"We have decided to formally sue Xinhua Dictionary for the harming of minors in the interpretation of certain words!" On December 15, the news spread quickly online. It turned out that Professor Qian Yi and others believed that the words and example sentences such as "playing with women" and "don't have a pistol in the waist" in the Xinhua dictionary were harmful to teenagers, and they had already sent the indictment to the court.
As soon as the news came out, public opinion reacted strongly. Tens of thousands of reasons have been asked to the Xinhua Dictionary: As a reference book for students to learn Xi Chinese, how can these words that run counter to the mainstream values of society appear? Doesn't this mislead young people and have a bad impact on their growth?
Indeed, in this era of rapid information dissemination, lexicographers shoulder a huge social responsibility. They need to carefully choose word definitions and example sentences, and cannot give teenagers the wrong guidance.
In any case, the denunciation has stimulated deep thinking about lexicography. We must recognize that dictionaries are the embodiment of linguistic norms, but also have an impact on social values. Editors should exercise sound moral judgment while assuming linguistic responsibilities.