Respectable journal cover colour matches faces

Often when I have been travelling in Asia, I have seen a nicely coloured Tshirt and thought I would bring it home as a souvenir. On looking closer there will sometimes be a series of Chinese/Japanese characters also adorning it, and the shirt stays where it is. Why? Because I don’t understand what the characters say and would like to know what I, or the person I purchase said Tshirt for, is wearing emblazoned across their chest or back. Yes, perhaps it could be funny, or perhaps even partly funny in translation … but also, maybe not.

Editors of the respected research institute MaxPlanckForschung had hoped to find an elegant Chinese poem to grace the cover of a special issue, focusing on China. Not what they got! It ran the text of a handbill for a Macau strip club, extolling the lusty details of stripping housewives instead! Big oops! Well, at least it matched the colours of some faces.

And in somewhat of a double whammy, publication of the journal caused some anger among touchier internet users in China who felt the institute had done it on purpose to insult China, or that it was disrespectful to use Chinse as a decoration.

But generally, the faux-pas sparked much amusement among Chinese readers.


The Max Planck Institute was quick to acknowledge its error explaining that it had consulted a German sinologist prior to publication of the text.

Next time, guys, get someone who can actually read the characters … perhaps someone from China?

News.com.au