Beijing vows to do better at correcting city sign translations

A public sign with a misspelled English word. [Photo/chinadaily.com.cn]

Beijing will further correct translations of public signs to help foreigners make better use of public facilities and establish the capital as a more open and friendly place, a senior official from the city's top foreign affairs authority said on Tuesday.

The city will launch a major campaign to correct translations to prevent confusing foreigners, said Xiong Jiuling, director of the Foreign Affairs Office of Beijing, in a report submitted to the Standing Committee of Beijing Municipal People's Congress.

Xiong said the capital will soon set up a local standard for translations as the 2022 Winter Olympics approaches, and language experts from home and abroad will participate in the process.

Last year, the capital created an annual white paper including 1,005 standard translations for public signs and added 6,061 new translations to create a favorable environment for foreigners.

During the previous inspection, more than 2,600 erroneous translations were identified in 28 popular tourist areas in the city, Xiong said.

"There is still a long way to go for us to manage the use of foreign language signs and regulate the misuse of foreign language translations," she said.

In the future, she added, the city will encourage more institutions including international schools, hospitals and international talent communities to participate in corrections to continuously improve the standard of international public service.

Sun Jie, chairwoman of the ethnic, religious and overseas Chinese foreign affairs committee at the Beijing Municipal People's Congress, said the regulation on public sign translations is still not complete and standardization needs to be improved.

She also advised establishing an online platform to collect, analyze and rectify the capital's translations to improve efficiency.

Yin Meiqun, dean of the International Business School at Beijing International Studies University, said during an earlier field observation organized by the Standing Committee of the Beijing Municipal People's Congress that some localized markings in the capital should be creatively designed to enhance the city's friendly appearance.

"For some famous scenic spots and historical sites, we should adopt more conventional translations to make it easier to understand," she said during an interview with the Beijing News.

According to the Beijing Public Security Bureau, there are more than 200,000 foreigners in Beijing, including permanent residents, visitors and tourists.