I suppose if I spoke Mandarin, I would know how that could have come about…

But that’s actually part of the reason why I’ll defend Chinglish, the fact that I don’t speak a word of Mandarin myself. What right have I got to moan about Chinglish? All it means is that someone is trying. And sometimes, Chinglish is head and shoulders above a traditional translation. Take this:

“Tender, fragrant grass. How hard-hearted to trample”.

I for one prefer that to “Keep off the grass”.

Of course, if a translation is of vital importance, that’s when you bring in a translation company to do the job. We deal with a lot of Chinese documentation at work and we always have it translated professionaly because we can’t afford any mistakes.

But wherever it’s harmless, Chinglish ought to be left in place.