A clothing store in Beijing has provoked outrage after posting a sign in the window banning Chinese customers.
北京的一家衣服店在窗口挂出“拒绝中国顾客”的牌子后激起了民愤。
The sign, which was reportedly put up a week ago, translated to: 'Chinese not admitted, except for staff.'
据报道称,这块一周前挂出的牌子写道:“除了工作人员外,中国人禁止入内。”
A shop assistant explained it was for business reasons - but another said it was because Chinese customers are irritating.
一位店员解释到这是出于商业原因考虑——但是另一位店员称这是因为中国顾客太烦人了。
One employee at the shop on Yabaolu Street, a popular shopping destination, said Chinese customers are 'too annoying' and 'Chinese women often try on lots of clothes but end up buying nothing'.
人气购物街雅宝路上的一位雇员声称中国顾客“太烦人了”而且“中国女人总是不停试穿,但是最后啥都不买”。
A reporter from the Beijing Youth Daily entered the store posing as a customer but was refused by staff, who said they did not sell clothes to Chinese nationals.
北京青年报的一名记者走进了这家商店,其假扮成顾客但是被工作人员赶了出来,工作人员称他们的衣服不卖中国人。
An employee told the paper that it had been put up to avoid competitors from copying their designs.
一位雇员告诉青年报,这样做是为了防止竞争对手山寨他们的设计。
Shanghaiist.com reported an employee also said the sign had been put after a Chinese customer stole a tourist's wallet then the owners of the shop were forced to pay $5000 in compensation.
Shanghaiist.com 报道称,一位雇员也提到这块牌子之所以挂出,是因为之前一位中国顾客偷了一名游客的钱包,然后店家不得不赔偿5000镑。
'We didn't mean to debase our nationals, but sometimes they have gone too far', one employee said.
“我们没有贬低国人的意思,但是有时候他们做的太过分了”,一名雇员说道。
On social network Weibo, China's answer to Twitter, people were outraged and called for the store to be closed down.
在社交网络新浪微博(中国版推特)上,民众愤起并且呼吁这家店闭店。
One user said: 'Is this still China?'
一名网民说道:“这还是中国吗?”
But Li Xiandong, a professor from China University of Political Science and Law, said that although the sign is discriminatory, the owner hasn't broken any laws as racial discrimination is not illegal in China.
不过中国政法大学的教授李显冬说道,虽然这块告示牌存在歧视性,但是店家并没有违法,因为在中国种族歧视没有被载入法律。
'This may not be regarded as illegal, but this is extremely improper judging from cultural aspects,' he said.
他说,“这种行为可能并不等于犯法,但是从文化角度来说是非常不恰当的。”