Garbled, misleading or misspelt English-language signs in many
tourist spots have long confused English-speakers in Beijing, and
city officials have declared war on non-standard English usage.
"There are many 'Chinglish' words on road signs, public notices,
menus and signs describing scenic spots, which often puzzle
foreigners," said Xiong Yumei, vice-director of the Beijing Tourism Bureau.
Xiong used the popular term "Chinglish" to describe the strange
mixture of Chinese and English words and grammar.
"When I wanted to use the public loo I just followed the signs that
said 'Collecting Money Toilet.' It was so strange," said Janet
Clause, an Australian tourist, recalling her trip to the Ming
Tombs, one of the Beijing's well-known tourist attractions.
"Misspelling is another big headache," said Clause.
"When I had dinner with my friends at a Chinese restaurant at the
Temple of Heaven, it took us a while to realize that the 'crap' on
the menu was, in fact, a misspelt but very tasty fish.
"The soft-fried 'pawns' are a sea food without 'r' and the 'bean
eurd' is, I presume, bean curd. It is surprising how many spelling
mistakes can exist on a five-page English menu," she said.
At
times the odd language can obscure the meaning.
Students at prestigious Peking University launched a campaign last
year to root out non-standard English usage in public places.
Many expatriates and local residents furnish tips on linguistic
defects via telephone or e-mail, according to Xiong.
Statistics indicate that around 2.85 million foreign tourists came
to Beijing last year and the number is expected to break 3 million
this year.
"Linguistic perfection is becoming increasingly important with the
rise in the number of foreigners flowing into the city," said Li
Honghai, a top official with a municipal committee to promote the
study of foreign languages among capital residents.
Li
said problems range from obscure abbreviations, word-for-word
translations of Chinese characters into English, improper omissions
and misspellings.
The Beijing Tourism Bureau recently launched a six-month campaign
to foster standard English usage at 60 famous scenic spots
frequented by foreigners, such as the Palace Museum and the Great
Wall.
People who come across an English sign in these spots that is
incorrect or confusing can report the offending sign to the bureau
at 010-65158844, extension 1033, before May next year.
Public comments will be filed and sent to a panel for
evaluation.
Signs discovered to fall short of standard English will be changed,
Xiong said.
The panel consists of English professors and expatriates living in
Beijing.
Panel leader Chen Lin, a renowned English professor with the
Beijing Foreign Studies University, said translation problems stem
not only from wrong words or grammatical mistakes, but also from
insufficient cultural exchange between China and the West.
"Chinese people should learn more about the culture of Western
countries, so that people can better study and use a foreign
language," said Chen.
(China Daily December 6, 2002)