This one has been making the rounds, and it's pretty damn funny... The Max Planck Institute, one of Germany's top research institutions, wanted some Chinese classical texts for the cover design of their latest journal, a special report on China. Cool, right?
I guess no one on the design staff actually reads Chinese, nor did any research, because the cover they ended up getting is actually text from a handbill for a Macau strip club. Boom. Right there on the front page: Chinese 'classical poem' was brothel ad.
The cover of the scientific journal proudly boasts "hot housewives" and their "enchanting and coquettish performance," promising "burlesque acts by pretty-as-jade housewives with hot bodies for the daytime visitor." Oh my. I had no idea that the MaxPlanckForschung journal was that kind of publication.
The Institute was quick to acknowledge its error explaining that it had consulted a "German sinologist" prior to publication of the text. Alas, it seems that this German sinologist doesn't know what the hell he's talking about. Next time, they'd be better off checking with someone at the local Chinese restaurant.
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