Open Menu
March 16, 2012
Article by Debra Black, Toronto Star; Published On Thu Mar 15 2012
…Not everyone, however, agrees with Beijing’s moves to clear up the English translations on Chinese restaurant menus. “I frankly think the whole initiative is a bit silly and misguided,” said William Hurst, assistant professor of political science at the University of Toronto who specializes in Chinese politics.
“Beijing will truly become a leading international city not when its restaurants provide English menus but when more of its foreign visitors speak at least some Chinese,” Hurst told the Star. “Poor translations are done by people who don’t know both languages sufficiently well.”
And poor translations aren’t necessarily just found in China. Says Hurst: “Chinese signs in North American and European airports and tourist attractions often contain errors or strange usage. Many Toronto restaurants do not provide service or menus in French. So the Beijing municipal government could perhaps best focus its efforts on other measures.”
Incorrect menu translations are not just a problem in Beijing, but also in Taiwan, Hong Kong and Macau, Tsang said. The best translations of Chinese menus, he said, are found in Singapore or Malaysia, he said. “They take their English translation seriously.”