Jeff Crosby keeps a glossary at the end of some of his blog entries. Admittedly, they might be words a tourist would never use in China. But they are necessary to understand his particular anecdote.

"It's not just about translation, but clear communication," he says over cigarettes and tea at a Sanlitun cafe. "The idea is to expand beyond the textual translation."

He takes the same philosophy as a freelance translator in China's art and culture scene.