The Traveller's Magazine
As universal as English may be, it only takes you so far. As a traveller in China you’re left to decipher the “Chinglish” translations on signs all on your own. While Shanghai is trying to clean up its mis-translated signs, you can still find them in abundance all over the country!
What is Chinglish?
Chinglish refers to written or spoken English that has been mis-translated from Chinese and is often ungrammatical, even nonsensical for native English speakers. A lot of the time the meaning is completely lost in the Chinese context.
Can you decipher what some of these signs are supposed to say?
I'm glad to hear that, as I do honestly think that Chinglish can show how beautiful the Chinese language is. English so rarely delivers a message in that way, except in creative writing.
You're certainly right about some being much more poetic than simply “Stay off the grass.” While Beijing has been making a conscious effort recently to clean up their “Chinglish” I don't think it will ever disappear completely.
I truly hope they take a measured approach to tackling Chinglish. I absolutely agree that when it comes to safety signs, such as “shark infested waters” or something similar, that's when you bring in a professional translation agency. That's not debatable.
On the other hand, I for one don't want to see “Tender, fragrant grass. How hard-hearted to trample” get replaced with “Keep off the grass”. Some examples of Chinglish simply aren't gibberish, they're just giving you the same message in a different way. It's certainly far more poetic.
These are great! Thanks for sharing. LOL