Starting from December, the Standardisation Administration, Ministry of Education, and General Administration of Quality Supervision, Inspection and Quarantine will issue a new guide, while encouraging sign-makers to “prioritize correct grammar” and avoid misleading direct translations.
Particular focus will be on translations that are offensive, discriminatory, or unpatriotic.
Wrong translations “damage the country’s image,” while better use of foreign languages in public spaces will pave the way for the “development of a multilingual society,” officials explained in an article published in the state-owned People’s Daily.
The rapid opening up and economic development of a country, where most do not read foreign alphabets or speak other languages, in the past several decades has produced a demand for foreign-language texts that is simply not matched by the requisite expertise.
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Local time: 19:31
Lid 2010
English to Portuguese
+ ...
A very smart decision.
Italy
Local time: 20:31
Lid
English to Italian
All they'd need to do is stop using machine translation and think they can get 'good' translations at 'bad' rates. It's not rocket science, really...
Local time: 20:31
French to English
Just wondering if imposing 3,500 standard translations will actually solve the problem.
United Kingdom
Local time: 19:31
Lid 2008
Italian to English
At least someone, somewhere, is acknowledging that good and bad translations exist. That's a step in the right direction.
Argentina
Local time: 16:31
English to Spanish
I think it's great! Someone is finally giving priority to such an important thing as a proper translation. As Tom said, at least someone is acknowledging the existence of incorrect translations. Now, my question is, will we see the day in which all those funny, hilarious translations disappear from our everyday walk to the store? Who will be there to force me to fall into who knows where?
United Kingdom
Local time: 19:31
Serbian to English
+ ...
Just wondering if imposing 3,500 standard translations will actually solve the problem.
on a journey of thousand miles ...
It's not the ideal solution to all ills but it can at least eliminate all the comical/nonsensical translations of the various frequently used public signs - and more importantly [hopefully?] create an awareness of the importance of accurate translation.
As long as these "standard translations" have been done by people who really know what they are doing, and as long that there is the awareness that these "standard translations" may not fit in every single context, it is a positive step.
Spain
Local time: 20:31
Lid 2005
English to Spanish
+ ...
To every problem, the same solution in China: regulation, regulation, regulation. The people are very rarely given the chance to go their own way on anything. The issue at hand cannot be solved with more regulation, but with more education.
Argentina
Local time: 16:31
English to Spanish
+ ...
http://justsomething.co/34-hilarious-translation-fails/
India
Local time: 01:01
Lid 2006
English to Hindi
+ ...
[Edited at 2017-07-03 04:34 GMT]
United Kingdom
Local time: 19:31
Serbian to English
+ ...
is surely deregulation, deregulation, deregulation ....?
And who cares about pesky secondary facts, like the whole saga of subprime mortgages, or more recently buildings designed to burn as quickly as possible ...
To every problem, the same solution in China: regulation, regulation, regulation. The people are very rarely given the chance to go their own way on anything. The issue at hand cannot be solved with more regulation, but with more education.
"who cares it the cat is black or white, as long as it's good at catching mice"
THAT sounds to you like regulation, regulation, regulation?
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