By the way, do you know Chinglish?
Chinese + English = Chinglish
The examples in this article show what it means to be lost in bad translation.
- Mind-boggling translations are the result of using the internet as a quick solution
- Beijing’s foreign affairs office has already vetted 2 million Chinese characters on signs
- The capital city first cracked down on clumsy signage during the 2008 Olympics
Authorities in Beijing are now ramping up efforts to remove public signs with poorly translated English ahead of the 2022 Winter Olympics, state media said.
The city-wide correction campaign has been targeting mind-boggling public notices that are marred with spelling and grammatical errors, as well as offensive language, including ‘F**k Vegetables’ instead of ‘Dried Vegetables’ on a sign in a supermarket aisle and ‘Exit for Racist Park’ instead of ‘Ethnic Minorities Park’ on a highway.
Such unintentionally hilarious notices often include what is otherwise known as ‘Chinglish’, where translations can be too literal.
Beijing’s foreign affairs office has vetted the English translations of more than two million Chinese characters on signs and notices in the capital city since a national standard took effect on December 1 last year, Xinhua news agency reported.
A sign read ‘Exit for Racist Park’ when it meant ‘Ethnic Cultural Park’ on a highway in Beijing.
Authorities are now ramping up efforts to remove public signs with poorly translated English ahead of the 2022 Winter Olympics, according to state media
‘F**k Vegetables’ instead of ‘Dried Vegetables’ on a sign in a supermarket aisle
Sign in a washroom telling people to ‘Slip Carefully’, when it meant to say ‘Caution Wet Floor’
Zhang Qian, deputy director of the foreign affairs office, called for passing new regulations on signage translations as the city prepares for the 2022 Winter Olympics and thousands of visitors.
This is especially important for private businesses, where owners often resort to the Internet for quick solutions, forming ‘a new citadel for wrong translations’, she said.
Signs in Beijing’s public spaces and restaurants were first thrown into the limelight during the 2008 Olympic Games, when pictures posted by foreigners went viral online.
A sign reminding people to watch their step becomes ‘Take care to fall into water’
‘A nice electric shock’ instead of warning people against the danger zone
A sign reminding people to turn off the tap after washing their hands read: ‘Water saving drip form the start’
‘Translations of public signs not only help foreigners, but their quality also shapes the image of a city,’ said Chen Mingming, executive vice president of the Translators Association of China and advisor to the correction campaign.
Others stumbled at polysemantic words. Hence, a sign at a grocery store indicating an exit read ‘Supermarket export’.
(Note: export and exit share the same word in Chinese)
‘Shoplifters will be prostituted’, rather than prosecuted
‘Big Meeting Hall’ becomes ‘Big F**ck Hall’
… and be patient please: ‘Today is under construction’ still
At the same time, the government has launched a dedicated website in March of this year to encourage locals to help with the campaign. The website also contains lists of government-approved English translations on subjects such as hospitals, restaurants, shopping, and sporting events for reference.
The emblem of Beijing 2022 Paralympic Winter Games is unveiled during a ceremony
The international winter multi-sport event is scheduled to take place from February 4 to 20 in 2022 in Beijing and towns in the neighbouring Hubei province.
This article was first published in
The Daily Mail Online
on 6 December 2018
