Job Discussion Forums

Ruth · Joined: 02 Feb 2004 Posts: 105 Location: China

My school has a Rychology Department. Maybe they should trade letters with Frank D's 'Perception' desk at the hotel Very Happy

What's really sad about this is that my husband spent a lot of time working with our English-speaking VP to translate signs and get all the offices and rooms in the school labeled with English signs. When we pointed out the mistakes to her she said, "Don't tell anyone. They will never know. If you tell them, they will blame me." Well, what came off our printer ISN'T what ended up on the sign, so who is to blame?

Last year there was a 'Love the Grass' sign. This year 'Keep off the grass' is in the middle of a garden. There isn't a blade of grass in sight. I guess it's okay to tramp all over the flowers, if you want, but keep off the grass.

Laoshi1950 · Joined: 22 May 2004 Posts: 198 Location: Australia

Thanks for the advice about the Photobucket.com site, tw!

If I have uploaded the photo properly, you can see the name of the business in both English and Chinese.

The business name probably makes sense in Chinese. In its English form, it is quite baffling.

[img]

[/img]

englishgibson · Joined: 09 Mar 2005 Posts: 4345

Hilarious

...and a fine pic above Laughing

tw · Joined: 04 Jun 2005 Posts: 3898

It's some kind of hair restoration or hair-loss prevention business! Laughing

That is a fine example of Chinenglish -- everything is translated literally.

Wenzhou = 温州
Black = 黑
Peach = 桃
Educate/education/teach/teaching/teaches = 育 (as in 教育)
Hair = 发
Operate/operation = 经营
Department = 部 (as in 部门)

adamsmith · Joined: 27 Jan 2006 Posts: 259 Location: wuhan

so in other words it should probably read 'Ace of spades - Black Peach hair restoration clinic' or some such thing.

excellent example for why direct translations just don't work.

Lobster · Posted: Sun Oct 08, 2006 5:41 pm Post subject:

Girl's T-shirt: Bimbo
Guy's T-shirt: I'm a big stupid. My friends say I'm an idiot. Some things can't be helped.
Notice: Tire extinguisher
School notice: No run

RED

dajiang · Joined: 13 May 2004 Posts: 663 Location: Guilin!

Anyone in Nanning?
They got this museum there somewhere in the centre with a nice combination of letters stuck on its facade.

Looks like, instead of hiring a foreign monkey to write the name of the museum for them, they actually hired a monkey to type it resulting in a completely meaningless mumble of letters.

They did pay money for the letters though. As I recall they were quite large and gold coloured. This is not a small museum, I'm sure some of you guys have seen it as well.

Dajiang

englishgibson · Joined: 09 Mar 2005 Posts: 4345

Yeah

I am in Nanning now and've noticed Laughing

Now, some English advertising signs here in Nanning are hilarious...perhaps, i'll give ya a few tomorow...i'm gona go for a tour around Smile

There are three giant pics of Mao Tse Tung, Ten Xiao Ping and Jiang Zhe Ming on Mindzu Ave near Walmart shopping center...all three are equally large and at night greatly eluminated Smile

So much for pics and signs around, I wish I could change the threads heading to "English Signs and Advertising in China"

And I am oucha here to the city streets

Cheers and beers to all FTs in China Very Happy

therock · Joined: 31 Jul 2005 Posts: 1266 Location: China

My favorite sign in English has to be in a park in Shijiazhuang : No sh_tting or pissing in the park. Very Happy

Henry_Cowell · Joined: 27 May 2005 Posts: 3352 Location: Berkeley

englishgibson · Joined: 09 Mar 2005 Posts: 4345

Hey thanx

Cheers and beers Very Happy

_____________________________________________________________
I hate computers Laughing

Gregor · Joined: 06 Jan 2005 Posts: 842 Location: Jakarta, Indonesia

I have two photos online that I know of, that were taken in Shenyang.
They're both posted on a site related to this thread. Here's one, taken at the Kit Kat Club (or something like that) in Shenyang; it's the sign for the men's room:
http://www.engrish.com/detail.php?imagename=toilets-of-man.jpg&category=Engrish%20from%20Other%20Countries&date=2004-06-15

Here's the other one. The sign was - maybe still is - hanging in the school where I worked (yes, Chinglish in an English school. Very nice. We LIKED it. No one would dream of getting rid of it). It had a carton of an overworked maid cleaning up what looked like a big pile of poo on the floor, and it said, "Please Be Considerated!"
Here it is:
http://www.engrish.com/detail.php?imagename=please-be-considerated.jpg&category=Engrish%20from%20Other%20Countries&date=2004-06-14

Gregor · Joined: 06 Jan 2005 Posts: 842 Location: Jakarta, Indonesia

I almost forgot about a plaque I was given on Teachers' day one year. It had nice platitudes about being a good teacher and all, in Chinese, but blazoned across the plaque, in English was "HAPPY OCEAN!" I couldn't even work out what was MEANT by that.

dajiang · Joined: 13 May 2004 Posts: 663 Location: Guilin!

Ah yes the english notices in our english schools...

we had a gem a few years back in a private language college.
It said:

"Jack (head teacher) will supervise the students when in pubic area."

lovely letter ommission there.

DJ

englishgibson · Joined: 09 Mar 2005 Posts: 4345