The story is that a restaurant wanted a sign made.

The sign maker asked: What is the name of the restaurant?

The owner of the restaurant answered: Just make it easy. Just put 餐cān 厅tīng (restaurant) on the sign.

The sign maker suggested: How about putting some English as well. It is trendy.

Sounded good to the restaurant owner: OK! Sounds good.

What then? He gave it some thought.

The restaurant owner answered: Just put 餐cān 厅tīng both in Chinese and in English. Make it simple! But I do not speak or know any English.

The sign maker said proudly: No problem! I can do it for you.

The sign maker, though, did not know much English either, he had a secret weapon: a computer and internet access. He looked 餐cān 厅tīng up and the online translation tool said:  Translate server error. So…..

The danger goes on both ways. Many of my students also use the convenient online translation tools. The result can be hilarious. The following is my own test: I put 大dà 便biàn 利lì 老lăo 百băi 姓xìng ( great convenience to the ordinary people) and asked the tool to translate

I got: shit advantage ordinary people.

How nice!