By any other name... (cross-posted)
frank
July 24, 2007, 06:12 PM posted in General DiscussionHey, all! This is cross-posted from my blog here at ChinesePod, but I wanted to get the input of the folks who aren't making the Newbie blog a part of their daily websurfing.
Comments are more than welcome, and my apologies if you've seen this more than once. :-)
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Looking around here, I can’t help but wonder how some of my Western brethren come by their Chinese names. With someone like Ken (Kai En), it just a sound translation. Easy peasy. But others… I’m curious. Lantian? Bazza?
For example, I have a friend named Xiao Yun. Now, literally translated, her name means “Little Cloud.” And it got me to thinking that the Chinese have more in common with this country’s (America's) original inhabitants than I ever guessed! Watching Jackie Chan’s Shanghai Noon takes on a whole new level of humor now. They called him “Man Who Fights in a Dress.” Brilliant.
But now I’m starting to worry. Maybe I need to take matters into my own hands! I had always thought that someday, years from now when I was living in Shanghai and working at ChinesePod, somebody would give me a Chinese name over a few beers and we’d laugh about it. Of course, the more I think about it, the more I fear I’ll end up with a name that translates to “Receding Hairline,” or “Can’t Hold His Liquor.” Oh, the humanity!
So, talk to me, folks. Why take a Chinese name at all? Is it just to make things easier for our Chinese friends? Is it a peer pressure thing? Are all the cool kids doing it? If you’ve got one (and you’re not Chinese), how did you come by it?
Chime in! Thanks!
frank
July 25, 2007, 02:54 AMYou're right, John. The cool kids already know Chinese. That's what makes them cool! :-)
rich
July 25, 2007, 11:10 PMMy name was not a sound translation, well, except for 孟 for my English surname Mahn (pronounced "Mon" people, and yes yes, my name is Rich Mahn...yes, really). My choices where 孟(Mèng) or 马(mǎ), and even though my Dad's business card when he traded in China used 马, I picked the latter. When I asked for a name, I just asked for a good one. At the time I didn't know the meaning of many characters then, so when I received a few choices from a Chinese literature teacher in Tawain, I picked 孟以明. I didn't even know 以 and 明 were common, but it means "by enlightment/brightness". It also has a total of 21 strokes which I am told is lucky (Isn't almost EVERYTHING to Chinese lucky?? I've come to the conclusion they think spitting on the street in China is lucky, but that is just a speculation...). And it is a name of some character in a Chinese story, maybe in Taoism. Funny thing is that I picked 以明 right away because not only was it simple to write, to me it looks like RICH with it's letters mixed up. From left to right you maybe will see: Ch(以), i(日), and a backards R(月). Well, I guess that leaves me open to others trying to explain my crazy mind. :P
rich
July 25, 2007, 11:11 PM"My choices where 孟(Mèng) or 马(mǎ), and even though my Dad's business card when he traded in China used 马, I picked the latter." Errr... of course I meant I picked the former
John
July 25, 2007, 02:45 AMIs it just to make things easier for our Chinese friends? Yes. Middle-aged people often won't even try to remember your name if it's not Chinese. Is it a peer pressure thing? Yes. I had to have one to enroll for classes at my university. Are all the cool kids doing it? The cool kids don't study Chinese, my friend... :)