New | From Nine Dragons to Fire Beach: Creator of alternative MTR map seeks translation help

The creator of an alternative map of Hong Kong's MTR system, where Cantonese names are translated into their literal English versions, is looking for help with tricky translations so he can update his work.

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Published: 11:30am, 15 Apr 2014Updated: 4:25pm, 15 Apr 2014

Justin Cheuk's take on the MTR's station names. Click to enlarge

The creator of an alternative map of Hong Kong's MTR system, where Cantonese names are translated into their literal English versions, is looking for help with tricky translations so he can update his work.

Justin Cheuk, 20, who is studying international relations at Durham University in the UK, created the map earlier this month when it occurred to him that the origin of the names of many MTR stations were a mystery to non-Chinese speakers

It has since attracted thousands of views to Cheuk's bilingual blog that he had been using to stay in touch with friends in Hong Kong.

And now he is looking for help so he can publish an improved second edition.

“A few were quite difficult to translate. And there were a few where once I figured out what they meant, I was quite surprised,” he told the South China Morning Post.

“A lot of the English names are just transliterations based on how the Chinese words sound. But that’s quite unhelpful for someone who does not speak Chinese because they won’t know what the words mean.”