Please help - What do these Chinese signs say?

[JamWillem]

Hello,

I am currently helping out in a research project that investigates language use on shop signs.

Each sign has to be coded for variables like 'languages used', 'translation' etc.

I have run into a number signs that are written in (I think) Chinese. Could someone please tell me what the Chinese in the following three pictures means?

Sorry for the large size of the pictures.

Thanks in advance!

[semantic nuance]

Hi,

They are as their English versions on the same picture.

As for the third, 財源廣進 means to wish people to make fortune. 李錦記 is the brand name.

Hope it helps!

[johnmck]

Interesting. I could not find 花旗 in my dictionary so I checked 花旗参 at: http://zh.wikipedia.org/wiki/%E8%8A%B1%E6%97%97%E8%94%98

Turns out 花旗 is an old name for America.

[Koneko]

Thanks, I shall add 花旗国 to my "Alternative Country/ City names in Chinese"!

花旗参 is also known as 花旗泡参.

I am not quite sure if the former refers to dried ginseng and the latter is soaked in water?

Any Chinese medicine experts here?

K.

[grimacekid]

高丽 and 花旗 are the old saying of Koera and America, just try to distinguish where is the ginseng from.

The below is what I googled from the internet, mmm...we really need a Chinese medicine expert to help us translate it.lol

人参药性偏温，高丽参是产于朝鲜的人参，是对道地药材的称呼，本质上和人参是一样的，西洋参药性偏凉，主要用于中医的温热病属气阴两虚者，花旗参是西洋参产于美国加拿大的道地药材，和西洋参也是一样的。

[Ian_Lee]

The Chinese name of Citibank is 花旗银行.

The 花旗参 in U.S. is mostly farmed in Wisconsin. (But none of the Wisconsinian that I talked to is ever aware of their exotic farm product.) Its nature is "Yin" according to Oriental medical principle. So whenever you have swallowed too many barbecue meat in the tailgate party and have sore throat the next morning, instead of drinking two cups of Cranberry juice, you should dip several thin slices of 花旗参 and soak (泡) it in hot water for 20+ minutes and drink it afterwards, most likely your sore throat should go away.

There are many specialty stores in Chinatown in US and Canada that you can easily buy it. There are many grades and all come in bean size. Remember to ask the sales people to slice them because they are too hard/rough for you to do it yourself.

On the other hand, 高丽参 is extremely "Yang" in nature. It is extremely helpful for weak patients. Legend has it that when a terminally ill patient is dying and wants to see his faraway son who rushes to come home, his family will feed him with good quality 高丽参 soup (the older the better). With this ginseng soup, his life can usually last for another 3~4 days.

But if you are extremely healthy, don't eat/drink 高丽参. Otherwise you may have bleeding nose!

If you are a rookie and really want to try it, go to your local Korean restaurant and order "Ginseng Chicken Soup" (Saenggaetang) which ginseng, mochi rice,....etc are stuffed into game hen and cooked for hours.

Actually 高丽参 is not only grown in South Korea. It is also grown in North Korea and Northeast China. The best quality 高丽参 is harvested around Kaesong, North Korea.