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One more, then giving this topic a rest
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New-looking part of the Shenzhen International Airport, over a door that would lead people into a staff-only zone. Yesterday.
Literally, the Chinese could be rendered as: "Traveler, halt!" Or, to sound less Teutonic, "Travelers, stop!" But if you'd asked a native speaker you'd probably just end up with the simple "No entry."
My reaction to this and innumerable similar signs in China has become sympathy rather than anything else (frustration, mirth, etc). All the fiddling with computerized translation programs, all the paging through English textbooks, all of whatever other effort came up with "The traveler halts," for a result whose oddities could so easily have been avoided. Oh well. The airport itself is nice. Other topics shortly.
Literally, the Chinese could be rendered as: "Traveler, halt!" Or, to sound less Teutonic, "Travelers, stop!" But if you'd asked a native speaker you'd probably just end up with the simple "No entry." My reaction to this and innumerable similar signs in China has become sympathy rather than anything else (frustration, mirth, etc). All the fiddling with computerized translation programs, all the paging through English textbooks, all of whatever other effort came up with "The traveler halts," for a result whose oddities could so easily have been avoided. Oh well. The airport itself is nice. Other topics shortly.
