Fresh, fragrant, sour, spicy, refreshing, smelling and tasting fragrant Liuzhou snail noodles. If you want to recommend it to foreign friends, do you know how to say it in English?
Recently, Liuzhou, Guangxi Province issued a local standard that defines the terms and definitions for the English translation and writing of pre-packaged Liuzhou snail flour and outer packaging.
自此 柳州螺蛳粉有了统一的英文名"Liuzhou Luosifen"。
01
Why does Guangxi snail noodles have to be "officially announced" in English?
此前市面上的预包装柳州螺蛳粉大多数采用意译如“snail noodles”“Snail Rice-flour Noodles”（snail意为蜗牛），不能准确表达螺蛳粉的内涵，还容易将其与蜗牛等产品混淆。
How to write in English on the export packaging of Liuzhou snail flour once made export companies very troubled. The translation of each enterprise is different, which is not conducive to the knowledge and understanding of Liuzhou snail noodles in other countries.
On the one hand, the release of this standard is to avoid snail flour being mistaken for snails and other products when exporting, reduce unnecessary misunderstandings, and provide reference for enterprises when exporting to foreign countries. On the other hand, it is intended to convey the characteristics of Liuzhou's authentic cuisine and enhance brand recognition.
Chen Fang, dean of Liuzhou Snail Flour Industry College of Liuzhou Vocational and Technical College, who participated in the formulation of standards, introduced, "The standard formulation adheres to the two principles of authentic language and cultural confidence, and the translation adopts a variety of methods such as transliteration, paraphrasing, transliteration and paraphrasing, and the word Liuzhou snail flour is transliterated and translated as Liuzhou Luosifen, which highlights cultural self-confidence."
02
How do you say "smelly and spicy", "spicy" and "sour bamboo shoots" in English?
Here's the problem: there are so many flavors of snail noodles, "spicy", "smelly and spicy"...... Do you know how to describe it in English? How to translate "sour bamboo shoots", an important ingredient of snail noodles?
该标准的编制小组在翻译“麻辣味”时，经过多方研讨，最终借鉴了川菜口味的翻译，将其定为“Mala flavo(u)r”，并将“加臭加辣”翻译为“Extra sour/ordorous and spicy flavo(u)r”，酸笋则译为“Pickled bamboo shoots”
Tan Min, a teacher at Liuzhou Vocational and Technical College, said, "I hope that through this translation, the uniqueness of Chinese food culture will be maintained, and the impression of foreign diners on traditional Chinese food will be further deepened, reflecting cultural self-confidence."
03
From street food to Chinese specialty food, "Luosifen" has stepped onto the world stage. In recent years, the Internet celebrity snack Liuzhou snail noodles have gradually developed from a local specialty snack on the roadside to a large industry, and have successfully gone to sea.
Last year, Liuzhou snail flour was exported to more than 20 countries and regions such as the United States, Canada, Australia and other countries and regions with an export value of more than 100 million yuan, a year-on-year increase of 38.2%, and the number of enterprises with snail flour export qualifications in Liuzhou City is also gradually increasing. By the end of 2023, it had increased to 59.
Bagged Liuzhou snail flour production workshop.
In addition to international students and overseas Chinese, some foreigners are now also fond of this Chinese characteristic food, especially in Mexico and Vietnam
Countries and regions that already have sour and spicy eating habits, in addition, "Liuzhou Snail Noodles Internet Celebrity Snacks Floating Overseas" was also selected as one of the "Top Ten Cases of International Communication of Chinese Culture" in 2023.
04
Do you know the "authentic" English names of these Chinese delicacies? What is the "authentic" English name for these Chinese specialties?
The answer is revealed
The English translation refers to the press conference of the Xi'an Municipal Quality Supervision Bureau, the Foreign Affairs Office of the Beijing Municipal People's Government, the "Food Translation Garden", and the series of national standards for English translation and writing specifications in the field of public services.
Hurry up and get up with your foreign friends!
Source: CCTV News