Chinese characters

Martin Schneider - Paris - 25.4.2007
Keine Angst vor China
Chinese characters
(Illustration: Henning Studte)


Afraid of China ? Not a smidgen!

It is predicted that within the near future there will be more software
developers, pianists or cars in China than in Europe, as well as a surge in air
pollution that will annihilate the effects of all the solar-energy panels on Old
Continent.

In short: China is becoming powerful. Extremely powerful. Which is why, as soon
as possible, we Europeans need to look into exactly what the Chinese expect from
us. What better indicator than language? Unable to translate literally from our
alphabet, the Chinese render the names of European countries into genteel images
? some more telling than others.

Portugal is rendered relatively simply, with the Atlantic nation going by the
name of the ?land of wine? (Pu Tao Ya). Things go up a notch further north in
Great Britain. The Chinese opt to call the former superpower that twice attacked
China in the interest of protecting the opium trade Ying Guo. There is no limit
to Asian politeness with this ?land of heroes?!

And the Germans? Do they live in the 'land with no speed-limit,? ?the land that
set off two world wars? or even better, ?the land of the Erdinger beer-belly??
Way off. De Guo, say the Chinese when setting off for Germany ? the ?land of
wisdom'.

Some French favourites might be: the 'land of the eternal strike,? the 'land of
agricultural subsidies' or even the 'land where, while serving as president, one
is not obliged to step down even when one is completely corrupt.? Here again
though, the Chinese prove their diplomatic skills, translating France as Fa Guo
? the 'land of law and rights.'

So who?s still afraid of China?
.

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