Lao Li has been a little confused lately. He has lived in Beijing for most of his life, but when he recently took the subway, he always felt that something was wrong. If you look closely, it turns out that the station name logo has become pure Chinese! This change has set off a lot of waves in China, and even alarmed foreigners. Today, let's talk about the doorway behind this matter and see what this "de-British culture" movement is all about.
"Will foreigners get lost?" - Worrying about the sky or a real problem?
As soon as they heard that the name of the subway station had changed to pure Chinese, many people's first reaction was: "What can foreign tourists do now?" "Some people are worried that without the English sign, it will be difficult for foreign tourists to move an inch. Honestly, that's a bit of an unwarranted worry. Not to mention how powerful the smartphone translation function is now, but if you really encounter difficulties, you just have to ask for directions?
The enthusiasm of our Chinese is well-known! Lao Zhang lives near Sanlitun in Beijing, where there are many foreigners. He told me: "I often see foreigners holding their mobile phones and taking pictures of street signs to translate. Besides, if you can't meet it, just ask passers-by?
Two days ago, I also helped a France boy show the way, although the language is different, but I can understand the comparison. "Besides, if you look at us Chinese going abroad, which one is not holding a small book full of foreign words? Isn't it more interesting for foreigners to travel to China and learn a few Chinese characters? This will not only help them better understand Chinese culture, but also increase the enjoyment of travel.
The charm of Chinese characters is endless, and even foreigners are fascinated
When it comes to Chinese characters, that's an art. From oracle bones to regular scripts, each character has its own story. Different words with the same phone, one word has multiple meanings, which is much more flavorful than English. Recently, I heard that many foreigners have started to learn kanji. Don't say it, these foreigners are quite attentive. There is an United States guy who has taught himself more than 3,000 Chinese characters, and he is very popular in China.
Isn't that much more fun than rote memorization? Professor Li, an expert in the study of Chinese characters, said, "Chinese characters are not only a writing system, but also an art form. Each word carries a profound cultural connotation. For example, the word 'he' not only means harmony, but also has two parts, 'he' and 'mouth', which means to be full of food and clothing. This rich cultural heritage is incomparable to other languages. "
With the rise of China, cultural self-confidence rises
In fact, this turmoil of "de-British culture" reflects our country's growing cultural self-confidence. You think, our China is not as good as it used to be. The economic strength is booming, the international status is rising, and the GDP will exceed the 120 trillion yuan mark in 2023. Looking at the world, apart from United States, who dares to say that it is better than us? Isn't it normal to show your culture in your own language?
You look abroad, except for Chinatown, where is there a Chinese sign? Don't we Chinese also have a good time? Uncle Wang is a retired cadre, and he has his own opinion on this matter: "When I went abroad when I was young, I was quite envious when I saw the English signs all over the street. Well, now that we're strong, there's nothing to be embarrassed about in our own language. It's not xenophobia, it's cultural confidence! "
"Chinese characters are difficult to learn" is a false proposition
Some people say that Chinese characters are difficult to learn, isn't this embarrassing for foreigners? This sounds reasonable, but it doesn't have to be. Experts have found that kanji may be easier to learn than English. You think, we Chinese have learned about 4,000 Chinese characters since childhood, and more than 300 daily exchanges are enough. If a foreigner wants to wander around China, it is almost enough to learn about 1,000 Chinese characters.
In English, on the other hand, there are four or five hundred thousand words, and the average person has to master at least 3,000 to 5,000 words to speak well. In this comparison, do you think that Chinese characters are much simpler? Mr. Zhang, a teacher of Chinese as a foreign language, said: "Many foreign students find Chinese characters difficult to learn at first, but once they master the radicals and stroke rules, they learn much faster. Moreover, the shape and sound of Chinese characters are unified, and memorizing a word can often deduce many related words, which is much more convenient than English. "
Cultural self-confidence is not xenophobic but open
Isn't this a bit xenophobic, one might ask? In fact, on the contrary, this is a way for us to show the world Chinese characteristics. People who really want to know a country will always find a way to overcome the language barrier. Rather than worrying about the inconvenience of foreigners, it is better to see this as an opportunity for the world to better understand China.
Wouldn't it be nice for us to welcome visitors from all over the world in our own way?
"Cultural self-confidence is not about doing things behind closed doors, but about showing the world the charm of our culture with an open attitude. The use of pure Chinese signs is not to embarrass foreigners, but to stimulate their interest in learning Chinese. In turn, it promotes cultural exchange. "
A balance between local identity and internationalization
Of course, while promoting pure Chinese logos, we also have to take into account some special circumstances. For example, in places where international travelers are concentrated, such as airports and train stations, it may be more appropriate to keep bilingual signs.
Professor Wang, an expert in urban planning, said: "Urban signage systems need to take into account the needs of different groups. At tourist attractions and transportation hubs, we can use bilingual or multilingual signage in Chinese and English. However, in some areas with strong local characteristics, the use of pure Chinese signs can highlight cultural characteristics and attract foreign tourists. "
With the help of technology, the language barrier can be resolved
With the development of technology, the language barrier is becoming smaller and smaller. There are many translation apps that can be translated instantly by simply scanning the logo.
Xiao Li, a programmer at an Internet company, said: "The current AI translation technology is very mature. Our company is developing a translation app for city signs, which can translate not only text, but also cultural context. With these tools, pure Chinese identification is not a problem at all. "
Conclusion: Cultural self-confidence starts from the small things around you
Back to Lao Li's confusion, in fact, this change is not just a matter of the name of the subway station. It embodies our confidence in our own culture and is a way to show the world Chinese characteristics. So, don't be fooled by the voices that sing about it. We should be confident in our own language and show our own culture. This is the real cultural self-confidence, and it is also the backbone that we Chinese should have!
Next time you see a foreign tourist at the subway station who doesn't know the way, you might as well take the initiative to help. Maybe your enthusiasm will make them more interested in Chinese culture! This is the real cultural exchange. Lao Li now understands that it is not a bad thing for the subway station name to be purely Chinese. He decided to talk more about it with the people around him in the future, so that everyone could understand the importance of cultural self-confidence. After all, cultural self-confidence is not something to shout, but to start from the bits and pieces of daily life.
Let's look forward to the near future, more foreign friends will be able to appreciate and fall in love with our Chinese character culture. This is not only a recognition of Chinese culture, but also a manifestation of the world's cultural diversity. The road of cultural exchange may be a bit tortuous, but as long as we maintain an open and confident attitude, we will certainly let the world better understand China and let China better integrate into the world.