Toilet will replace W.C. (or water closet) and "Exit" signs will
stop "Export"-ing people or showing them their "Way Out".
These are just a few of the inappropriate and embarrassing signs
in English that will be changed to make life more convenient for
foreigners in Beijing, especially those expected for the 2008
Olympics Games.
The city has embarked on an eight-month journey to rectify all
misleading, and at times funny, signs in public places so that they
are in place about a year before the Olympics.
Plus, it will ensure that all signs on roads and public places
are in two languages, and the English translations follow a
standard pattern. The municipal government's guide to standard
English, published last December, will be used as reference.
"The guide is the first to set a local standard for English in
China, and has translations for public signs," city vice-mayor Ji
Lin said at a conference yesterday.
It is divided into six parts, including general rules, roads and
communications, scenic spots, sports fields and stadiums, commerce
and businesses, and medical services, and will help change the
signs in museums, parks, theaters, subways, bus stops and
terminals, railway stations, hospitals and commercial areas.
The government will assign 10 teams to execute the challenging
job. And "we will check between October and December to see if the
signs are right", Ji said.
The English on bilingual signs on roads in Beijing's eight
downtown districts has already been changed, and the city also
standardized the English translations of Chinese dishes.
(China Daily February 1, 2007)
