Chinese dictionary outrage
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Controversy surrounds the latest edition of the Contemporary Chinese Dictionary, as academics are in uproar over the inclusion of English language abbreviations.
Even though such terms are in daily use in China, a group of 100 scholars from across the country have signed a letter condemning the addition of 200 such acronyms to the dictionary, which is China’s most authoritative linguistic reference book.
The academics feel that the use of abbreviations such as NBA (National Basketball Association) instead of the Chinese translation, Mei Zhi Lan, are detrimental to the preservation of the Chinese language.
“If we don’t make standards, more and more English expressions will become part of Chinese,” said Fu Zhenguo, one of the scholars behind the protest letter.
The writers at China Daily hold a different opinion, stating that “Chinese culture is inclusive in nature.”
“The most important use of language is for communication. Today, cultural exchanges have become common and, hence, it is not wise to create “barriers” that would stunt a language’s growth. For example, “NBA” is widely accepted worldwide. So it is meaningless to use pinyin to express its meaning just because it is not a Chinese word.”
Do you think that the Chinese dictionary should remain exclusively Chinese? Or do you think that terms in everyday use should be included, whatever language they may be in? Please post your thoughts!
Source: The Beijing News