Send to a friendJoe May 4th, 2007 1:44 PM Link
Lol, yeah, they might want to work on those signs.
Shanghai Auto Show: English Signs in China
Written By: Nate Luzod
“DUMPLING STUFFED WITH THE OVARY AND DIGESTIVE GLANDS OF A CRAD”
Hardcore linguistic studies show us that a ’spectrum’ of world languages exists. For example, it’s easier for a Spaniard to learn Portuguese than Korean. It’s easier for a Korean to learn Japanese than Spanish. English speakers can pick up German relatively quickly, and so on. These are families of languages, not unlike colors.
Viewing languages as a spectrum, we can essentially place English and Chinese at opposite ends. Black and white, more or less.
While we have to commend the Chinese for trying (’E’ for effort, and all that), that won’t stop us from enjoying a few quick giggles on account of some of the street signs and advertisements we’ve seen while exploring these past few days. Though nothing has come close to the anti-littering sign that Jim McCraw saw in his trip a few months back (which read ‘Forbid to Chuck Jetsam’), we believe we’ve found some real gems.
Sure we can laugh, but a quick observation gives us the feeling that more Chinese here speak more of a second language (mostly English) than your average American. So we shouldn’t laugh long, especially as WINDING ROAD’s showgoing contingent possessed a good amount of Asian blood flowing through their veins.
8 Comments
john Riley May 4th, 2007 2:49 PM Link
There is a big push to clean up signs and menus in preparation for the Olymnpics. Apparently on a menu, crab or carp has been know to be spelled as crap, for example.
john Riley May 4th, 2007 2:50 PM Link
Whoops, looks like I need some editing myself! 
john Riley May 4th, 2007 2:54 PM Link
“Mind you head” is considered perfectly normal in countries that speak UK English. You will also see, “mind the gap” in subway stations.
Peripatetic May 4th, 2007 3:41 PM Link
As a Chinese American, I find these signs hilarious. Especially since I can read the Chinese, it’s pretty obvious how the (mis)translations came about. It reminds me of babelfish circa 1997. Of course you can still get a similar kick from the Google translator today by translating an English passage into another language and then back again.
For example, my post translated by Google from English to French and back:
“As a Chinese American, I find these signs hilarious. More especially as I can read the Chinese, it is rather obvious how the translations (put) occurred. He points out the circa to me 1997 of babelfish. Naturally you can motionless obtain a similar blow-of-foot of the translator of Google today by translating an English passage in another language and then behind still.”
David S. May 5th, 2007 12:38 AM Link
“DUMPLING STUFFED WITH THE OVARY AND DIGESTIVE GLANDS OF A CRAD”
You found this by the Chrysler Sebring hardtop convertible, I presume.
pete May 5th, 2007 4:09 AM Link
it’s really saying ‘crab ovaries(or eggs) and sharkfin dumplings’…
Nick Gomez May 27th, 2007 6:53 AM Link
Mind your head is a common expression in Commonwealth Countries (countries which were once British colonies, except USA of course).
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