“I like your smile, but unlike you put your shoes on my face”. A charming way of saying “Keep off the grass”. But could you figure it out? Or this: “Wash Clothing Store” for laundry.
They are both typical Chinglish, a combination of English vocabulary and Chinese grammar. Expressions such as “people mountain people sea”, means extremely crowded, and “give you some color to see”, meaning a punishment, are widely known and recognized.
Chinglish has been attracting global attention in recent years as China grows rapidly in status on the world stage, attracting both fans and detractors(批评者).
The Beijing Speaks Foreign Languages Programme and English First China Company, a language trainer known as EF Education, jointly launched a campaign to root out poor grammar and misused vocabulary in downtown Beijing. They argue Chinglish is an embarrassment that we should let it die out at all costs.
“It is meaningful to allow the capital to show its most beautiful historical and cultural heritage to the world." Michael Lu, vice-president of EF Education said, “since the launching of the campaign, foreign teachers and students had been very keen to volunteer participation.”He believed signs were very important in public services. "The signs in some old buildings confused foreign visitors.
Chinglish, although the target of much criticism, has also won supporters who regard it as an interesting way for foreigners to learn how Chinese people think and express themselves.
“Many Chinglish logos carry Chinese elements and they will enrich the English language,” 32-year-old Oliver Radtke said. He had even published a book “Chinglish: Found in Translation,” on the subject. About 50,000 copies of the book have been sold since it was published in 2007.
Some Chinese university experts also side with Chinglish. "English has absorbed elements from other languages such as French and Spanish in its growth, and the emergence of Chinglish again testifies(说明) to the language’s vitality and inclusiveness," said Shi Anbin, an associate professor of Tsinghua University.
小题1:How did Chinglish come into being?
A．Chinese people misunderstood the meaning of the new words.
B．Chinese people combined English vocabulary with Chinese grammar.
C．Chinese people based their English on the native English speakers.
D．Chinese people make wide use of English vocabulary with bad spelling.小题2:What Shi Anbin said means .
A．there are many French and Spanish words in English
B．English is the language with vitality and inclusiveness
C．Chinglish enriches English and shouldn’t be got rid of
D．Chinglish has greater effect on English than French and Spanish小题3:According to Oliver Radtke, Chinglish .
A．shows how Chinese people think
B．does damage to the English language
C．shows the great humor of Chinese people
D．should be sold to all over the world
