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What is Chinglish?
Teacher Sun from Henan Province gives this definition:
"Chinglish is
a language of communication developed in the classroom between Chinese
(English-language) teachers and their students, a cant that no third
parties understand."
That's succinct, pithy, and frankly I haven't seen a more damning
indictment of the English-language teaching system in our beloved country
than that!
And having survived that type of classroom myself, I know what Sun is
talking about. I think all English teachers and students know what I'm
talking about.
Now, that's enough serious discussion of the subject already. Let's
call it off because, you see, Chinglish is no big crime. However jarring
it may sound to the educated ear, no one has died from bad English yet.
Here's a more cordial definition. Chinglish, which is combined from the
words CHIN-ese and En-GLISH, is just that, Chinese English, a form of
pidgin English spoken and written by native Chinese speakers.
Like I said before, poor English is no big crime.
It's not a Chinese phenomenon, either. Throughout the
world, non-native English speakers speak pidgin and suffer from it if it's not too bad.
When it becomes too bad, the situation takes a sudden turn for the better
and people begin to have some fun with it. That's the spirit taken
by this column (otherwise it's really a painful subject to begin with).
In Singapore, for example, it's called Singlish, or Sing-aporean
English. Over there, they even have pidgin Chinese, even though they may
not have been aware of it. I've heard about at least one Singaporean
visitor in Beijing condemning the way Beijingers speak. "What kind of Pu
Tong Hua is this?" she asked concernedly. "It's very different from the
Standard Mandarin we speak in Singapore. What is the Chinese mainland
coming to?"
Beijingers must certainly have been inadequately trained in Singaporean
Chinese, just as they are generally poorly trained in proper English.
Given more practice, I'm sure Beijingers are as capable of speaking poor,
broken Singaporean as they are of speaking poor, broken English.
Given time and practice, in fact, the Chinese standard for acceptable
English will improve. For the time being, the situation can be, I admit,
very embarrassing indeed.
However, I stolidly refuse to condemn Chinglish expressions we see in
"Mad in China" product manuals as a "disgrace" or "shame to our country".
Why? Because I see Chinglish expressions as being part of "our
country". It's the way it is, a true reflection of our nation in the
English-language department. When you realize that those translators who
come up with those strange Chinglish expressions (typos included) have
actually got paid for having done such a poor job, you realize that the
real problem lies elsewhere.
By my own estimation, Chinese people's tolerance for the low quality in
English translations is at a par with their tolerance for the low quality
of life in general.
That said, let me share with you a few of my favorite Chinglish
expressions picked from real life (My picks are more of the funny,
hilarious type than of the hideous and ugly, and that's due to my attitude
on the matter. Language being language and that is to be used by real
people with warts and faults, Chinglish expressions, if they are any good
at all, may even be picked up by native speakers. Westerners in Beijing
for example are heard to say "long time, no see" at such a high frequency
that it is simply shocking!).
Now, Chinglish gems:
1. "恭贺新婚！" - "Congratulations on your new marriage."
"同喜同喜！" -
Pleasure is yours, too.
(What is meant: "Congratulations for tying the
knot"; "Thank you.")
2. 欢迎再来 - Welcome again.
(What is meant: Thanks for coming to this
restaurant. You're welcome back at any time.")
3. 问询，请找负责人 - Question Authority.
(What is meant: if you have any
questions, please ask the official who's on duty. Question Authority, by
the way, can serve as a motto for what Chinese authorities call the
masses, meaning you and me).
4. 一路平安！- Wish you the best landing!
(With hand on chest, I don't
think any less "comforting" a sending-off from any Chinese airport is
thinkable. What is meant: Happy flight.)
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