A translation contest soon to kick off to promote, and more importantly solicit good translations of Beijing’s brand names. Translated from Beijing Evening News:
Many have seen, and laughed at embarrassingly awkward translations of menus or signs in Chinese cities, such as “four happy meet balls” for ÂõõÂñú‰∏∏Â≠ê, “lion’s heads that are burnt red” for Á∫¢ÁÉßÁãÆÂ≠ꧥ, and “tofu made by a freckle-faced woman” for È∫ªÂ©Ü˱ÜËÖê.
Starting Aug. 6, Beijing’s ages-old brand names will be soliciting good and accurate translations of their brands, such as Quanjude (ÂÖ®ËÅöÂæ∑ Beijing duck), Donglaishun (‰∏úÊù•È°∫ hot pot), Tongrentang (Âê剪Å堂 pharmacy), Rongbaozhai (Ëç£ÂÆùÊñã arts).
If you are interested, submit your translations through www.transcn.com, www.sttacas.org or www.btba.org.cn. The deadline is Sept. 25. [Full Text in Chinese]