When literal translation goes wrong: (more) real examples from Chinese–English business reports
- Ka Yee Meck
- Dec 22, 2025
- 7 min read
I recently wrote a blog post sharing how I tackled some common issues when translating business reports from Chinese to English. Since I wrote that post, I’ve encountered more examples (some of which are actually laugh-out-loud funny) and collated some tips which I thought would be worth sharing.
In this blog post, I’ll some some real examples from an actual client project where my role was to review and edit an existing Chinese–English translation of a business report. The original translations weren’t necessarily “wrong” in the grammatical sense, or on a word level – but they were off-tone, overly literal, unintentionally comical, or simply not how business English works in practice.
The purpose of this post is twofold:
To highlight common pitfalls when translating business reports from Chinese to English
To show, through concrete examples, how smart wording choices can dramatically improve clarity, tone and credibility
If you work with Chinese-language source material – whether you’re a translator, an agency, or a business commissioning translations – these are exactly the kinds of issues worth watching out for.
Example 1: “Dispelling the inflation monster”
Chinese source text
在大家关注的通胀问题，土耳其也积极打消通胀怪兽。
Original translation
Regarding the inflation issue that everyone is concerned about, Turkey is also actively dispelling the inflation monster.
I’ll be honest – I actually laughed out loud when I read inflation monster.🤣
In Chinese, calling inflation a “monster” isn’t unacceptable in business writing. In general, Chinese business writing tends to favour vivid, even quite dramatic and exuberant writing that feels evocative and emphatic to a Chinese audience. In English business reports, however, this kind of metaphor instantly feels informal, sensationalist, or even downright comical, like in this example.
Revised translation
While inflation remains a key challenge, Turkey is taking proactive steps to address it.
What was improved
Shifted from descriptive imagery to neutral, professional business tone
Delivered the same meaning in language that aligns with English-language business reporting
Example 2: Travel brochure or business report?!
Chinese source text
旅游业蓬勃发展体验经济当道
观光客们聚精会神的，在伊斯坦布尔一处的苦行僧小屋观看旋转舞表演，这是每天都会在土耳其上演的场景，根据土耳其统计局（TÜİK）于2025年7月31日公布的资料，土耳其上半年观光收入达258亿美元，较去年同期成长7.6%，创下历年同期新高。
Original translation
Tourism flourishes as the experience economy gains prominence
Tourists watch whirling dervishes perform at a dervish lodge in Istanbul, a scene that unfolds daily in Turkey. According to data released by the Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK) on 31 July 2025, Turkey’s tourism revenue in the first half of the year reached USD 25.8 billion, representing a year-on-year increase of 7.6%, setting a new record for the same period.
My initial reaction was... HUH?
That opening sentence reads more like something from a travel brochure than an English-language business or market report!
This kind of vivid, punchy imagery is very common in Chinese business writing, where authors often use expressive language to give reports more energy and momentum. In English industry reports, however, this style usually feels out of place.
While it might work in an opinion piece or a feature article in the Financial Times, it can undermine the neutral, analytical tone expected of market and industry reports. In these contexts, localisation means toning down the imagery and reshaping the language so the focus stays firmly on clarity, insight and credibility.
I debated whether to remove the imagery entirely. In the end, I kept it – but reframed it.
Revised translation
Tourism flourishes as the experience economy gains prominence
Tourism continues to play a pivotal role in Turkey’s consumer economy, as experience-led activities – such as cultural performances including whirling dervish ceremonies in Istanbul – attract large numbers of visitors. According to data released by the Turkish Statistical Institute (TÜİK) on 31 July 2025, tourism revenue reached USD 25.8 billion in the first half of the year, representing year-on-year growth of 7.6% and setting a new record for the same period.
What was improved
Integrated the imagery into an analytical, business-appropriate framework
Framed cultural detail as evidence of experience-led demand, not decorative storytelling
Improved flow and coherence between narrative and data
Example 3: Militaristic imagery and unconnected clauses
Chinese source text
线下体验：仍是主战场，生活型商品难被取代
尽管电商势头强劲，但在重视「人情味」与「食材新鲜度」的土耳其，实体消费仍有其根基
Original translation
Offline experience: Still the main battlefield, lifestyle goods are difficult to replace
Despite the strong momentum of e-commerce, physical consumption still has its roots in Turkey, where “human touch” and “freshness of ingredients” are highly valued.
While the overall meaning is understandable, expressions such as “main battlefield” and “physical consumption” are overly literal and read as distinctly non-idiomatic in English. These phrases are a direct transplant of Chinese business terminology and feel awkward in an English industry report.
In addition, the headline mirrors the Chinese sentence structure too closely, placing two clauses side by side without clearly signalling how they relate to each other. Without an explicit connection, the sentence becomes confusing and distracting for the reader.
The quotation marks around “human touch” and “freshness of ingredients” further add friction, as this kind of emphasis is natural in Chinese but feels unnecessary and unnatural in English business writing.
What was improved
Reduced militaristic and abstract phrasing
Rewrote in an idiomatic, reader-friendly English
Maintained meaning while improving readability and tone
Example 4: “Penetrating catering and retail scenarios”
Chinese source text
在品牌格局上，土耳其金融科技龙头Papara稳居领先地位，提供从支付、保险到贵金属投资的一站式服务，渗透餐饮与零售场景。
Original translation
In terms of brand landscape, Turkish fintech leader Papara maintains its leading position, offering one-stop services from payments and insurance to precious metal investments, penetrating catering and retail scenarios.
“Penetrating catering and retail scenarios”... This one was PAINFUL to read.
Yes, it might be grammatically correct, but it is deeply uncomfortable to read in English business writing. The issue lies in a word-for-word transfer of two Chinese terms that behave very differently in English. The verb 渗透 (shentou) is used extremely freely in Chinese corporate discourse to describe market entry, expansion or increased adoption. In English, however, penetrate has a much narrower and more literal range of usage, and outside of very specific technical contexts, it often sounds awkward or overly aggressive in a business setting. As a result, it tends to draw attention to itself rather than communicate the intended meaning.
A similar problem arises with 场景 (changjing). This is one of the most overused terms in Chinese business writing and can refer to use cases, environments, contexts, applications or customer touchpoints, depending on the sentence. Translating it mechanically as scenario may be accurate in isolation, but in many cases it produces English that feels vague, abstract or unnatural.
When these two terms are combined and translated literally, the result is copy that is technically "correct" but fails stylistically. It does not align with English business-writing conventions and immediately signals to the reader that the text has been translated rather than written for them.
Revised translation
Looking at the competitive landscape, Turkish fintech leader Papara continues to hold a leading position, offering a broad range of services spanning payments, insurance and precious metal investments, with broad adoption across catering and retail settings.
What was improved
Replaced literal verbs (penetrate) with natural collocations
Removed awkward, direct translations of 场景 (“scenarios”)
Example 5: "Conquer" and "invincible"
Chinese source text
[Company XXX] 如何帮助企业征服土耳其市场
Original translation
How [Company XXX] helps enterprises to conquer the Turkish market
Revised translation
How [Company XXX] empowers enterprises to succeed in the Turkish market
And another one:
Chinese source text
确保企业始终立于不败之地。
Original translation
...ensuring that the enterprise always remains invincible.
Revised translation
...helping enterprises remain resilient and competitive over the long term.
Words like 征服 (“conquer”) and 立于不败之地 (“remain invincible”) are extremely common in Chinese business and marketing discourse. In Chinese, this kind of language signals confidence, ambition and capability – and readers intuitively simply understand it as rhetorical emphasis.
In English business writing, however, these same words land very differently. "Conquer" and "invincible" carry strong militaristic and absolutist overtones, which can feel exaggerated and, quite simply, unprofessional.
English-language corporate and B2B communication tends to favour measured confidence over bravado. Concepts like empowerment, resilience, competitiveness and long-term success align far more closely with how businesses actually talk about growth, market entry and strategy. They acknowledge complexity and risk while still conveying strength and expertise.
What was improved
Removed aggressive or absolute language (conquer, invincible)
Replaced it with credible, professional, trust-building business phrasing
Example 6: When “butler-style service” isn’t doing you any favours
Chinese source text
优质、贴心的管家式服务
Original translation
Quality, considerate butler-style service
Revised translation
High-quality, dedicated service support
At first glance, this translation appears accurate, but it illustrates another common pitfall of word-for-word rendering. In Chinese, 管家式 (butler-style) is used much more broadly and metaphorically than its English equivalent. It conveys ideas such as attentiveness, reliability, end-to-end support and a high level of care, without necessarily evoking the literal image of a butler. To a Chinese reader, the phrase feels general, positive and service-oriented.
In English, however, “butler-style service” is far more specific. It strongly evokes a particular image associated with luxury hotels, private estates or high-end hospitality. Outside of those contexts, especially in B2B or corporate materials, the phrase can sound odd, outdated or simply unclear. Readers may pause to ask what “butler-style” actually means in practice, which distracts from the intended message rather than reinforcing it.
In this case, effective localisation requires stepping away from the literal metaphor and expressing the underlying idea in terms that English-speaking audiences naturally use, such as dedicated support, end-to-end service or highly attentive customer service. The goal is not to preserve every word present in the source text, but to preserve the INTENDED meaning and tone in a way that feels natural and credible in English.
What was improved
Avoided distracting the reader with unintended connotations
Delivered a clear, professional value proposition instead
Final thoughts: why you need “localised” translation
I think the examples above illustrate the nuance involved in translating business reports from Chinese into English. A translator or reviewer needs to go beyond word-for-word accuracy and consider tone, register and audience expectations. Otherwise, the text will inevitably read like a translation – awkward in its flow and, at times, unintentionally amusing, as it certainly was for me.
And that matters, because language shapes how your business, your data and your expertise are perceived.
If you need professional Chinese–English business translation, or a thorough review and editing pass to make sure your English reads like it was written (not translated), feel free to get in touch. I’d be very happy to help you avoid these pitfalls before they reach your audience.
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