Thursday, May 22, 2008

Adventures in English: Public Park Edition




If the nasty thorns on this tree aren't enough to keep you from pestering it...



...then this sign certainly will. (Who wants to incur the disdain of others? Not me!)



I think it would be a great tragedy to have good English translations in China. You would loose sweetly muddled sentiments like this one. "Pick up your trash." just doesn't have the same rhythm, does it?



"Is apt to have a fickle, uneasy and gloomy heart when living in the boisterous city and a noisy world with scene of debauchery, so we are longing for a peaceful site where we can relax and enjoy ourselves and want to have a mind of easiness, concinnity and tenderness and wish to listen to the murmurings and aspirations of others and share with others mutually. This is why this garden is designed...Meanwhile, plants are selected carefully and the Crepe-myrtle is taken as the essential variety and supported with bamboo, musa, wild hemp palm and sweet Osmanthus to as to arrange the entire space properly and to create many pleasing views such as enjoyment of forestry music and mimosa pond and raining on musa."

Mr. Strunk would have a conniption fit, but I find it all very charming. I very much doubt any of our park signs are translated into Chinese, correctly or otherwise...

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