Signs of China

  Living in a country where the main form of communication is different from your native tongue can be an interesting and frustrating experience, especially if you do not speak that language. While I have learned some Mandarin I am very far from conversational, so I make due with translations. Some translation occurs through spoken and some is through written. While it is more difficult to share the fun of spoken translations with you I can share the written.

  I have come across many interesting and grammatically incorrect transitions that I could not help but take pictures of and laugh at. While almost all Chinese students have to learn English at some point in their schooling, they are mostly taught by none native speakers and never speak English to each other except when forced. Unless it is required for jobs or someone has great personal interest in it, English is not used once schooling is finished. It is more that the government requires English be taught (since it is on the College Entrance Exam), if not for this many would not learn. This learning environment does not help promote fluency or correct translations.

  While I was traveling to great tourist attractions I was slightly amazed at some of the translation mistakes considering they were committed at international tourist attractions and knowledge of English is required to attend universities. So, I took pictures and laughed to myself. While it is fun to laugh at mistakes that, to you, seem to be painfully obvious, one must remember to always be encouraging to learners of other languages. They are trying to communicate to you in a second language, you are not making the effort, they are. 

  If you have never learned a second language you have no right to poke fun of those who are, discouraging them . . . unless of course it is in a professional setting and they should have people who do not make those types of mistakes. In all seriousness be kind and patient with language learners if possible and if you see or hear a silly mistake make sure they know you are not laughing at them but just at the awesomeness of what they are saying. Some of my Chinese friends have said some pretty awesome mistakes at which I have laughed and I have said some not so awesome mistakes in Mandarin at which they laughed. While different language interaction can be hair-pulling-out-frustrating it can also lead to some good laughs so I give you the translations. 

  I will write the English words above each picture as they are typed in the picture. Some of them I put in not for grammar mistakes but just for the awesomeness of the translation, like the first one.

The walnut ice grass

 Grass is resting

Leave them please

 Fitness Sauare

It is a green area with flowers and trees around and it is a best place for tourises to exercise themselves by using the fieness apparatus. The century-old Ginko will witness the happiness that the square brings to tourists.

 Scent Library

(it was the name of a perfume store, thought it was ingenious)

 Can you find the Sandwiche?

Here is steep prohibited to climb.

 Keep Your Steps off the Plants

 Imported Red Wine

Frence

 Warm Suggestion

No riding on the bridge, push only

Be careful!

 Flush Please

Please thrown into the dustbin waste

Please take away your belongings

 Please help us protect the grass or more people to enjoy

 LOOKOUT, KNOCK HEAD

Several translations on money pouches you could buy (excuse the word on the third one)

 Their own Money

Will known for the great kindness

Whole day I'm f**king busy only get few money

Elder sister not worng Im never it right

 No chasing

Do Not Pop out the Head or Other Part of the Body

 Spicy Jew's Ear

 No smoking

Keep clean

Beware of Slipperv floor

Keep your valuables in view

 Tiny grass is smiling to you and asking

you to make the round of your road

 Comeing

 Dead Inside

(You will find many Chinese people wearing shirts with English words on them. I am positive that they either do not know what they mean or think it is cool, more for the former than the later. I do not take pictures of all the shirts/clothing because I do not like taking pictures of people and also they move too quickly. I did see a kid the other day, maybe seven years old, with the word F**ck on his shirt and wondered if the parents knew what word they were dressing their child in. 

 BAKED SWEET

potato mud With Cheese

 The stairs

 Be out by Tourist Train

From Hear Forward

(can you guess the meaning of that one without context?)

 This one is not so much the words as how they are written. Mandarin you can read from top to bottom, right to left since the characters make it easier, as long as you write the characters correctly. Because you can do this in Mandarin they wrote the English sideways instead of how it should be written.

 This one you cannot not see but it is the blue green sign. (my favorite)

The oil temperature is too high to pay attention to safety.

While this has no words I have to add it. Since most toilets in China are squat toilets they have to put signs in some bathroom to show some individuals how to correctly use a western toilet. The western toilet is a rather unnatural way to go to the bathroom, squatting is naturally better for us, if you do not believe me just Google it.

  There are some of the laughs I have had while in China, hoped you enjoyed them as well.
  I also want to add that if there are any grammar mistakes in my own writing please laugh at the irony of it.