(no subject)
Coming back to Taiwan reminds me of how we East Asians like to butcher the use of English. Not on purpose I'm sure, but it does show how bad we are at it.
A couple of years ago a restaurant's sign brought me to stitches. The Chinese literal translation should be "Subconscience", the English says "Unconscious".
The trend of putting the French articles in front of an English word showed up with the shoe store called "LaNew". I sort of forgave it at the end, because it actually doesn't sound too bad once you read it out loud. But today I saw "LeBags" and I wasn't sure whether I should laugh or cry. Not only does it have that mix of French and English, it doesn't even follow the French rule of changing the article according to the noun. I had a very bad urge of putting a 's' after the 'e'.
The one that wins all however appeared on a snack bag. It's one of those traditionally and locally made treats that one buys when one tours there (sort of like how tourists always buy a bottle of maple leaf-shaped maple syrup before they leave Canada). My Grand-aunt just came back after a tour of a nearby county and she brought it back. They are basically elongated, oval shape cookies looking much like the shape of a cow's tongue. It doesn't sound too good, but it actually is very delicious, and very amusing to put in one's mouth and make "moo" sounds with. Anyway, while studying the bag I discovered its English tranlation written in stylishly traditional cursives:
Tongue Cake.
I rest my case.
A couple of years ago a restaurant's sign brought me to stitches. The Chinese literal translation should be "Subconscience", the English says "Unconscious".
The trend of putting the French articles in front of an English word showed up with the shoe store called "LaNew". I sort of forgave it at the end, because it actually doesn't sound too bad once you read it out loud. But today I saw "LeBags" and I wasn't sure whether I should laugh or cry. Not only does it have that mix of French and English, it doesn't even follow the French rule of changing the article according to the noun. I had a very bad urge of putting a 's' after the 'e'.
The one that wins all however appeared on a snack bag. It's one of those traditionally and locally made treats that one buys when one tours there (sort of like how tourists always buy a bottle of maple leaf-shaped maple syrup before they leave Canada). My Grand-aunt just came back after a tour of a nearby county and she brought it back. They are basically elongated, oval shape cookies looking much like the shape of a cow's tongue. It doesn't sound too good, but it actually is very delicious, and very amusing to put in one's mouth and make "moo" sounds with. Anyway, while studying the bag I discovered its English tranlation written in stylishly traditional cursives:
Tongue Cake.
I rest my case.