All signs in "Chinglish" [not standard English but a kind of hybrid
English with Chinese characteristics] will be removed in Beijing
whether they mark parks, scenic spots, museums, exhibition halls,
streets, avenues, airports, railway stations or bus stations. In
their place will be signs in idiomatic English.
Zhang Mao, vice mayor of Beijing, who is in charge of the project,
said the replacement of signs is part of systematic work to assure
-- thanks to easy communication with Chinese people -- that all
foreign visitors as well as foreign athletes for the 2008 Beijing
Olympic Games feel at home in China.
At
the first meeting of the Citizens Speaking Foreign Languages
Committee on Wednesday, members said the task is not only to phase
out "Chinglish" but to assist Beijing's efforts to become an
international city. Also planned: Chinese-English bilingual
signboards at bus stops, English-language announcements on buses
about each stop for bus passengers, even a device in taxicabs to
explain fees and other information.
Besides assuring convenient services for foreign visitors, the
language committee wants to encourage a good English-learning
atmosphere among people in Beijing where it is reported that some
600,000 citizens are enthusiastically participating in "Speaking
English" activities in various ways.
The municipal government expects to create more opportunities for
citizens to speak English, through English-speaking competitions,
for example. In addition, a hotline telephone number -- 68700606 --
has been set up to provide citizens with information about English
learning, websites on Citizens' Speaking English are under
construction, and English columns are showing up in various kinds
of newspapers and periodicals in China.
Many activities to encourage Beijing citizens to speak English made
their debut a year ago. Since that time it's estimated that some
1500 taxi drivers in Beijing can speak English, and more than 2,500
bus attendants have a good command of English as needed for bus
passengers. Beijing's 40,000 policemen have been provided a
brochure on English related to law enforcement.
(北京晨報(bào) [Beijing Morning Post]
April 11, 2002, translated by Feng Shu for China.org.cn)