I passed on the "Lamp with lemon sauce."
Posted on 04/13/2007 8:55:07 AM PDT by kevin_in_so_cal
English language experts say that, with the 2008 Olympics less than 500 days away, there is still a long way to go before standard English translations of the names of dishes and drinks sold in Beijing restaurants can be finalized.
Garbled and misleading English signs in tourist spots have long confused English speakers in Beijing. Problems range from obscure abbreviations, word-for-word translations of Chinese characters into English, improper omissions and misspellings.
But what confuses them even more are English menus in Beijing restaurants.
However, not everyone agrees with the need to standardize everything. "Weird and wonderful English on Beijing menus -- like "pee soup", "complicated cakes" and "grass with fishy smell" -- are part of the city's charm," said Theo Theodopolopodis, a Greek businessman who has been living in Beijing for two years. "If we sanitize everything, what happens to local flavor?"
Liu Yang, vice director of the Beijing foreign affairs office, told reporters Wednesday that his office has invited English language experts from the United States, the United Kingdom and Singapore to join the English menu translation work team.
"They are finding the work challenging," said Liu, adding that Beijing has already publicized standard English signs for museums, scenic spots and subways.
Liu said that Beijing Speaks Foreign Languages Programme has been using the internet to identify the most accurate English names for Chinese dishes, and is working on a list of more than 1,000 dish and drink names.
Beijing claims to have 4.87 million residents who can speak English, accounting for 32 percent of the total population in the municipality.
Statistics indicate that around 2.85 million foreign tourists came to Beijing last year and the number is expected to top three million this year.
:-)
Thanks! Too funny.
I passed on the "Lamp with lemon sauce."
And now that it’s on the web, it’s gospel.
My pet peeve is “could care less” when the person means “could not care less.”
I’ve just created another mess for Snopes.com to clean up in fifty years.
If I were going to use that phrase, which I probably wouldn't in writing, that's how I'd spell it. I thought it had to do with sewing machines.
What should it be?
In color.
Tell me about it.
Sometimes I just WANT to not notice them, but I can’t do it!
(Presumably meaning they’re free to make a hard sell).
I can’t believe that article says ‘soft-peddle.’ That’s hilarious! Everyone knows if a gay man wants to peddle it, it’s got to be hard, not soft.
More writers need to read Orwell’s Politics and the English Language.
So it’s supposed to be “soft-peddle,” as a variation on “soft-sell”?
I just ran across “anti up” in a post. ARRRGH. At least the victim of homophonia didn’t write “auntie up”!
I promise to continue in this vein until everyone is confused.
You’re so vane.
A recent confusion that has appeared all over the place lately: precipitous instead of precipitate. Precipitous = steep. Precipitate = sudden.
Careful there, if Al Sharpton sees this, you may be losing your radio gig ...
I love lamp.
Webster's Second Unabridged (1953):
Pedal . . . (b) Slang. To exert pressure, esp. a restraining influence, upon, in the manner of a piano pedal; often soft-pedal.
No corresponding entry appears under "peddle".
The American Heritage dictionary is a piece of trash, much as I admire that estimable history magazine (at least it used to be, back when Bruce Catton was editor).
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