David Tool, a retired US Army colonel who now works and lives in Beijing, has been volunteering to correct erroneous English signs in public places for five years. He talked with China Daily reporter Li Jing about his efforts to help the world appreciate Chinese culture and his suggestions for the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games.

What prompted you to get involved in correcting improper usage of English in public places in Beijing?

I love Peking Opera. And in October of 2001, when I attended a Peking Opera concert at a famous local opera house, I was distressed to see how poorly translated the opera was on the monitors beside the stage. The foreign guests laughed and I felt that the opera house did not show proper respect for Chinese culture. I decided to try to help. I knew the Olympics was coming and I wanted to try to improve this situation.

How many places have you been to and how much time have you spent in order to find inappropriate usage of English around Beijing?

I have been to hundreds of places and more than 80 cultural sites and museums and have spent thousands of hours working over the signage.

Would you please list some examples of improper usage of English that you have found?

At one temple, when referring to the beautiful ceiling that had been sold to an American and is now in a museum in the United States, the sign said that the ceiling had "drifted and fell into America."

At a restaurant above the staircase a sign said: "Danger Landslide Area!"

At another museum the explanation said the Taoists often spent much of their lives trying to develop "immorality" pills - they meant "immortality" pills.

Have you ever encountered difficulties in finding an accurate translation of a Chinese term?

Sometimes with archaeological items it is difficult to determine just how to translate them. In one case a tiny flat stone had been described as a stone "platform." After careful examination and a discussion with the museum curator we decided it was used as an "anvil" for crushing seeds or cracking nuts. Or (for instance) when Basi Digua is translated as "wire pulled sweet potatoes." This translation for Basi is not wrong in itself but it is not the appropriate choice, which in this case means: "sugar floss" sweet potatoes.

I heard that you volunteered to do the work. Why?

I volunteer just because I want to do a public service. It is my contribution to getting involved and making these the "People's Olympics." I want all the signage to be correct so that foreign guests can concentrate on the beauty and the enjoyment of China and the Olympics and not be distracted or laugh at us.

What do you think you have gained from doing this work?

Many wonderful, interesting friends, a chance to go to museums and pick up and look at things that most people never get close to, a chance to see upcoming and past exhibits as well as the current ones, items that are in storage few people have seen, a chance to make my contribution to preparing Beijing for the many guests we will host during the Olympics.

What's your suggestion on how Beijing can benefit from hosting the Olympics to showcase its culture and its people to the rest of the world?

The mayor early on set a goal of having 5 million Beijingers learn to speak English well enough to welcome foreign guests. The English learning programme has been very successful, especially for the elderly folks in Beijing. I have suggested the "Ask Me" programme whereby the best of them would be selected to wear a large yellow sash or a large button that says "Ask Me" and have them stroll around Tian'anmen Square, Wangfujing, Liulichang, Panjiayuan and other places and be available to answer the many questions foreign guests will have. On the US TV programme "Today" broadcast on NBC, I told the American audience not to be afraid to ask Beijingers for help because Beijingers are friendly and many, many of them will be able to answer their questions in English. They can make friends with these folks and at the same time really learn the culture of China.

Are there any problems you see with regard to how Beijing people will be seen during the Olympics?

There is one delicate issue that I hate to mention but many of my Chinese friends and all my foreign friends mention it to me. It is the fact that so many Chinese spit on the sidewalk or wherever they are. This is a very unhealthy habit.

I think it is disrespectful to the nation. I hope that Beijingers and other Chinese wai di ren (people from outside Beijing) will be more careful and will stop this bad habit.

Apart from correcting misleading usage of English in Beijing, do you have other plans to be involved in the preparations for the Olympic Games?

Yes. As I get older myself, I am concerned about the ageing population of China. It is important for us elderly people to feel useful and of value to society; it helps us feel more energetic, optimistic and involved and therefore allows us to stay healthy longer. That is why I have suggested the "Ask Me" Programme. We need more programmes that enable us to use the skills of the elderly for the good of society.

I am also concerned about issues for the disabled. China has been built by the hard work of All of its citizens and All citizens deserve to be able to access its cultural sites, movie theatres, and other places.

Preparation for the Olympics and the Paralympics has given us an opportunity to make Beijing more accessible to the people with disabilities. If you look, you will see much progress is being made in places like Beihai Park where Tuan Cheng (Round Castle) is now equipped with a wheel chair lift and the Jade Buddha Temple is accessible by a wheelchair ramp.

I have been asked to write a history book aimed at foreigners travelling to Beijing and the publisher has agreed that in this book, for the first time ever, we can rate hotels, shopping locations, and cultural sites on their accessibility. This is good for business, too, because, for instance, disabled Americans spend $3.7 billion on travelling outside the US every year but few come to China. I am hoping that my book and a successful Paralympics will attract many more of these disabled tourists to Beijing.

Why do you have such a strong interest in Chinese culture?

I don't know exactly why I am so attracted to it. A fortune-teller in Lanzhou once told me that in a previous life I had lived in China. Maybe that is why. But I know I do love the sophistication of the tradition and culture. The fact that people of merit who are in government service are also skilled at Shu Fa (calligraphy), landscape or "bird and flower" painting, writing poetry, tea appreciation is very appealing to me and sets a much higher standard for personal behaviour and appreciation of beauty for a "gentleman" than does traditional Western culture. China is a very, very important country and I want to help foreigners better understand its great culture.

You participated in the Vietnam War in the late 1960s. How did that war impact you and your life?

It made me realize how short life is, how many dangers there are, how precious every life is and that we must make the best use of our life and make it count for something. That is what drives me more and more as I get older and older and nearer the end of life - I want to make sure my life counts for something. The Beijing Olympics and my little part in helping to prepare for it have been one such opportunity to be of some use and I am very, very happy about it.

(China Daily 12/08/2006 page5)