Get an Electric Shock Carefully

This column aims to identify Chinglish in public areas. If you see any Chinglish signs, please send a picture of it to wangyu2008@ynet.com together with your name and address.

By Terry-Boyd Zhang

When first learning Chinese, at least for me, there seemed to be many words that were repetitive or unnecessary. Knowing more now, I appreciate the clarity and consideration that these words bring to everyday life. Take this sign for example: Get an electric shock carefully. It is a kind and gentle person who posted this sign for your benefit. Getting an electric shock is not something to be taken lightly. My dad used to have a Taser-like object for getting livestock onto the truck and, boy, you didn’t want to be swinging that thing around carelessly! (Barbaric, you say? He had one; I don’t recall him ever using it on the animals.)

Also, wrapping your car around a hydro-pole in the middle of a downpour or bathing with your laptop are both bad ideas – not “careful” at all. It’s kind of like “Run slowly!” If you do want to electrocute yourself, you had best do it carefully. Better yet, you should be careful, that’s for sure, and know that the box or the building where this sign was spotted probably contains dangerous high-voltage electrical equipment that will burn you to a crisp if you insist on opening the box or playing in the building. Rather than frying yourself, leave any fixing of the wires to professional electricians. Smartest to stay away.