zoltán horváth
Keywords: chinese youth party | taiwan |
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Last modified: 2017-08-25 by zoltán horváth
Keywords: chinese youth party | taiwan |
Links: FOTW homepage |
search |
disclaimer and copyright |
write us |
mirrors
![[Chinese Younger Youth flag]](../images/t/tw}cyp2.gif)
image by Tomislav Todorović, 19
April 2014
Along with the old Chinese Youth Party, which was founded in 1923, there is
also a new party founded in 1989, whose name in English is the same, but the
name in Chinese is different - U+4E2D U+83EF U+9752 U+5C11 U+9EE8 (Pinyin:
Zhonghua Qingshao Dang) [1, 2]. This party seems to be a breakaway group of the
old party [3].
Tomislav Todorović, 19 April 2014
This party's name is "中華青少黨" in Chinese characters (Pinyin: Zhonghua Qingshao
Dang). "青少" (Pinyin: Qingshao) means "teenager", but not "youth." So I believe
that the translation name in English Wiki is incorrect. Furthermore, there is
not any official translation from the Taiwanese Authorities or the party. I
suggest to revise its English name as "Chinese Teenager Party" to match its
Chinese name.
Akira Oyo, 20 April 2014
For the English translation, I have relied on the Wikipedia page which was
one of my sources, as well as the Google translations of the source texts in
Chinese, which also gave "youth" for "qingshao". Maybe it is time to give the
Google a feedback, suggesting them to use different translation? However, I am
not sure if the name revision is really necessary - there are many terms in any
of the languages which are treated as synonyms while translating to another
language, resulting with the use of a same term as the translation. Until we
find out how the party wants its name to be translated, maybe we should leave it
as it is now.
On the other hand, maybe "Zhonghua Qingshao Dang" should be replaced with "Zhonghua
Qingshaodang", to match the spellings like "Zhongguo Guomindang" and "Zhongguo
Gongchandang".
Tomislav Todorović, 20 April 2014
It's really improper to use the same translation for two existing groups (eg.
party, company, etc.) in the same country, especially when their names are
different in their official language.
I am a Chinese (or a Taiwanese), so let me simply explain the difference between
"青年" (qingnian) and "青少(年)" (qingshao or qingshaonian). "青少(年)" are younger than
"青年". Moreover, since the party adopts a distinctive name from the other party,
we cannot mix them up in English.
If you feel Chinese Teenager Party weird, Chinese Younger Youth Party is another
possible choice.
When it comes to romanization in Taiwan, people are used to Wade-Giles rather
than Pinyin. That is, if we try to romanize the party's Chinese name, it's
better to spell as "Chung-hua Ching-shao-tang" instead of "Zhonghua Qingshaodang."
Akira Oyo, 20 April 2014
Chinese Teenager Party is improper, considering that most of teenagers in any
country, Taiwan/ROC certainly being no exception, are under age for the right to
vote and attempts to have them involved in the political activities are
therefore probably illegal. Regarding that, Chinese Younger Youth Party (or
maybe just Chinese Younger Party?) is definitely a better choice.
Maybe keep both spellings, Wade-Giles for the Chinese speakers who still use it,
and Pinyin for the speakers of other languages (seems to me that the use of
Pinyin has prevailed in non-Chinese languages by now)? The same for all other
Taiwanese parties as well. But isn't the Wade-Giles spelling "Chung-hua
Ch'ing-shao-tang"? AFAIK, the apostrophe is essential part of it.
Tomislav Todorović, 22 April 2014
Frankly, you are right. But Taiwanese people are used to omitting the
apostrophe, and it seems to become an exclusive variant of Wade-Giles in Taiwan.
In this case, I think it better to keep the apostrophe.
Akira Oyo, 22 April 2014
Like I said, use of both spellings seem reasonable here. And of course, the
use of Chinese script (Traditional variant here, I presume?), as the only true
Chinese way of writing. But wouldn't it lead to possible confusion? Or the
difference between the aspirated and unaspirated sounds is less pronounced in
local dialects?
Certainly, since it is the correct spelling, while the use of local unofficial
variants would make it unnecessarily ambiguous.
The most important of all, though, is that whatever is eventually agreed, be
applied to all FOTW pages for Taiwan, or in this case, Taiwanese political flags
pages.
Tomislav Todorović, 23 April 2014
Of course, in Traditional Chinese is the only true Chinese way of writing the
party's name. The most important reason for disuse Pinyin in romanizing is to
avoid confusion or misleading. Especially as the name starts in "Chinese," if
it's spelt in Pinyin, it's very likely to make people misunderstand that it's
one of the parties in the PRC.
People omit the apostrophe only for the convenience in writing, because most of
them don't realize the difference between with and without the apostrophe.
Akira Oyo, 23 April 2014
Its flag has the ratio 3:5, with a red, or rather orange-red field, with the
1912-1929 national flag of China in the canton, as shown in few of its images
currently available on the Web [3, 4], especially a photo of a party ID card
[3], which clearly shows two shades of red, one of them more inclining towards
the orange more than the other, not only in the flag image, but the whole card
surface as well.
Tomislav Todorović, 19 April 2014
Sources:
[1]
List of political parties in Taiwan/ROC at Wikipedia (in English):
[2] List of political parties in
Taiwan/ROC at Wikipedia (in Chinese):
[3] TVBS website - report about
the Chinese Youth Party, with the photo of party ID card (Photo)
[4] PChome website -
Chinese Youth Party home page. (Image)
