China uses its noodle to eat mangled menu words in time for the Olympics: "But now officials have ordered Beijing restaurants to take names of dishes like 'burnt lion's head', 'government abuse chicken' or 'crap in the grass' off the menu to prevent their vivid descriptions alarming visitors to the city for the 2008 Olympics."
Yes, Chinglish translations are hilarious at times and it's quite clear that the complexity of the Chinese language has to be acknowledged, respected...and enjoyed. I could imagine the Olympic tourists would find Chinglish menus something rather memorable. You don't go to Beijing so that you can feel the same as in your own country. Bland is not good! It is also something we are learning as a world and that is, that languages are fascinating and that some languages are a real challenge and therefore the heads that think them have a complexity which doesn't exist in the head of a simpler language user. We travel more and we are savouring the differences and finding the common ground. Chinglish menus would also make people talk to each other and the serving staff. It would be about making connections. I think Beijing should make it a feature but I guess they'll have the same ole ,same ole menus we get here and where will be the fun in that? The Olympics are a celebration of the culture as well as the sport!
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