more interesting ones in this specific entry were the mis-signed announcements all around that one would need tae bo like stretches of the imagination.
To be fair, one must understand that the difference between Chinese and English languages is huge. Most of the western world uses letters that represent phonemes. The letters construct our words into primarily sounds and, secondly, textual signs (one must sound out a word to begin the association between the letters c-a-t and the clawed feline).
For the Chinese (apparently) it's a combination of pictures (like the hieroglyphs of Egypt) and phonetic complexes that consist of semantic elements that indicate meaning and phonetic elements that "arguably once indicated pronunciation."
That said, for a Chinese sign-maker to even begin to translate "Floor is slippery when wet" from Chinese to Engrish, he would probably have actually lose his footing on some slick pavement, knock himself upside on the head, and then write down the first English words that bounce around in his brain. Hence, this sign.
This phenomenon of mis-signing isn't endemic to China. My travels to Egypt were sandwiched between two trips to London, England. The brits themselves have a peculiar manner of expression that positively delights the lexophile in me in their expert use of the language in the observance of brevity and economy, and possibly, a shortage of sign-effective paint.
To wit
Reads: This building is alarmed. Could it have been too much trouble to say instead, This building is equipped with an alarm system. Or perhaps, This building has several klaxons waiting for their heroic moment.
From now on, I guess, it's okay to call homosexuals telephones. (n.p.i.)
