The most asked question - why?

This is going to be a bit longer than my usual postings, but the matter is worth every inch ...

I've been lately investing some spare time in trying to figure out what the thought processes of sign makers in China are. As non-relevant or nerdish that might sound at first glance, it is - in my eyes - nevertheless a question that, at least slightly, touches general concepts that China and her citizens and signmakers have about themselves and the world.
近来我花了一点业余时间，想弄明白那些在中国制作英文标识的人，在制作的过程中究竟是怎么想的。可能这听上去不太像一个问题，或者说有一点书呆子气，但是在我看来，至少在一定程度上能出中国和中国百姓，以及那些制作标识的人对自己和对世界的大概想法。

I think it is valid to ask why nobody actually proof-reads many of the bilingual signs in China. Signs that are not only displayed publicly but brightly illuminated by night, enlarged to giant proportions as billboard ads or huge commercials on street-long construction site fences.
我觉得很有必要问一下，为什么没有人去校对一下很多在中国大街小巷的双语标识。那些标识不仅是出现在公众场合，而且还常常被夜晚的霓虹凸现出来，甚至变成大型的广告牌，或一些整条街道长的建筑工地的篱墙上的巨幅广告。

Most of what I say now is influenced by discussions I recently had with Chinese friends and colleagues. Keep this in mind if I may sound arrogant. I can recall many instances where my Chinese friends look down on their tongbaomen and -women much more than I would ever dare to do (including classic utterances like She has no culture at all 这个人太没文化了。).
我现在要说的想法，都是近来和我的中国朋友们，还有中国同事们讨论后形成的。请你们一直记得这点，如果觉得我听上去有些自大。我还记得很多例子，我的中国朋友比我更看不起他们的同胞们（包括经典的口头禅：这个人太没文化了）。

Here we go.
好了，开始吧。

Possible approaches to China's bilingual sign-makers
制造中国双语标识制作人的可能想法

Approach number 1: Nobody speaks English in China.
可能性1：中国没有人会说英语。
I think, we can exclude that right away. There are not only enough foreigners in China who could do the job, but - more importantly - enough Chinese university graduates with excellent language skills, even more so when they return from abroad. That many Chinese students struggle with the English language, hence the abundant literature on classroom Chinglish, is well-known, but not relevant here.
我想，我们能马上删除这种可能性。中国的确有足够的老外来做这项工作，但更重要的是，她拥有足够多的语言水平很好的大学生，而且还有从国外学成归国的留学生。中国学生们如何努力学习英语众所周知，甚至因此衍生出了丰富的课堂中式英语作品。但这个状况，和我们这里讨论的并不相关。

Approach number 2: We don't care.
可能性2：我们漠不关心。
No matter if it is right or wrong, as long as it looks foreign, cool and different (see entry on this Shanghai hairdresser) we are fine with it.
This, of course, wouldn't have much to do with trying to come up with a real translation.
不管标识是否正确，只要看上去是外国字，是很酷的，是不一样的，就行了（参看上海美容美发用品标识）。这样的想法，对于真正做好一个翻译当时是没什么帮助的。

Approach number 3: We don't know better.
可能性3：我们不知道更好的。
Everyone familiar with certain company structures in China knows what I am referring to. Dongfeng Gongsi needs a new company sign, bilingual, international-looking, who is taking charge of that? Of course, Xiao Wang! Why? 因为他的英文是最好的 Because his English is the best!
What does that sentence really mean? Poor Xiao Wang has to deal with something he might not be familiar with at all, but his superiors regard his English to be the best. In the company. So it is naturally him who gets picked for the task. Luckily no one notices the problems afterwards, because his boss's English is nearly non-existent, so he won't bother.
任何了解中国公司一定运作架构的人，都知道我在说什么。譬如东风公司需要一条新的公司标语。需要是中英文都有的，要有国际视野的，谁能负责呢？当然是小王了。为什么？“因为他的英文是最好的。”
那句话到底是什么意思呢？可怜的小王，必须要做一些他可能并没有那么熟悉的事情，就因为他的上司认为他的英语是最好的。意思是在公司里他英文最好。所以很自然的事情就落到了他头上。很幸运的，没人在事后发现问题，因为他的老板英文很烂，根本不愿意费心去看。

Approach number 4: We want to do it ourselves.
可能性4：我们想要自己的事情自己做。
This would be a discussion about "losing face". How come we've built the Forbidden City and now have to rely on red-haired barbarians helping us with their language! An unlikely scenario, but I wouldn't want to exclude anything too early.
这可能是一个有关“面子”的问题。我们曾经修建了多么雄伟的万里长城，还有故宫，怎么可能到现在居然需要依靠野蛮的红毛人来帮我们学习他们的语言。一种不太可能的假想，但是我不想太早排除任何可能性。

Approach number 5: The might of online translation tools
可能性5：使用网上在线翻译工具的力量
In my next posting I'd like to feature some of them trying to show that it is quite likely that many sign makers are actually frequently using free online software to generate their rather characteristic word-by-word translations.
Using these tools for any Chinese sentence is real fun, by the way.
在我下一篇的文章里，我希望给大家看一些这样的例子。你们可以看到不少标识制作人，事实上很有可能经常使用一些的免费网上翻译的软件，来创造出他们极有特色的逐字翻译。
说句题外话，用这样的工具来翻译中文句子，还挺好玩的。

What do you think? What is the most likely approach in your eyes? Did I miss something completely?
I am very much looking forward to any comment!
你们觉得怎么样？在你们看来，哪一种可能性比较大？或者我是不是完全漏掉了一些其他可能性？
很希望你们能告诉我你们的看法。