This morning in the recording studio we were treated to yet another example of Chinese ineptitude in dealing with English names, this time resulting from the inability to recognise well-known names (usually because of a complete ignorance of how they are spelt or pronounced in English) when transcribing foreign radio or television programmes.Today, you see, we had to read a dialogue about George Oki. You know, the famous American woman painter who drew much inspiration from the landscapes of the New Mexico desert. That George Oki.
2 comments:
What about western ineptitude in dealing with Chinese personalities and names? Do you think many would recognize famous painters like Xu Beihong, or would even be able to spell the name? Look in the mirror before you start nitpicking every little transgression by the Chinese.
Fair point: there are no famous Chinese painters, writers, etc., in the sense of being generally known outside of China - and that is rather a pity.
But anyone vaguely familiar with pinyin doesn't usually have much of a problem in transcribing Chinese words or names. And anyone with an interest in, for example, Chinese painting is likely to be aware if major figures like Xu Beihong.
This is not a small error I'm talking about here, but a really egregious one. And it is an error of type that is very, very common, indeed ubiquitous. Even Chinese who are well-educated and interested in Western art and perhaps familiar with the work of Georgia O'Keeffe are still unable to spell her name, pronounce her name, or recognise her name when it is written or spoken by a native speaker. The same is true for all famous historical figures from outside of China - and that is a very major failing of this country's education system (it's also a failing of the Chinese language itself; but it's something that could be corrected or ameliorated by better teaching).
Post a Comment