Tired of Laughter, Beijing Gets Rid Of Bad Translations

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB117063961235897853.html?mod=todays_us_page_one ^ | February 5, 2007 | MEI FONG

[MinorityRepublican]

BEIJING -- For years, foreigners in China have delighted in the loopy English translations that appear on the nation's signs. They range from the offensive ("Deformed Man," outside toilets for the handicapped) to the sublime (on park lawns, "Show Mercy to the Slender Grass").

Last week, Beijing city officials unveiled a plan to stop the laughter. With hordes of foreign visitors expected in town for the 2008 Summer Olympics, Beijing wants to cleanse its signs of translation nonsense. For the next eight months, 10 teams of linguistic monitors will patrol the city's parks, museums, subway stations and other public places searching for gaffes to fix.

Already, fans of the genre are mourning the end of an era, and some Web sites dedicated to it have seen traffic spike. The bewildering signs were "one of the great things we want to show people visiting us," says financial-services consultant Josh Kurtzig, a Washington native who lives in Beijing. Correcting them is "really taking away one of the joys of China."

Stuck in Beijing traffic recently, Mr. Kurtzig noticed workers replacing one of the classics: "Dongda Hospital for Anus and Intestine Disease Beijing." The new sign: "Hospital of Proctology." He grabbed his Blackberry and emailed the news to friends around the globe. Their reactions, he says, were swift, and mostly unfavorable. "Nooooooooooo," read an email from one friend.

Not many locals share this sense of loss. "We cannot leave [these signs] up just for the amusement of foreigners," says Olive Wang, marketing manager for a major sportswear company.

Many in China regard the Olympics as the nation's coming-out party -- a milestone in its ascent as a global power.

[MinorityRepublican]

[CarrotAndStick]

Many in China regard the Olympics as the nation's coming-out party -- a milestone in its ascent as a global power.

Indeed.

[Dallas59]

"Please for you, the human prison organs, must be in the way of you"

[Dad yer funny]

aa-a-ahhhhhh , bookmk ping-a-ling

and , ... I wonder {not really , just saying} , I wonder how the SportsCrowd is gonna like the wonderful air in Beijing ?? /srcsm

[MinorityRepublican]

[AntiGuv]

[JillValentine]

All your medals are belong to us.

[BJungNan]

The funniest one I saw was a sign over a urinal that said "stand close and no shaking"

I'm not kidding.

[volunbeer]

There is a funny website that deals with this called engrish.com Perfect example -

[NotJustAnotherPrettyFace]

I was chuckling at the menu at a local Chinese menu the other day. I pointed out to my husband........

Sizzling Whor Bar

[NotJustAnotherPrettyFace]

You might want to keep this thread monitored. There are sure to be some hilarious posts ;-).

[DelphiUser]

I have loved these for years. (I spent two years in Taiwain)

http://www.engrish.com/

What more can I say?

[volunbeer]

LOL!

[WestVirginiaRebel]

Well now, that's the most accurate translation I've ever seen.

[XR7]

Many in China regard the Olympics as the nation's coming-out party...

No doubt.
Given China's "one child per family" policy, selective sex abortion has created a country with a demographic imbalance of men unable to find wives.
That doesn't seem to embarass their exalted leaders as much as bad translation however.

[edpc]

"We cannot leave [these signs] up just for the amusement of foreigners," says Olive Wang...

She's got the perfect name to be the spokesperson for this.

[edpc]

Sizzling Whor Bar

I guess that would be the perfect compliment to the Chinese resturaunt in my area that serves Ho Fun.

[GnL]

I lived in China from 1993-1998 and reading the signs was one of the most entertaining things about living there. Any China hand would agree.

[MadIvan]

Here's a good one:

Regards, Ivan

[Slings and Arrows]

Bite the wax tadpole!