New standard to help foreigners lost in translation
Beijing: What is China: home to the Great Wall, the birthplace of tea, the site of a giant telescope searching space for alien life, the list goes on.
With all these on offer, it may seem strange that tourists are taking pictures of Chinese signs.
“Please wait outside a noodle.” “Watch your hand.” “Fire on everyone.” What on earth are these cryptic sentences suppose to mean?
A quick search on social media for Chinglish brings up a whole host of mistranslations. They have inspired memes and blogs, and more than a few articles.
Hilarity aside, last week, the General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine, and the Standardisation Administration issued a standard for translation in the public service sector, in a bid to polish its prose and publicity.
Fuller is a British artist who has been in Beijing since March. He has been exploring the city as research for his current project. When asked if he had come across any mistranslations, he responded, “So many.”
“They are funny. But, actually, it just shows a lazy attitude towards language, especially the official signs,” he said.
Jiang Qi, a shopkeeper in Anhui province, had asked English teachers to help translate his signage.
“Foreigners live in my neighbourhood. I don’t want to be the butt of jokes and lose face,” said Jiang.
“Over time, the new standard could improve English language nationwide, which could be beneficial for China,” said Fuller. “Like the language on the subway has been in English since the Olympics. This is positive and inclusive.”