names. Foremost there is a huge difference between the Chinese names and the western names relating to the order of the given name and the family name. According to the western tradition, in a name the given name is firstly placed followed by the family name like Bill Clinton, the name has the given name followed by the family name. While in the Chinese name the first preference is given to the family name, which is followed by the given name, like Hu Jintao.
The logic behind this difference in the order of the names is simply stated to be different cultural values. In the Chinese culture utmost importance is given to ancestors and family and hence they pay respect to their ancestors by placing the family name ahead of the given name. The Western culture believes in individualism and hence they place the given name ahead of the family name.
In the Chinese culture the children are rarely called by their given names. As Chinese give much importance to the relationships hence each family member is known by his position in the family. Secondly, the Chinese names have some or the other meaning attached to them. While picking a name for their child the parents take care of the expectations or the wishes for their child. For example, the name “Qian” is used to wish that the child would always remain humble. The name “Fu” is used to wish that the child would lead a prosperous life.
To translate a foreign name into the Chinese name, people take help of the pronunciation of the name according to the special Chinese characters used for signifying the foreign names.
|
