當心坑洞 caution, hole

[Kenny同志]

This is a picture from Liuzhou Laowai's blog.

What's wrong with the translation?

Mind the pit or caution, pit?

PS:

@liuzhou

No offence is intended, liuzhou. I posted this in the hope that people here could help me to learn good English.

[muirm]

I don't see anything wrong with that translation. I don't understand that blog post either. Maybe he is suggesting the picture is funny somehow? That doesn't really make sense either.

[creamyhorror]

Yeah, there's nothing really wrong with the English, not sure why he tags it as Chinglish. Maybe he's too used to his own country's way of phrasing warning signs like these. "Pit" might work better but "hole" isn't wrong. Your suggestion of "Mind the pit" is fine too.

Or maybe it's because he missed out the comma and thought the sign said "Caution hole" (hence the blogpost title), which counts as broken English.

[Kenny同志]

Thanks for your confirmation, muirm and Creamyhorror.

[imron]

I don't understand that blog post either. Maybe he is suggesting the picture is funny somehow?

Falling down holes appears to be a recurring problem in Liuzhou. I think Liuzhou Laowai was just happy/shocked/surprised to see people trying to do something about it.

[liuzhou]

Well, thank you for your interest in my Liuzhou Laowai blog. This particular entry is nearly five years old, so I was surprised to suddenly see it getting an unusual number of hits.

I don't see why people are confused by it. I said quite clearly that

Having pointed out several times that Liuzhou people like falling down holes, I had to show you this. They are now pointing out the better holes to fall down

As Imron says

Falling down holes appears to be a recurring problem in Liuzhou

That was the joke and the post really had to be read in the context of previous posts, which I did link to.

I tagged it Chinglish because I believe Chinglish is not just a matter of "incorrect" translation, but also of pragmatic appropriateness. I'm fairly sure an English sign would never read "Caution, hole".

Secondly, I was amused because there was no hole in sight, although the post doesn't show that.

The blog title "Caution Hole" is yet another joke not worth explaining.

[Kenny同志]

Thanks liuzhou for your reply.

I should have noticed you meant to be humourous.

I like the style of your writing and your sense of humour. In fact, I read your posts with intense interest last night till I became too tired to read more. I definitely will go to your blog again to learn whatever you will say.

By the way, what’s the English for 當心坑洞 in the UK?

[liuzhou]

Thanks kenny2006woo.

I don't think there would be a sign with a direct translation pointing out that there is a hole. Any sign would be more likely to relate to warning that workers are filling the hole. Dangerous holes here tend to remain unfilled, providing with me with more to blog about!

Also. signs in England tend to be visual rather than in words, so that everyone understands them, irrespective of their language. And no, this doesn't mean "man opening umbrella ahead".

[roddy]

I would like to think we just put a barrier around the hole and allow the public to figure it out.

[Kenny同志]

Haha, thanks for your information but the sign does look like the man's trying to open his umbrella ahead.

Roddy, doing that is poentially dangerous and can lead to liability, I am afraid.

[imron]

Far less dangerous than *not* putting a barrier around the hole and allowing the public to figure it out.

[jbradfor]

How about just fixing the @#)(%)@) hole?

[Silent]

Fix the hole?????? I'ld rather have the road fixed.

[YuehanHao]

In my view the translation is readily understandable yet substandard / incorrect. Because of the comma, my first impression is that one is addressing the hole with a clipped command to be careful (e.g., in the mode of a superior to an inferior, as in "Silence, knave!"). So it is amusing.

I would instead expect to see a sign with each word on a separate line or else with one word highlighted or visually emphasized to suggest a break between the two concepts - this is commonly done on warning notices. In plain text without separation by line, I would find a colon superior to a comma.

[Kenny同志]

Thank you very much for your input, Yuehan. It's very helpful.

[jbradfor]

I would instead expect to see a sign with each word on a separate line or else with one word highlighted or visually emphasized to suggest a break between the two concepts

While true, it does lead to very amusing signs such as the every popular

Slow

Children

At Play

A comma would really help.

[liuzhou]

Here is an alternative - also spotted in Liuzhou.

[Kenny同志]

Thanks for sharing this photo, Liuzhou.

[jbradfor]

"Beware of the pit" That sounds funny to me as well. It makes me feel that even if I walk near it, it might reach out and grab me.

[Kenny同志]

English is no easier than Chinese.