A draft version of English translations for 2,753 Chinese dishes and drinks served in restaurants has been released in Beijing recently and is now open for public opinions before it is finalized.
The draft version came into being one year after Beijing Tourism Bureau launched the standardizing work on English translations for restaurant menus last March, as part of the effort in creating a more user-friendly communication environment for foreign guests during the 2008 Olympics.
To better introduce the profound Chinese culinary culture, this draft version has categorized the dishes by ingredients, cooking method, and flavor. Still, a large part is named after the people who created the dish or the region where it originated.
Some dishes retained their names in Pinyin as they are distinctive in China and have been accepted by foreigners, such as Zhengjiao (steamed dumpling) and Tangyuan (glutinous dumpling).
The draft is open for discussion until September 1.
The translation draft compiled by Beijing's tourism bureau has been examined by experts from tourism institution of Beijing Union University.
The new version of the translation of Chinese dishes will be promoted nationwide.
英文版中餐菜单草案翻译了2,753个在中餐馆出现的中式菜肴和饮品名称，最近已在北京公布并征集公众意见以最后定稿。
此菜单翻译草案是北京旅游局自去年三月份开始实施参观菜单英文翻译标准化工作以来一年的成果，目的是为了能在2008年奥林匹克运动会期间来中国的外国游客创造更有好的客户交流环境。
为了能更好得向世界介绍博大精深的中国饮食文化，本草案将菜肴按原料、烹调方式及风味进行分类。很大部分菜肴是根据其创作人或原产地命名。
有些菜肴保留了其中国拼音形式，因为这些名字有中国特色且已被外国人接受，例如：Zhengjiao（蒸饺）和Tangyuan（汤圆）等。
草案征集公众意见时间截止2007年9月1日。
菜单翻译草案由北京旅游局完成并经北京联合大学旅游学院专家审阅。
此中式菜肴英译新版确定后将在全国范围内推广。
