One of the charming things about living in Taiwan is stumbling upon quirky English translations. Now, let me be clear: I'm not here to judge anyone's English skills—after all, as long as the meaning is understandable, who cares, right? But sometimes, the translations are just so funny that I can't help but share them with you!
Imagine walking down the street and seeing a sign for a “Feeding the Breast Room” instead of a breastfeeding room, or a sign warning you “Don't Depend On” when they really mean “Do Not Lean On.” The intended meaning is often clear, but the phrasing can lead to some hilarious misunderstandings. These little linguistic surprises always bring a smile to my face. But never in a million years did I think that one of my discoveries would go viral and become a local sensation!
It all started during one of our visits to Huwei, my husband's hometown. We were exploring a spot that’s currently under renovation—an area with old buildings that had been abandoned for years. We noticed an information board covered in English text. Actually, the boards had been there for a couple of weeks at least; we just never paid attention to the text on them before. At first glance, it looked like a mix of random words, full of spelling mistakes and odd phrasing. Intrigued, I snapped a picture and shared it on my social media page.
Little did I know that my post would be stolen and shared in another group, where it quickly went viral. It even made it into the local news! The reason? As it turns out, the text on the board wasn’t just a bunch of nonsensical words—it was the lyrics to Rick Astley's iconic song, "Never Gonna Give You Up."
I had no idea about this song since I was born a few years after it came out. So when we first saw the board, we had no clue we were looking at the lyrics of one of the most famous songs of the '80s. In fact, we were convinced it was just a random jumble of English words that didn't quite match the Chinese translation next to it.
The mix-up caused quite a stir online. People were so amused by the idea of seeing Rick Astley's lyrics on an official board in a small Taiwanese town that they started flocking to Huwei just to see it for themselves. Many thought it was a prank or a photoshopped image, but it was 100% real! Suddenly, this obscure corner of Huwei became an unexpected tourist attraction, with curious visitors wanting to confirm whether the board really existed. It was like an accidental live version of the "Rickrolling" meme, where people trick others into watching the “Never Gonna Give You Up” music video.
The local officials tried to spin the story, claiming it was all done on purpose to draw attention to the area. But considering the place isn’t even fully open to the public yet, I have my doubts. Not to mention that no one noticed or shared it before when it wasn’t newly erected. To add to that, they quickly replaced the boards - doesn’t that seem a bit suspicious? Just a few months ago, the area was completely overgrown with bushes and forgotten by most locals, not to mention actually seeing some travelers visiting this place.
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