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'Cinema syntax'

Some things just don't translate. This was discovery made by Lee of www.leeinchina.com after asking his Chinese workmates if they had seen the popular Mike Meyers' movie Austin Powers. Unable to believe that they hadn't, he showed them some pictures and right away they recognized the movie but under the title Wangpai Da Jiandie (Number One Super Top Secret Spy King).

His curiosity piqued, Lee decided to find out some other movies where the titles don't quite translate.

"Apparently the word 'team' is appealing from a marketing stance. A Bug's Life is known as Chongchong Tegongdui (Bug Team), with the word 'team' being used in the sense of a SWAT team, packed with action," Lee Writes.

The Chinese title for The Matrix proves to be an even more interesting interpretation, translated as 22 Shiji Sharen Wangluo (The Internet Can Kill You in 22nd Century).

Lee's personal favorite translation, however, is the Chinese title Ciji 1995 (1995 Excitement) given to the 1994 film The Shawshank Redemption.

Tricky tutor proposals

Blogger Matt at www.lostlaowai.com paints a scene for visitors in his blog titled Eager or Just Inappropriate:

"You're out at a cafe or bar with a group of friends, having a beer and a few laughs. A Chinese man, or woman, approaches your table and asks to speak. He (or she) will explain that they're desperate to learn English and would like one of you to be his tutor.

Ignoring the Chinese man or woman is the typical response for foreigners unwilling to interact in this manner, but this makes the Chinese lose face and the foreigner look rude.

"So, what's the best way to handle this situation? " He asks.

Chinalawblog responds to Matt's question by suggesting that, as the foreigner, you offer them your services at a later date indicating how much you would charge an hour. If they are still interested they will give you a call.

Will sing for cash

Once one of China's favorite past-times, karaoke has quickly become more than just a hobby. It is a chance to make money and make a name for yourself by entering into competition, blogger Seven Castles (http://sevencastles.spaces.live.com) writes.

So what does it take for an award winning performance? The blog titled Winning Karaoke offers some suggestions:

Choose a song suitable for your vocal ability.

Do not pick an overdone song.

Make sure your song is short.

Vary your volume and intensity during the performance.

Have fun with it and use props/costumes where available.

"Above all, when competing in a karaoke contest, you have to realize that you are an artist and judging artists is a very subjective business. If you lose one contest, you may very well come back and win another. So whether you are performing country karaoke music or hip-hop karaoke, keep on keeping on," Seven Castles writes.

(China Daily 04/11/2008 page19)