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[george]

China bars English words in all publications

BEIJING, Dec 23 (ANTARA) - Chinese newspapers, books and websites will no longer be allowed to use English words and phrases, the country`s publishing body has announced, saying the "purity" of the Chinese language is in peril.

The General Administration of Press and Publication, which announced the new rule on Monday, said the increasing use of English words and abbreviations in Chinese texts had caused confusion and was a means of "abusing the language".

Such practices "severely damaged the standard and purity of the Chinese language and disrupted the harmonious and healthy language and cultural environment, causing negative social impacts," the body said on its website.

"It is banned to mix at will foreign language phrases such as English words or abbreviations with Chinese publications, creating words of vague meaning that are not exactly Chinese or of any foreign language," it said.

GAPP said companies which violated the regulation would face "administrative punishment" without offering specifics.

English abbreviations such as NBA (National Basketball Association), GDP (gross domestic product), CPI (consumer price index) and WTO (World Trade Organization) are commonly used in Chinese publications.

The body left a small loophole, saying that "if necessary", English terms could be used but now must be followed by a direct translation of the abbreviation or an explanation in Chinese, according to the regulation.

The names of people or places in English also must be translated, the China Daily reported Wednesday.

One editor at a Beijing publishing house told the newspaper that the new GAPP regulation could actually result in reduced understanding.

"The intention of protecting the Chinese language is good. But in an age ofglobalisation, when some English acronyms like WTO have been widely accepted by readers, it might be too absolute to eliminate them," the editor said.

"Conversationally, people also use these words all the time, so the regulation could create discord between the oral and written uses of language."

Earlier this year, China Central Television and Beijing Television told the China Daily that they had received notification from the government to avoid using certain English abbreviations on Chinese programmes. (ANTARA)


-- TNA 2010-12-24

[Zpete]

Just imagine if signs and packaging was also banned using attempted Engrish.

We will miss out on some of the funniest laffs around.

Edited by Zpete, 2010-12-24 10:13:13.

[Orac]

Hasn't France been trying to do this for years??

[ukrules]

Zpete, on 2010-12-24 10:12:38, said:

We will miss out on some of the funniest laffs around.

Yes, like this one which is apparently a sign for a cafe

 translateservererror.jpg   30.08K   24 downloads

[canuckamuck]

China must be taking advice from French Canadians in Quebec.

[Togo]

How will they write "Made in China" ?

[JIP]

Let's show em:  We'll start calling again Beijing by it's "real English" name... "Peking".

[Boater]

Orac, on 2010-12-24 10:22:35, said:

Hasn't France been trying to do this for years??

yes , and the french are the only people who visit thailand and expect everyone else to speak there lingo

[Brewsta]

From FrAnglais to ChAnglais and back?   Must be Silly Season again.

It will be interesting to see if the PR China authorities have more success with seeing off English language used in this manner - the French continue to fail miserably in their equivalent 'purity of native language' efforts over the last few decades.

Mind you, the French authorities do tend to shoot less of their citizens for dissent than thier Chinese counterparts!

Be sure to communicate accurately and linguistically / completely as you wander through your Xmas & New Year festivities, yes?

Seasons Greetins to All.

Brewsta

[terryp]

Borrocks?

[lowbo]

... screw China... I'm about fed-up with their 'Imperialistic' view of the world...

[Orac]

"English abbreviations such as NBA (National Basketball Association)"

Can't see how they can blame the English for this one.

[Brewsta]

terryp, on 2010-12-24 11:05:08, said:

Borrocks?

Sadly, the PRC authorities most probably will enforce this doomed policy publicly and rigidly for the forseeable future.

[PaulDee]

How do you say MERRY CHRISTMAS in Chinese?

[ebroguy]

PaulDee, on 2010-12-24 11:16:09, said:

How do you say MERRY CHRISTMAS in Chinese?

Duh ! Melly Clissmas  

[Brewsta]

PaulDee, on 2010-12-24 11:16:09, said:

How do you say MERRY CHRISTMAS in Chinese?

聖誕快樂 新年快樂 [圣诞快乐 新年快乐    or if you prefer phonetics:

(singdaanjit tùhng sànnìhn faailohk)
恭喜發財 (gùng héi faat chōi) - used at Chinese New Year



(singdaanjit tùhng sànnìhn faailohk)
恭喜發財 (gùng héi faat chōi) - used at Chinese New Year Chinese
(Hakka)聖誕節快樂, 新年快樂 (shin⁵-tan⁵-ziet⁷ kwai⁵-lok⁸, sin¹-ngien² kwai⁵-lok⁸)
恭喜發財 (giung¹ hi³ fat⁷ coi²) - used at Chinese New Year Chinese
(Mandarin)聖誕快樂 新年快樂 [圣诞快乐 新年快乐]
(shèngdàn kuàilè xīnnián kuàilè)
恭喜發財 [恭喜发财] (gōngxǐ fācái) - used at Chinese New Year

  

[TheGhostWithin]

I wonder what the CHinese Government would do in reaction to world leaders banning the use of Chinese Language in their countries? There are shop keepers here in Auckland that cannot even speak English to explain a product to me, and only know how to say the numbers (e.g. Two dollar fifty).

Sounds like China is taking Lessons from North Korea.

Now I know why I go to Thailand and spend my tourist dollars, and not China. At least Thais are prized for knowing English, and we are prized for knowing Thai (usually).

I shall read labels more closely and ensure I do not buy the products of a country that stands against the language I speak by avoiding their (crappy, unreliable) products.

[lowbo]

TheGhostWithin, on 2010-12-24 11:30:46, said:

I wonder what the CHinese Government would do in reaction to world leaders banning the use of Chinese Language in their countries? There are shop keepers here in Auckland that cannot even speak English to explain a product to me, and only know how to say the numbers (e.g. Two dollar fifty).

Sounds like China is taking Lessons from North Korea.

Now I know why I go to Thailand and spend my tourist dollars, and not China. At least Thais are prized for knowing English, and we are prized for knowing Thai (usually).

I shall read labels more closely and ensure I do not buy the products of a country that stands against the language I speak by avoiding their (crappy, unreliable) products.

... lol... you tell-em ghost... my sentiments exactly... still laughing...

[moskito]

Orac, on 2010-12-24 10:22:35, said:

Hasn't France been trying to do this for years??

I hope they did, Germany has not!

I like to understand, write and speak a little bit english. But whats going on these times in other countrys is rediculous sometimes. For example listen ThaiTV or look at Thai Magazines. Lots of English words which nobody here understands.

Same in Germany. The german language is decomposed by English words or phrases. Its ok for the younger people but the elder have problems to understand. Try to realize you have suddenly some russian or chinese words all over your language and you know what I am talking about.

MERRY CHRISTMAS

and for all who wants to send a nice christmas card, CLICK HERE  

[ScubaBuddha]

Quote

...disrupted the harmonious and healthy...cultural environment, causing negative social impacts,...

Scary when nation states use terminology like this to justify new laws. Reminds us how lucky we are to live in or be from relatively free counties.

Edited by ScubaBuddha, 2010-12-24 12:30:30.

[RPCVguy]

This desire to preserve the purity of a language is quite common, and ultimately bumps into reality of concepts that came into existence in the last 100 or 150 years. I once wrote a dictionary of science in another language and had to deal with these issues. Concepts like element are easy enough to replace with an indigenous word, but try aberration, achromatic, aerodynamics, anion, Doppler effect, eutectic, isothermal, photon, X-ray, colloids, ions, electrolysis, etc. Then look up these concepts in multiple and unrelated languages. The practicality is that these are international terms varying only in the tonal qualities of pronunciation across borders.

Then again, what has allowed English to grow as a global language is precisely the tolerance it allows to acquiring additional vocabulary.

[brahmburgers]

I love to see the Chinese authorities kick themselves in the shins.  They did it a couple weeks ago with the recipient for the Nobel Peace Prize (Everything they did to stifle it - sufficed to spread the news farther).  Now they're trying to clean English words & phrases from Chinese.  Won't work one iota, but it will be funny to see them stumbling around trying to make it work.  Though it won't be at all funny for the people who get punished.   English is making inroads on every language in the world.  Indeed, Thailand has hundreds of commonly used words which were lifted from English (and from some other languages) here's the book site

[h5kaf]

TheGhostWithin, on 2010-12-24 11:30:46, said:

I wonder what the CHinese Government would do in reaction to world leaders banning the use of Chinese Language in their countries? There are shop keepers here in Auckland that cannot even speak English to explain a product to me, and only know how to say the numbers (e.g. Two dollar fifty).

Sounds like China is taking Lessons from North Korea.

Now I know why I go to Thailand and spend my tourist dollars, and not China. At least Thais are prized for knowing English, and we are prized for knowing Thai (usually).

I shall read labels more closely and ensure I do not buy the products of a country that stands against the language I speak by avoiding their (crappy, unreliable) products.

Well said Ghost.  I shall know its you when I see a farang walking down the street naked.  In your home you will not have a TV or computer or phone.  Unfortunately your self imposed vigil will deny you the products made in China, such as most cloths sold in the West, most fabric sold in Thailand and the west, most telecommunications ( or at least many of the components).  The Iphone, ipad, and most computer boards are made in China.  I admire your principled stand on this but am not at all jealous of your future lifestyle.

Melly Clismass

[sting123]

Brewsta, on 2010-12-24 10:57:40, said:

From FrAnglais to ChAnglais and back?   Must be Silly Season again.

It will be interesting to see if the PR China authorities have more success with seeing off English language used in this manner - the French continue to fail miserably in their equivalent 'purity of native language' efforts over the last few decades.

Mind you, the French authorities do tend to shoot less of their citizens for dissent than thier Chinese counterparts!

Be sure to communicate accurately and linguistically / completely as you wander through your Xmas & New Year festivities, yes?

Seasons Greetins to All.

Brewsta

Maybe true for any time before 2007; but actually human right records of France is fallen way below the Chinese standart.

WTO is only half of the acronyme; it is infact (for sake of clarity and completness) OMC/WTO. such as ONU / UN. und so weiter...

Standart imply that no international document to be drafted in only one language; it have to be in at least 2 imperial languages + if needed (for the sake of precision) in the specific languages of the countries (in case of treatie btw 2 countries).

Imperial languages were (10 years ago) : Chinese, Russian, Queen English (no American english or Australian english) , French and Spanish.

About France and Thailand : Phuket have during a long time a french as governor; France was the first country to have a permanent ambasy in Thailand (in Lopburi , maybe with the monkeys ...) and to have a permanent siamese ambassador. Also, French soldiers are the only occidental soldiers to have gunned down and then invade the Great Palace in Bangkok (under King Rama V).

[oevna]

Brewsta, on 2010-12-24 11:15:05, said:

terryp, on 2010-12-24 11:05:08, said:

Borrocks?

Sadly, the PRC authorities most probably will enforce this doomed policy publicly and rigidly for the forseeable future.

Sadly?  I disagree.  It will be hilarious!