Chinglish Improvements
News February 22nd, 2008
From the China Economic Review:
A set of fixed English translations for Chinese menus is being published by the Beijing Municipal Tourism Bureau.
The final draft, which has been partially revised after soliciting opinions from netizens and language experts, has been sent to the printers and would soon be recommended to restaurants across the country for their bilingual menus.
An official from the bureau said, 鈥楾he proper English translations will not only provide convenience for foreigners coming to Beijing for the Olympics, but it will also improve the English of Chinese people.鈥�
Looks like my Chinglish-to-English skills will soon be unnecessary in upscale restaurants and hotels! But I doubt this will trickle down to dumpling stands and noodle shops, where there’s no English of any sort.
I guess I’m not really impressed by the moves to clean up the Chinglish. Partly, I think zany menus and instructions are so much a part of a visit to Beijing! I expect to see lots pictures of funny Chinglish instructions from Olympic visitors.
Also, I’d like to see pre-Olympic aesthetic reforms directed into other channels… A goofy misspelled sign might make a visitor giggle for a moment, but a Beijinger clearing his throat into the street will leave visitors with a lingering bad image of Beijing.
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