Shanghai Is Trying to Untangle the Mangled English of Chinglish

NYT ^ | 5/4/2010 | NYT

[mainsail that]

SHANGHAI — For English speakers with subpar Chinese skills, daily life in China offers a confounding array of choices. At banks, there are machines for “cash withdrawing” and “cash recycling.” The menus of local restaurants might present such delectables as “fried enema,” “monolithic tree mushroom stem squid” and a mysterious thirst-quencher known as “The Jew’s Ear Juice.” Those who have had a bit too much monolithic tree mushroom stem squid could find themselves requiring roomier attire: extra-large sizes sometimes come in “fatso” or “lard bucket” categories. These and other fashions can be had at the clothing chain known as Scat.

[Malsua]

Chinglish is often quite funny.

Here's some pics I took of a menu

[a fool in paradise]

The menus of local restaurants might present such delectables as “fried enema,” “monolithic tree mushroom stem squid” and a mysterious thirst-quencher known as “The Jew’s Ear Juice.”

Soup's on!

[a fool in paradise]

[colorado tanker]

Ah did not have sex with that cow river.

[andy58-in-nh]

[nhoward14]

http://engrishfunny.com/

Just in case, I’ll declare it not safe for work.

[Dallas59]

[Dallas59]

[WOBBLY BOB]

I loves me a bucket of lard.

[Chubby]

As much as I love my dog and dogs in general, I would have to try the “5 dog meat D noodle soup”.

[JRios1968]

I loves me a bucket of lard.

[Malsua]

Well, that restaurant is in Fuyong which is in Guangdong and Guangdongians love their dog meat, so it’s going to be authentic Fido. It’s seasonal though, apparently dog meat heats up your insides so they only serve it in winter.

[Boiler Plate]

bttt

[PugetSoundSoldier]

As a person who lives half-time in Shanghai (I'm in the US for May, I'm avoiding the chaos that is the opening of the World's Expo) I can tell you that their level of Chinglish is quite good; about the best you'll find in China.

As way of comparison, I found the following 2 meter tall sign in the window of a very successful (they had about 60 students and a dozen teachers inside at the time) private English school in Shenzhen:

I didn't have the heart to go and correct the three mistakes, being just an engineer and all...

But it does explain the Chinglish results, given that the teachers they hire miss such easy errors on their own advertisement! I guess if you can't do, teach. If you can't teach, complain to the union. If even the union doesn't back you, go to China and teach!

[PugetSoundSoldier]

As much as I love my dog and dogs in general, I would have to try the “5 dog meat D noodle soup”.

Best dog I've eaten was in South Korea, but when it comes to donkey or horse no one beats the Mongolians!

[reagan_fanatic]

LOL - **** to fry the cow river.

I’m dyin’ over here. LOL!!!

[redhead]

Check out Engrish dot com for more.

[Defiant]

a mysterious thirst-quencher known as “The Jew’s Ear Juice.”

I wonder if it's kosher.

[Defiant]

no one beats the Mongolians

How do they taste?