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In the world of politics, some things are often lost in translation. You may have heard about this. Because Boston (and, presumably, other cities around the country) has some precincts with a sizable population of Chinese-speakers (and Chinese-readers), federal officials want the election folks to create a ballot with the candidates’ names translated into Chinese.
But since Chinese writing isn’t phonetic – the “alphabet” is based on words that mean things, rather than letters that make sounds – some of the translations of names have turned out kind of peculiar. If not laugh-out-loud funny.
Mitt Romney becomes “Sticky Rice” or “Uncooked Rice”…
Fred Thompson becomes “Virtue Soup” (which could actually become the basis of a decent slogan)…
Barack Obama becomes “Oh, Bus Horse” (is that like a bus that horses would ride, or something more like catbus?)…
…and best of all is Thomas Menino, the mayor of Boston, who could be “Sun-Moon-Rainbow Farmer” (the stinkin’ hippie!) or could be “Barbarian-Mud No Mind of His Own” (a translation I swear I’m not making up) or a few things in between.
I haven’t been able to find the translations for Ron Paul or Mike Gravel, but they’re bound to be good.
On a slightly more serious note, capital-D Democratic thinkers are mulling over China’s political role – especially on the “charm offensive” of China’s softly-softly international policy. (Of which, I should add, the international adoption program is likely seen as a part in some of Beijing’s halls of power.) Anyway, it’s part of a week-long discussion of Josh Kurlantzick’s Charm Offensive: How China’s Soft Power Is Transforming the World, which is available on Amazon over yonder. Reviews of the book actually include the phrase “winning hearts and minds” when discussing China’s international strategy, especially when compared with the English-speaking world’s, er, current diplomatic situation.
So it’s probably worth a glance-over at least.
