05.05.08
Enjoy The Free Happiness!
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I was filing through my China pictures the other day and discovered this shot, from the Fuzhou Forest Park, one of my all-time favorite examples of Curious English. The Chinese literally means “Enjoy the happiness of free people” but I imagine this didn’t sound as poignant to the sign makers as “Enjoy The Free Happiness.” Here is what I was able to deduce from this billboard. Please feel free to add if I have missed anything.
-Happiness is best expressed through bar-b-cuing.
-Happiness is available and abundant.
-The Happiness must be consciously enjoyed to be taken advantage of fully.
-Westerners like to drink beer out of red cups and grill lobsters.
ZL
said,
May 5, 2008 at 11:10 pm
-Fat guys love hawaiian shirts
James Jiang
said,
May 6, 2008 at 5:46 am
-Westerners are free.
James Jiang
said,
May 6, 2008 at 5:51 am
There is an American flag behind my name. But actually I’m in China. I visit your blog through a proxy and I think probably that is the reason of the wrong flag.
Gabrielle
said,
May 6, 2008 at 2:40 pm
I miss signs like that. China made me laugh a lot.
Phillip
said,
May 10, 2008 at 8:56 am
Hey Ben, it’s been a while since I’ve posted or chatted with you.
This sign is really strange to me, since the Chinese and English are really at odds.
The Chinese definitely says “Enjoy the Happiness of Free People” – like “people with freedom.” “free happiness” sounds more like “happiness at no charge,” which would be 免费, right? I really can’t offer much more than that. Have you sent this to the German guy at chinglish.com?
Limin
said,
June 3, 2009 at 10:07 am
Yes, I think free here means “No Cost”