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Review
On the screen, we often hear some humorous Japanese, such as the phrase "Eight Corners". This kind of Chinese-style Japanese has become an indispensable element in anti-Japanese dramas.
But have you ever wondered what this sentence really means, and why in anti-Japanese film and television works, there are always various Chinese and Japanese mixed ways of speaking?
Those Chinese-Japanese
In movies and TV series, we often hear Japanese characters say strange and funny Japanese, such as "Eight Corners", "Missy-Missi", and "Dead Dead Ground", which may sound like a literal translation from Chinese to Japanese, rather than real Japanese expressions.
This is the so-called "Chinese-style Japanese", a special variant of Japanese that appears in Chinese film and television productions, reflecting the impression and attitude of Chinese towards the Japanese.
Among them, "Eight Rollers" is one of the most classic Chinese Japanese, which is actually derived from the Japanese word "バカヤロウ", which means "you stupid" or "you bastard".
This is a common curse in Japan, but in Chinese-Japanese, it is transliterated as "Hachi-kwan" and is given a stronger derogatory and insulting connotation, expressing extreme contempt and hatred for the Japanese.
Why is "バカヤロウ" transliterated as "Hachiroku"? This may have something to do with the phonological characteristics of the Japanese language. Japanese syllables are usually made up of a consonant followed by a vowel sound, such as "バ" (ba), "カ" (ka), "ヤ" (ya), "ロ" (ro), "ウ" (u).
The syllables of the Japanese language are evenly distributed, and there is no distinction between accents and light sounds. As a result, Japanese pronunciation sounds relatively smooth and monotonous, lacking the tone of Chinese and the stress changes of English. This makes it easy for Japanese pronunciation to be misunderstood or blurred by Chinese listeners in noisy environments or without subtitles.
"Misi Mixi" is another common Chinese Japanese phrase derived from the Japanese word "めし" (me shi), which means "rice" or "meal".
The word is used in Japanese to refer to rice, but is usually masculine or rude. In Chinese-Japanese, it is transliterated as "Missy-Missi" and is given a stronger sense of mockery and sarcasm, expressing contempt and ridicule for the Japanese.
There is a part of speech in Japanese called "adjective verbs", which consists of an adjective and the verb "する" (する), which means "to do something adjective".
比如,"delicious"(o i shi i)是一个形容词,意为"美味的"或"好吃的",加上"る"(する)就成了"deliciousる"(o i shi ku su ru),意为"做得美味"或"让它好吃"。
In Japanese, the "する" (する) at the end of this adjective verb can be omitted and only the part of the adjective can be spoken, such as "deliciousしく" (o i shi ku). In this way, a word ending in "く" (ku) is formed, which indicates an action or state.
So, why is "めしく" (me shi ku) transliterated as "Misi Mixi"? This may have something to do with the pronunciation characteristics of Chinese. Chinese pronunciation has an element called "vowel", which consists of one or more vowels, such as "a", "e", "i", "o", "u", etc.
Some of the finals in Chinese are not found in Japanese, such as "i", "u", etc. These finals may be misheard as other finals in Japanese pronunciation, such as "i" may be heard as "e", "u" as "o", etc. This also led to the transliteration of "Misimes".
Of course, this may also be a deliberate effort by Chinese screenwriters or directors to increase the comedic effect or dramatic tension of film and television works, or to cater to the Chinese audience's psychological expectations of the ridiculous and hateful Japanese.
Did you really talk like that at the time?
Although there is always a sense of comical when you see this kind of Chinese Japanese on TV, and it usually exists as a comedic element, you may not realize that in fact, some of the Japanese invaders at that time really spoke like this.
During Japan's war of aggression against China, especially after the September 18 Incident in 1931, Japan occupied northeastern China and established a puppet regime called "puppet Manchukuo" in 1932.
This regime was designed to use China's resources and population to support Japan's expansion and war. To achieve this purpose, Japan carried out large-scale immigration and colonization in the Tohoku region, and a large number of Japanese people poured into this land, and there were various contacts and conflicts with the local Chinese.
In this context, language becomes an important issue. There are great differences between the Japanese and Chinese languages, not only in vocabulary and grammar, but also in pronunciation and writing.
If the Japanese want to control and manage Chinese, they must be allowed to learn Xi and use Japanese. If the Chinese want to resist and resist the Japanese, they need to maintain and inherit their own language.
However, for various reasons, the linguistic Xi on both sides was not easy and smooth. The education and propaganda of the Japanese to the Chinese is often mandatory, lacking effective teaching methods and materials.
Chinese are often passive in learning Japanese Xi, accompanied by resistance and resentment. In turn, the language education and dissemination of Japanese by Chinese is also restricted, influenced by politics and culture. As a result, language exchanges between the two sides are often unequal and incomplete, resulting in a lot of misunderstandings and confusion.
In this context, Chinese-Japanese came into being. It is a mixed Chinese and Japanese language that was mainly created and used by the Chinese to communicate and cope with the Japanese.
The characteristic of Chinese-style Japanese is that its vocabulary and grammar are mostly Chinese, but it also mixes some direct or transliterated Japanese vocabulary and grammar, which is often not standardized and accurate.
The purpose of Chinese-style Japanese is twofold: on the one hand, to cater to the linguistic needs of the Japanese so that they can understand and accept, and on the other hand, to express the linguistic emotions of the Chinese, so that they can vent and rebel.
The effects of this language are complex and varied: on the one hand, it helps to enhance linguistic communication between Chinese and Japanese, and to ease and promote relations between the two sides, and on the other hand, it can also exacerbate linguistic conflicts, mock and provoke hostility between the two sides.
epilogue
Chinese-Japanese is a unique cultural phenomenon that reflects the language barriers and cultural conflicts that arise in historical and cultural exchanges. It is not only a linguistic phenomenon, but also a symbol, carrying the complex emotions and attitudes of Chinese towards Japan.
Although Chinese Japanese is sometimes used to belittle, ridicule, or even provoke the Japanese, it is also a way of language communication, easing the language barrier and facilitating communication between the two sides.
For Chinese Japanese like "Yagayalu", it represents more than a superficial confusion of language, but also a meeting point of history, culture, and emotion.
Ultimately, understanding the meaning behind this phrase requires a deeper look into the convergence of history and culture, and the role that language plays in it.
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