'Please queue here' Translation

[Haybelline]

Hi all! I work for a Tourist Information Centre in Cambridge and we want to make a sign saying 'Please queue here' in Mandarin Chinese... please can someone help to translate it?! Thanks!

[HashiriKata]

I would say: 请在这里排队

[yonglin]

I think a Chinese sign is more likely to read 请在此排队, no? If you're actually saying it, what HashiriKata said.

[leeyah]

在这里排队

No, it's more like:

请到这边排队 or 请这边排队

or also:

请依次排队 please stand in line, one by one

or simply:

请排队

[adrianlondon]

They won't take any notice of it, however it's written

[leeyah]

Originally Posted by adrianlondon:

They won't take any notice of it, however it's written

Well, I don't know, it depends, but suppose you're right...In which case OP should consider adding (in bold letters, too):

不许加塞儿！(Jumping the queue is strictly prohibited!)

right after 请排队！

This should do

[heifeng]

hmm, maybe just a 请有序排队 but is cutting and such really a big deal in this particular line?

Edited July 3, 2009 at 06:11 PM by heifeng

[Meng Lelan]

They won't take any notice of it, however it's written

I envision something along the lines of them reading this admonishment in any language and adding their own cultural interpretation of what exactly constitutes a queue or lack thereof.

[skylee]

I envision something along the lines of them reading this admonishment in any language and adding their own cultural interpretation of what exactly constitutes a queue or lack thereof.

This reminds me - once I bought something expensive in a Grand Magasin in Paris (Printemps or Lafayette, don't recall) and like everyone else (so I had thought) I joined the long queue for tax refund. Then there was this sign written in Japanese directing all Japanese tax refund seekers to a dedicated service counter. I guess people who didn't read Japanese would not be offended. And then there was this French shop assistant asking every asian face "Japanese?" I shook my head and she simply ignored me. I have a lot of my own cultural intepretation on this.

Back to the original question. Simply 請排隊 will suffice. Unless the counter serves Chinese people only, the sign should include other languages used by tourists of other countries visiting Cambridge,

[Meng Lelan]

I have a lot of my own cultural intepretation on this.

Yeah, I do too, namely that Euro-Caucasians had better learn that not all Asians are from Japan.

Unless the counter serves Chinese people only, the sign should include other languages used by tourists of other countries visiting Cambridge

Agree, then again, it could be the original poster has got a laundry list of languages to ask how to translate the phrase.

[heifeng]

solution:

[Meng Lelan]

This is such a great thread.

[heifeng]

But this one can be used for everyone, while secretly (sorta) targeting Chinese visitors.

[skylee]

great pictures.

please don't forget there are Chinese members here.

[heifeng]

Skylee, our Chinese members are the crown jewels of this site, especially you, I'll definitely remember!

(ISorry! If it evens the score any, I can makes some pictures targeting my fellow American tourists:mrgreen: )

Edited July 4, 2009 at 01:56 AM by heifeng

[isela]

Ouch ouch! Painful, but true...

[Haybelline]

Thanks for your help everyone! We definitely have something to go on now. And don't worry, we have covered all the other languages we could think of - we all speak at least two other languages each just, unfortunately, no Mandarin Chinese :-)

Thank you everyone!

[adrianlondon]

I love the (first) picture idea - it's more playful than telling people what to do, and covers the situation where a bunch of non-queueing people turn up who speak a language you didn't cater for.

Plus you're less likely to make a typo ;)

[Scoobyqueen]

Why not just write:

"Please dont jump the queue" rather than please queue :-)

it would be making a stronger point....

[Lu]

Nono, it's better to make a positive statement. 'Please queue here' assumes we're all polite people here who will queue, and may just need a little pointer on where. 'Please don't jump the queue' is like grumpily assuming people are going to jump the queue if you don't keep telling them not to.