China Bars English Words In All Publications

[pacovl46]

it's completely ridiculous!!! they're just doing this so they can show north korea that they still support them against the evil english-speaking western countries;-)

[robert00]

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

The very best would be, dont even go there, boycott China, see what they say than,

we seem to be good enough to spend millions as Tourist's, they would soon say,PEAS COME BACK,

we will speak and allow engish again.

[barryofthailand]

Maybe they are just talking about news papers. The Chinese media still has English. For instance CCTV is in Chinese, as well as English.

Barry

[LaoPo]

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

Correct and good point; Germany tried the same some 40 years ago and banned all English words from the German language.

The word "COMPUTER" just appeared on the horizon and Germany "banned" the word computer and from that moment on the papers and companies were only allowed to describe the "evil" machine as:

Daten Verarbeitungs Anlage or shortened DVA

Guess how long it took...

Same-same will happen in China.

LaoPo

[LaoPo]

How will they write "Made in China" ?

在中国

LaoPo

[bitterbatter]

Surely they must realize that this is going to be a ridiculous request. They are just taking orders from some high ranking official who probably is upset with how much English his children are talking these days. But the main point is this: English has radically evolved over the past couple of decades because of computers and the internet. Thousands of new words and abbreviations have been added for the sake of specificity and accuracy. Our language has evolved because of this and for anyone to really understand the internet and what's going on in the world they need to recognize these words. Are they planning on creating new Chinese characters to replace these words?

This is simply wishful thinking of some people who are bewildered by changes they cannot control.

Computers have made English into the most international language and children all over the world are learning English. There really isn't anything anyone can do to stop it short of killing the internet.

Edited December 24, 2010 by bitterbatter

[LaoPo]

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.

..make sure you don't buy any Apple products than, all made in China.......

I could name a few more but I better leave you alone..

I heard the same stories when Japan woke up after WWII.....only copies, made in Japan and look what a lot of people have in their homes now, are wearing or outside on the driveway.....

*** คริสมาสต์มีความสุข * Merry Christmas * Bon Natal *גליקלעך ניטל * Bon Nadal * Frohe Weihnachten * Joyeux Noël * God jul * חג מולד שמח * Zalig Kerstmis * Buon Natale * 圣诞快乐 * Navidad Feliz * счастливое рождество * Natal Feliz * ハッピークリスマス * Nollaig Shona * Selamat Natal * Glædelig Jul * Hyvää Joulua * Καλά Χριστούγεννα * 메리 크리스마스 * Wesołych Świąt *** :jap:

LaoPo

Edited December 24, 2010 by LaoPo

[transam]

Think cos of this.

[ryladie99]

How will they write "Made in China" ?

Wow,wow and wow...Love your question???

May all of your Christmas dreams come true and Happy Holidays....

[thaiedward]

China must be taking advice from French Canadians in Quebec.

Once upon a ferry-voyage to PEI, I did endeavour to strike-up conversation with a fellow-passenger who indicated his annoyance from my English. When I responded in French, he spat across the rail then walked away..

I'm all-out for protecting dialects and languages and my French ain't that bad.

Without self-respect, people can respect nothing.

Regards

[ryladie99]

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.

You have gut to speak up and thanks a million...I can not believe this action from Chinese. The US imbalances trade with the China and I wonder how the Americans react to the news. let's watch and see. Thanks for spending your Holiday in Thailand and I am so grateful.

May all of your Christmas dreams come true...Happy Holidays and Happy New you 2011.

[Anyse]

I am reminded od the dictates made in the movie, "Bananas," by Woody Allen. The dictator orders as follows: "From now on all underwear will be worn on the outside of our clothes." Yes dictattes are more often silly than evil and, for the Chinese, this new one is futile! English businesses may have to move to Inda now! This is the greatest competition that China now has. Also, inflation in China is so great that many of the exomimic advances can be totally lost. So, China will have to learn on its own as it so insists!

[a99az]

I think they should go the whole hog, and ban the use of english all together. Then we will see how well they manage to export there goods. Very silly, and very short sighted policy.

[ericthai]

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.

Never Heard that Thai's are prized for being able to speak English. Last I read is that Thailand is behind other South East Asia countries in their English skills. Seems to me Singapore is far batter in English than Thailand.

[canuckamuck]

In response I have decided to stop using Chinese characters or words.

Haha! What do you think of that China?

[a99az]

I think they should go the whole hog, and ban the use of english all together. Then we will see how well they manage to export there goods. Very silly, and very short sighted policy.

[ericthai]

I think everyone is missing what is actually being said. They are not banning the use of English words, but they are banning the mixing of any foreign language and Chinese, so an article in Chinese needs to be all in Chinese and not have English or other lanuage words mixed in. Reason behind this is to stop any confusion or purposely using a mix to be vague on a subject.

Please read carefully the following quote from the article.

"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,"

[GuyL]

"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."

Could it be related with the following trend?

Sex websites turn to English to escape watchdogs

AS pornographic websites gradually disappear thanks to China's anti-porn campaigns, some are surviving by using only English to hide their activities from the attention of Internet watchdogs...

Read more: http://www.shanghaid...icle/?id=457788

Edited December 24, 2010 by GuyL

[tigermonkey]

This all harkens back to the development of pinyin, which was initiated by the Chinese governemnt in 1954 to clean up the Chinese language. Pinyin was to be the pronounced version of mandarin, using Roman characters.

Anyone who has gone through the pain of learning to speak mandarin knows the incredible problems with pinyin. Unfortuantely, the Chinese government did not bother with small details like the common pronunciation of roman characters ( as used in English, for example). The prime mover behind the development of pinyin, Zhou Youguang spoke very inadequate English, but his opinion was accepted as gospel truth.

The translation of English words into mandarin, will undoubtedly be strongly based on pinyin. Whether anyone will understand the resulting Chinese , is I suppose, a moot point.. It will be official Chinese and therefore it will be officially correct.

One need only look at the the pinyin character "q" which is pronouced "ch" as in cheese.

This is going to be a very big joke !

I can't wait to see the official translations for Obama and for Buick ( a very popular car in China).

Edited December 24, 2010 by tigermonkey

[futureexpat]

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.

Many people seem to think that Chinese will be more useful than English in the future because of a rising China but the actions and attitudes of the Chinese government prevent Chinese from becoming a global language useful to non-native speakers.

[ThiagoBras]

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

don't forget the Dutchies..

[lungmi]

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 :jap:

A group of Germans tried it, high ranked people. Why? No English.

[diehard60]

How will they write "Made in China" ?

What about all the English that is taught in their schools? Will that be stopped too?? Well I guess al the foriegn teachers there can now go home. Who needs them? The Chinese don't.

[lungmi]

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 :jap:

A group of Germans tried it, high ranked people. Why? No English.

A language is a living being. You have the traditional norm and the exchange with other languages. Sometimes the exchange comes quickly and the conservative elements give the alarm.

Don`t forget, English speakers! 80% of high English is Roman English (most French).

[Thaddeus]

80% of high English is Roman English (most French).

Nah ....... if it was French it would be called Parisian English surely.

[alant]

when is the chinese equivalent of april 1?

[puipuitom]

Great: no telephone, no fax, no television, no computer anymore... and a 10,000 other words "imported" from other languages..

The Germans did that a 75 years ago, and .. failed for a part, + having a set-back for learning other languages.

The French still try it, with result their international language knowledge is .. LOUSY.

My mother-language, Dutch ....nobody understands outside of NL + B, a 22 million people. German..outside the "Heimat" NOT.

Sorry, wheater you like it or not.. this battle is already won completely - thanks to Internet- by the English language. Result: wherever on the world I go, I can use this international language everywhere. And.. when at one company they do not understand me well enoug.. pity, I go with my orders to another. ( Tianjin Flourishing Co and Longfeng New Asia: pity for you )

[Kered]

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 :jap:

Thank you for your Christmas Card, sometimes we forget the nice things in the world.

[GuyL]

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

That might have been true in the past (and maybe is it still true for some French persons who are over 60 years old, who were educated when France was yet the second largest colonial empire worldwide), but not anymore with the younger generations. From the 17th century to the mid 20th century, French served as the pre-eminent international language of diplomacy and international affairs. The dominant position of French language has only been overshadowed recently by English.

[GuyL]

... Don`t forget, English speakers! 80% of high English is Roman English (most French).

According to Wikipedia, around 28% of English vocabulary is of French or Oïl language origin...

http://en.wikipedia....nglish_speakers