In college I took a class on China taught by an Australian professor. I have to say, one of the things I remember years later was a story he told about being served Foster's for breakfast in China. He wondered who the Aussie was who had been there before him, that the Chinese had such a peculiar idea that beer was de rigeur for the first meal of the day. And so we are led to wonder who was responsible for this translation? Slate:

In preparation for this summer's Olympic Games, the Chinese government has recommended new English translations for more than 2,000 traditional Chinese dishes to appeal to Western tourists. The menu items in question include "bean curd made by a pockmarked woman," "ants climbing a tree," and "chicken without sexual life." Where did these unusual names come from ?