Forever Sleep
My favorite Chinese naming convention is one that just doesn't translate. This is a common "expansion to mythical proportions"--a kind of accepted hyperhyperbole which wouldn't work in English. For example, a small cornershop will be called "Internationally Prosperous," or a cheaply made light-bulb (expected lifespan: one month) will be called "Everbright."
This convention really backfired on the naming of this spa, however, which just came across as euphemistic and hugely morbid. The Chinese will read this as, "this is such a good spa treatment that your feeling of relaxation will long exceed your wildest expectations." To the Westerner: existential language + face of clay + stairway to heaven = something deeply creepy, like an embalming facility.
* joshua, 4/27/2004 02:02:44 AM
