Are Your Business Cards Bilingual

Filed in archive Entrepreneurship on October 30, 2007

I came across a blog by Anima a couple of days ago and I felt like I just had to mention it - for two reasons.




First, the blog is about an excellent idea. anima's concept of bilingual business cards is practical and useful. And in China, where exchanging business cards carries the same sort of ritual feeling as a hand shake, having bilingual business cards communicates a commitment to working in China.

The other reason I liked Anima's blog was that I used to teach English as a Second Language classes at the college level. Anima's blog is understandable, but it's errors are also entertaining. For example,

While you listen to the transcriber interpreting every word of the speaker, you get to see to yourself that you really desire to have got a confabulate with him after his delivery.

Hmm. I think "transcriber" is supposed to be "translator." The phase "to see to yourself" is unusual and awkward, but the idea of something like "you get the idea" still comes across. Then "You really desire to have got" is a tense problem because "desire" looks to the future and "have got" is in the past. I was surprised to find that "confabulate" is in fact a word. It's basically a four syllable word for "chat;" but it is a verb and Anima is using it as a noun. You get the idea.

Anima's blog post is worth wading through. And, lest anyone take offense, I'm sure my Chinese is no where near as good as his English...