As every one knows, Shanghai is going to hold an event which is as royal as the Olympics, the World Expo 2010. I learnt from the news report that some World Expo Bilingual Guide were given by the Government to the staffs of some shops. It was once a hit in the society of Shanghai. You may wonder what on that guide. This guide provided the Putonghua pronunciations of some simple English sentences. The Government thinks that it may help the staffs to communicate with the foreigners who travel there easier.
When I first saw that Chinese ‘translations’, I really couldn’t catch the meaning and found them funny! I know this is one of the preparations for welcoming the event. But I think it is hardly help for them to communicate with foreigners. TVB interviewed a foreigner and asked if he understood it or not. Of course the answer was not and even the locals couldn't understand it! For a long term consideration, I think it is not a good way to learn English like that.
I think the Shanghai Government may try to do what Hong Kong’s does. They may offer some classes for the staffs to study. This is the only way to let the locals to communicate with the world in the correct way. To me, sometimes using other languages’ pronunciations to pronounce English is useless. We cannot get the exact pronunciations and may make others misunderstand it. On the other hand, Shanghai is such a well-known city, I think this guide cannot help to upgrade the fame as the locals may keep trying to use this way to learn English. Thus, it may shows to the people from other countries that Shanghai is doing lazy and superficial works on learning English and welcoming the tourists. It gives the foreigners a negative image of Shanghai. Learning the ‘real’ English is always the best way.
P.S. '維爾抗姆' means the word 'welcome'!
Here is the news video (start from 15:26)
http://mytv.tvb.com/news/newsat630/105011#page-1
Here is the World Expo Bilingual Guide
6 comments:
Really strange!
I discover that I am not a social-caring teenager at all that I don’t care about the HK news so often!
I think the translation is so weird. I think the shops located at the central of the location of World Expo, it is impossible that nobody know how to communicate with the foreigners in that shops! So I agree that the government should offer some classes for the staff although the World Expo will not last too long. I think learning English is more important than the past especially it is internationalized.
Comparing the two ‘top city’ in China, is Hong Kong really better than Shanghai? (Some news said that’ Shanghai is being equal to Hong Kong’ years ago)
Also, there is an example that is similar to this issue.
(http://hk.news.yahoo.com/article/100103/4/fxqw.html)
Dear Kim Fung & Yan
I will be visiting Shanghai this April. See if I could take some more pictures of weird English there. *o*
Oh! You will be going to Shanghai! I have been to there for visiting my relatives two years ago! Actually, I want to be Beijing! Since it is the capital of China but I haven't been to there before! In my mind, Beijing is a grand and stately city! I think you know what to do, right?! S_uven_r! Haha! Just joking :). Wish you will be having a nice trip there!
Actually, I want to visit Shanghai as well. It is because I wonder what does the another world-known city, Shanghai look like!
honestly, a bit... stupid
Post a Comment