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Commercial Diversity

Posted by / April 10, 2005

9 Comments

TD Language.jpg
Commercial diversity or diversity commercialized?

The TD Canada Trust sign is one of many in Chinatown along Spadina Ave. that boasts an English and translated version of its name. The optimist inside me wants to believe that some businesses felt it was necessary to provide the translation - especially considering their location.

The cynic inside me believes that it's just another marketing ploy. Wouldn't the TD logo on its own suffice to reveal the type of business located in the building? Can the name 'TD Canada Trust' properly translate into a foreign language (especially Cantonese or Mandarin)?

Skepticism aside, translated 'Canadian' commercial business signs in Chinatown must be useful to some locals, so maybe I should stop being so paranoid and be proud of the diversity that surrounds me.

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Danielle / April 10, 2005 at 10:57 am
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In this case, I believe translating the name is meant to advertise that service is provided in that language.
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billyfrombelfast / April 10, 2005 at 12:06 pm
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Chain businesses do it in all the Chinatowns I've been in, not just Toronto's.
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Christine / April 10, 2005 at 10:38 pm
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In this case, it's a phonetic translation of the bank's name and doesn't really mean anything. It's helpful in a sense that they get familiar with names of establishments by their real names ... or as close to it as possible.
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Korkas / April 10, 2005 at 11:53 pm
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I guess a sub-point I was trying to get at is TD Canada Trust to us means 'bank', just as McDonalds means 'fast food'. We have been trained/taught to recognize their symbols and logos as such.

Symbols are recognizable in any language, and retain meaning, which made me wonder if TD Canada Trust (and other large Chinatown businesses) are trying to be 'hip'? I'm still up in the air with my own decision - so I thought I'd throw the idea out to the Toronto masses!
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MattAlexander / April 12, 2005 at 07:02 am
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I'm in Osaka, Japan right now and I am DELIGHTED AS HELL at the amount of English signage. Don't forget that the TD logo is no more than a stylized TD, and therefore meaningless to people who don't use that alphabet.

It's only a marketing ploy as much as any signage is a marketing ploy. And it's less of a marketing ploy that that AWFUL McDonalds IN CHINATOWN sign that was in front of the short-lived McDonalds on Dundas. Now it's a Tim Horten's but at least they don't make it look like a theme park.
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Korkas / April 12, 2005 at 05:24 pm
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I'm glad you posted; you definitely swayed my views by contrasting your situation in Osaka and their abundance of English-signage.

Speaking of the old McDonalds at Dundas/Spadina, was <a href="http://www.korkas.com/gallery/existence/McDonalds_Chinatown";>this</a> the sign you were referring to?
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MattAlexander / April 13, 2005 at 06:22 am
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That's it exactly. I felt SO embarassed to be a white guy on the streetcar when I saw that.
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JackatM2 / April 14, 2005 at 01:34 pm
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The translation is actually quite good. It means "bright road" literally, but also can be interpreted as "guiding light" "brighter future" Phonetically, the two chinese charactors also work in both Cantonese and Mandarin. Whoever the translator was, he/she should be given a big round of applause...
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Korkas / April 24, 2005 at 10:40 pm
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I thought that the translation would infer that Canada Trust was a bank, or a place to keep money?

I've been with Canada Trust for a few years now but I wouldn't necessarily call them a 'bright road'.

My confusion/intrigue has just increased exponentially. Maybe it's time to take up some Cantonese/Mandarin.
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