "East Exit". All the west exits said "Wast Exit". The next trip back the offending words were covered with duct tape.
James Phethean, Helston UK
When I was living in Beijing in 2000, I saw a sign in front of a rock garden in the Forbidden City that warned tourists "Please do not climb the rocketry".
Craig, California
Airline Pulp - The only English description on a snack package handed out with drinks on Southern China Airways.
Andrew Hobbs, Henley on Thames, UK
While working in Taiyuan, north of Beijing we had the pleasure of visiting a local tourist attraction, one of the signs that had us chuckling was, "do not overtransgress" which is a good guideline, but I don't think you would find a similar sign in an English speaking nation.
Vincent vandenHeuvel, Strathroy, Canada
On a menu: worm pig stomach. No thanks, I had it for breakfast, honest.
Janet, Edinburgh
While staying in a hotel in China I noticed that in with the free (complimentary) bath stuff was a number of items for sale including a pair of boxer shorts labelled "Uncomplimentary Pants"!!
Stephen Mowll, Poole, Dorset, UK
From a recent trip to China to teach English, my favourite example of a mistranslated phrase belonged to a chocolate snack cake whose slogan promised: "This tastiness cannot be carried, even with both hands."
Alia, Austin, USA
A sign in the Shanghai metro read: "After first under on, do riding with civility".
Zachary Scott, Chicago, United States
===========
这 Government abuse chicken 到底是啥菜呀?
- Re: Please take advantage of the chambermaidsposted on 10/16/2006
好笑!
宫爆鸡丁?
浮生 wrote:
这 Government abuse chicken 到底是啥菜呀? - Re: Please take advantage of the chambermaidsposted on 10/16/2006
lucy wrote:
宫爆鸡丁?
不行,我真是没有想像力,看来只能点 oil explodes the shrimp 了 :) - Re: Please take advantage of the chambermaidsposted on 10/17/2006
我猜的是符离鸡写错成了‘府虐鸡’,结果还是离标准答案十万八千里。
lucy wrote:
好笑!
宫爆鸡丁?
浮生 wrote:
这 Government abuse chicken 到底是啥菜呀? - Re: Please take advantage of the chambermaidsposted on 10/17/2006
many years ago, when liu xiaoqing won the Golden Rooster Award(Jin1ji1), the Chinglish magazine published a picture and a caption like this: the famous actress Liu xiaoqing hold the Golden Cock she just won:) - Re: Please take advantage of the chambermaidsposted on 10/17/2006
feiming wrote:
many years ago, when liu xiaoqing won the Golden Rooster Award(Jin1ji1), the Chinglish magazine published a picture and a caption like this: the famous actress Liu xiaoqing hold the Golden Cock she just won:)
why not hard cock she just won?
hahahahaha - posted on 10/18/2006
北京着手治理“公家强暴鸡”现象 BBC
http://news.bbc.co.uk/chinese/simp/hi/newsid_6050000/newsid_6053100/6053128.stm
"公家强暴鸡"
俗话说,民以食为天。来到中国的游客估计绝大多数都希望能品尝一下地道的中餐。
不过,如果初来乍到,不了解中国餐馆菜谱上的英文多数是从中文菜名中词不达意、错误翻译而来,那么不少人估计会吓上一跳。
不少菜谱把"铁板牛肉"翻译成"有皱纹的铁牛肉"(Corrugated iron beef);怎么样?试试牙口如何?
一些菜谱竟把"宫保鸡"翻译成"公家强暴鸡"(Government abuse chicken);而"生鱼块"成了"砍那陌生的鱼"(Chop the strange fish)。
专家分析认为,中文与英文从语文概念上有很大区别,一个中文字可能在英文中有多种解释,而没有前后文的单看一个英文词也可能在中文中有不同地理解;因此一个对英文半通不通的人拿起一本汉英字典或电子翻译机作为翻译的依照,难免会出现"公家强暴鸡"这样的经典。
- Re: 公家强暴鸡posted on 10/18/2006
是啊,说到这些我又想到在西藏用餐,中英对照的名字确实不好译的
。老板们跟我说,是一些老外旅行者自愿的,当然有不精确的地方,
比如说空芯菜,译作Morning Glory是对的,但是打字的机关又把这
打成了Morning Gory,那就Moring Gory吧。
当时我想替老板们整肃一番的,他也不在意,就那么几十个菜,常来
的人都熟悉。况且,老外也吃不出多少中国风味。
一点小感受,见笑! - Re: 公家强暴鸡posted on 10/18/2006
:-) :-) :-) 还有:
猜猜什么菜?待后上相片开迷底。
1. Top soup cloud swallows
2. Fuck to fry the cow river
3. The pig picks the noodle soup
4. Black winter in types seafood soup in day
5. Three silk soup idea powder
6. Slippery chicken in mushroom gruel - Re: 公家强暴鸡posted on 10/18/2006
??? (not sure why the posting showed up twice.) - Re: 公家强暴鸡posted on 10/18/2006
2 干煎牛河 ?
猜猜什么菜?待后上相片开迷底。
1. Top soup cloud swallows
2. Fuck to fry the cow river
3. The pig picks the noodle soup
4. Black winter in types seafood soup in day
5. Three silk soup idea powder
6. Slippery chicken in mushroom gruel - Re: 公家强暴鸡posted on 10/18/2006
lucy 只是意译:)看俺大厨的:)
云吞汤
干炒牛河
猪脚汤面
乌冬海鲜汤面
三鲜汤
滑溜蘑菇鸡片:)
1。 Top soup cloud swallows
2. Fuck to fry the cow river
3. The pig picks the noodle soup
4. Black winter in types seafood soup in day
5. Three silk soup idea powder
6. Slippery chicken in mushroom gruel
- Re: 公家强暴鸡posted on 10/18/2006
5. 三丝汤煮粉
feiming wrote:
lucy 只是意译:)看俺大厨的:)
云吞汤
干炒牛河
猪脚汤面
乌冬海鲜汤面
三鲜汤
滑溜蘑菇鸡片:)
1。 Top soup cloud swallows
2. Fuck to fry the cow river
3. The pig picks the noodle soup
4. Black winter in types seafood soup in day
5. Three silk soup idea powder
6. Slippery chicken in mushroom gruel
- Re: 公家强暴鸡posted on 10/18/2006
笑翻了!:-))))
得走了。但愿不把车开翻!
feiming wrote:
lucy 只是意译:)看俺大厨的:)
云吞汤
干炒牛河
猪脚汤面
乌冬海鲜汤面
三鲜汤
滑溜蘑菇鸡片:)
1。 Top soup cloud swallows
2. Fuck to fry the cow river
3. The pig picks the noodle soup
4. Black winter in types seafood soup in day
5. Three silk soup idea powder
6. Slippery chicken in mushroom gruel
- Re: 公家强暴鸡posted on 10/18/2006
you guys are pretty good... - Re: 公家强暴鸡posted on 10/18/2006
那个In Day =日式 翻译得绝顶!天才!
rzp wrote:
you guys are pretty good... - Re: 公家强暴鸡posted on 10/18/2006
rzp, 给我及格的分数吧:) - Re: 公家强暴鸡posted on 10/18/2006
(sorry,please delete) - Re: 公家强暴鸡posted on 10/18/2006
feiming wrote:
rzp, 给我及格的分数吧:)
哪只及格?!只是少了日式和一些炭水化和物,不要也好。猪脚也不比猪扒差,我们有得吃不能太picky,:-) - posted on 10/18/2006
各位可能有所不知,这洋经浜还蔓延到海外。一次开年会同两个美国女同学到芝加哥的唐人街。我受人之托,到一个药店买阿胶,拿了货我去付款,那两个女同学好奇地看那阿胶,先是笑,后来瞪着眼睛狐疑地看着我。
我回来一看那包装上的英文商标,也傻了眼,猜那上面如何翻译阿胶的:
Ass Glue
回来开车的路上不论我如何解释那胶是驴皮制作的,翻译可能以为那老的 驴子译法还管用。我还说是为朋友买的,但那两个老美就是笑,还说我们知道你有朋友。
在座的如果有山东的行行好,让那阿胶厂重新贴商标好不:)
- posted on 10/18/2006
废名 wrote:才发现咖啡店里顶有故事的人原来是废名。:)
各位可能有所不知,这洋经浜还蔓延到海外。一次开年会同两个美国女同学到芝加哥的唐人街。我受人之托,到一个药店买阿胶,拿了货我去付款,那两个女同学好奇地看那阿胶,先是笑,后来瞪着眼睛狐疑地看着我。
我回来一看那包装上的英文商标,也傻了眼,猜那上面如何翻译阿胶的:
Ass Glue
回来开车的路上不论我如何解释那胶是驴皮制作的,翻译可能以为那老的 驴子译法还管用。我还说是为朋友买的,但那两个老美就是笑,还说我们知道你有朋友。
在座的如果有山东的行行好,让那阿胶厂重新贴商标好不:)
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