The Best of American Exports - Hooters Opens in Beijing

by Lauren Nemec

Now Chinese men can also say, "I only go there for the wings."

Hooters has recently opened a restaurant in Beijing, China. It's actually the fourth Hooters restaurant in China (the first is located in Shanghai), but the first in the conservative city of Beijing.

American expats, students and tourists will probably make up a large percentage of Hooters patrons, but the company is hoping that the concept of "sex sells" will also be true for Chinese consumers. Hooters also hopes to capitalize on the masses of visitors who will be visiting Beijing for the 2008 Olympic Games.

Waitresses at Beijing's Hooters wear the signature outfits of orange hot pants and tight tank tops as they serve up chicken wings and cold beer. The environment is very much the same as any Hooters restaurant found in the United States - but one aspect has been a little 'lost in globalization' - the name "Hooters" doesn't have the same connotations to the Chinese as it does to Americans. It simply means "owl".

Further reading - Globalization Gone Wild : Hooters Opens in China

Photo: Frederic J. Brown, AFP/Getty Images

Beijing Making Progress in Effort to Clean-up Bad Translations

by Lauren Nemec

It amazes me how interested people are in Beijing's goal to clean up bad translations before the 2008 Olympic Games. Articles on this topic come through my feed reader almost every week. My post, "Beijing Prepares for the 2008 Olympics by Correcting Bad Translations" remains one of the most frequently viewed articles on the Translatus blog.

Okay. I'm sure that most people are not so interested in Beijing's efforts to rid their city of embarassing translations, but are interested in finding examples of 'Chinglish' for a good laugh. But Beijing does not want to be laughed at anymore.

Still, I couldn't help but chuckle this morning as I read about the latest development. Feeling it is outdated and impolite, officials have decided to flush the potty term 'WC' and adopt 'toilet' for all public restrooms in Beijing.

As I mentioned in my previous posts on this subject, a number of groups have undertaken the enormous effort of correcting and standardizing translations across Beijing. So far, they seem to be making progress. For example, linguists are preparing a list of common menu items with their accurate translations. The list will be distributed to Beijing restaurants, and all establishments rated three stars and higher are expected to implement the pre-approved translations into their menus.

No more 'the temple explodes the chicken cube' for you!

China Struggles to Meet Translator Demand

by Lauren Nemec

Exactly one month ago, I made a post about China's endeavor to improve the quality of translations in preparation for the multitude of visitors expected to arrive for Beijing's 2008 Olympic games.

A plan was unveiled in early February to ensure quality translations by replacing mis-translated signs at tourist destinations, standardizing restaurant menus, offering English lessons to city officials, and fixing confusing road signs. For a country notorious for its low-quality (and sometimes extremely funny) translations, this task will require an army of language professionals. As if that wasn't enough to keep them busy, translators will continue to be in high demand throughout the 2008 games as well as for the Shanghai World Expo in 2010.

Considering the low translation prices typically found in China- with the quality to match- it comes as no surprise that there is a severe shortage of qualified language professionals. There are an estimated half million translators in China- of which only about 15-20% are officially certified! Getting a quality translation from a Chinese translator without knowing the market requires as much luck as winning a game of roulette.

The English People's Daily Online put up a great article today called, "China struggling to get past its translation bottleneck." It describes the challenges the Chinese are facing in developing translation market standards and sourcing enough professional, highly qualified translators to meet growing demand.

For more information about Translatus, please contact:

Lauren Nemec

Marketing Manager

Email: lnemec@translatus.com

Tel: +420 222 517 153

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Beijing Prepares for the 2008 Olympics by Correcting Bad Translations

by Lauren Nemec

Since 2001, China has been making grand preparations for their big moment in the spotlight: the 2008 Summer Olympic Games that will take place in Beijing. New multi-million dollar venues are being constructed. Beijing’s subway system is being expanded and modernized. Credit card systems are being developed and opened for international competition. One preparation that has recently been making headlines – and causing a few laughs- is Beijing's campaign to correct mistranslations found throughout the city.

Tourists are often amused at some of the confusing translations they find at tourist attractions or on restaurant menus. At one delightful restaurant, you can choose from a selection of:

“The temple explodes the chicken cube”

“The water boils the beef”

“Chicken silk noodles”

“The soil bean burns the beef”

“Slip away the chicken slice”

“Black mushrooms rape”

“Styn fived pine seeds withcorn”

“The sugar vinegar in ridge”

However, not all mistranslations are funny. Indeed, some can even be insulting, such as the sign on a handicapped restroom door reading “Deformed person.” Some might even be dangerous, like a sign at a hazardous area of the Great Wall of China warning you to “Slip Carefully.” Some are just incredibly confusing, like a park sign saying, "Be civilized visitor, set up the ecosystem scenery together!"

Such examples of “Chinglish” are exactly what the Chinese intend to correct in anticipation of the hordes of foreigners that will attend the 2008 games. A number of groups are spearheading the changes, including the Chinese Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Beijing Speaks Foreign Languages Program, the Beijing Speaks to the World Committee, and the Beijing Municipal Tourism Bureau.

These organizations have made significant progress. Translations of popular restaurant menu items have already been standardized, meaning that you will be hard-pressed to find “Slip away the chicken slice” in any Chinese establishment. Public signs, tourist attractions and hotel information will also be getting translation makeovers throughout the next 18 months. Taxi drivers and police officers are receiving English crash courses in order to better serve the estimated 500 million foreigners that are expected to attend the 2008 games.

In related news, the Beijing Organizing Committee for the Games of the XXIX Olympiad (BOCOG) has recently selected the official language services provider for the 2008 games. The Chinese translation company “Yuanpei Translation” will provide all translation and interpretation services required for the games. You can read the related article here.

If you would like to see more examples of Chinglish or read more articles about this topic, click on the following links:

PocoPico - Photos and examples of Chinglish in China

BBC News Article - "Beijing Stamps Out Poor English"

Wall Street Journal Article - "Tired of Laughter, Beijing Gets Rid of Bad Translations"

For more information about Translatus, please contact:

Lauren Nemec

Marketing Manager

Email: lnemec@translatus.com

Tel: +420 222 517 153

www.translatus.com