China loses high-speed rail export bid over bad translations

中国高铁出口曾因翻译错误丢订单：刮雨器译成抹布

A high-speed train travelling to Guangzhou is seen running on Yongdinghe Bridge in Beijing, Dec 26, 2012. [File photo by Jiao Hongtao/China Daily]

(ECNS) - Inadequate English competence has become a serious disadvantage for China's high-speed rail exports, the China Economic Weekly reports.

After two years of efforts, the overseas marketing team at CSR Zhuzhou Electric Locomotive Co. was just one step away from winning a bid in a Northern Europe project in late 2012.

However, due to mistakes in translations, the plan submitted by the Chinese team was rejected.

The Chinese for 'window wiper' was translated into English as 'dust cloth,' which is a typical example of Chinglish, said Zhang Minyu, vice general manager of the railway company's Overseas Marketing Division.

There is no uniform English translation of Chinese high-speed rail standard specifications, leaving Chinese companies with no consistent English format to follow when bidding for projects overseas.

China's technical and commercial English lags far behind overseas rivals such as Alstom, Bombardier and Siemens. This might be the biggest disadvantage for China's high-speed rail exports, said Xu Bo, manager of the Overseas Marketing Center at CSR Zhuzhou Electric Locomotive Co.

Xu added that technicians who can communicate in English like native speakers are treasured.

An industry expert advised that in order to form international standard documents, China needs joint efforts from companies and the academic community, as well as a unified government organization.