It’s nearly a week since the Oscars, but my computer’s been at the shop for an upgrade. So, anyway, how did CCTV-6 translate the first main sentence of Sean Penn’s acceptance speech?
Given the many failings of my translations on this blog, I need to be careful about throwing too many stones inside my glass house. Nevertheless, 你们可真够宽容的 (you really are so generous/tolerant) doesn’t quite capture the full flavor of “You commie homo-loving sons of guns.”
It’s quite possible that the subtitler didn’t understand what Sean Penn had said and didn’t have time to find out. But supposing he/she did understand. Imagine you’re this poor CCTV employee and your ultimate boss is a senior member of the politburo. You’ve got very little time to decide what to do with a phrase that links communism with “homo-loving.” Your decision may not be appreciated by the leaders. OK, just make something up.
(Or am I being too generous? See also Sexy Beijing and Shanghaiist.)
12 Comments
They are so afraid. So frightened.
The majority of Californians are also so afraid. So frightened.
Well, translation should be easy, isn’t it?
同志 means both homosexual (especially in taiwan and HK) or “commie” (China)
This is amusing, and no doubt many Chinese citizens, especially senior politicians, wouldn’t appreciate having communism in any way linked with homosexuality. That said, a thriving underground gay scene now exists in many Chinese cities - even in Lhasa, as I mentioned in my book.
Attitudes towards homosexuality are changing in China, and as James West recently remarked in his book, ‘Beijing Blur’, the Chinese may very well end up legalising homosexual marriage before all American states and Australia.
Mark Anthony Jones, are you the same Mark Anthony Jones that was ran off the Peking Duck blog, by any chance?
Beholder - yes, I’m the same Mark Anthony Jones.
Once again, I say Chinese people are ignorant.
They are not allowed to hear what is really happening, and make up their own minds.
I live in Hong Kong, and we have thousands of these people coming here every day.
Everyone looks down on them, because, the government forces them to remain ignorant of the real world.
@ Mark Anthony Jones
I see. Thanks.
some chinese people know better than CCTV. you know most people here are glad that their shiny new building (the nickname is little dick… beside the giant undie) got burnt down.
agreed with Mark Anthony Jones. chinese leaders are wise in many ways. i’m sure most of them know gays are not evil or sick. they try not to intensify conflict. there are hidden power among the masses (which are always very ignorant, it’s the same everywhere.) that may hate gays. the change should go from the bottom to the top, it won’t work the other way. they can do better with the censership though. thank god we have youtube and torrent.
For the life of me, I am having a hard time believing that anyone truly cares what Sean Penn says.
Well, at least CCTV is beginning to show some skill in deceiving the public, as the translated sentence actually fit within context, with Penn admitting how difficult it could be to appreciate him. Sean’s speech actually reminded me of Stephen Colbert’s spoof about godless sodomites at the 2006 Emmy’s.
@Mark Anthony Jones
Communism has long been linked to homosexuality by gay Chinese in Hong Kong (and Taiwan) when they co-opted the word “comrades” to mean “gays” around 1990 (which gives a whole new meaning to Sun Yat-sen’s famous last words, “The revolution has yet to succeed; comrades must carry on.”)
@Paul
As a fellow HKer, I just want to give you a heads-up that, well, your *ss is showing. Please stop demonstrating your own ignorance through your prejudice.
@W. D. Box
I think we both know that this post isn’t truly about Sean Penn, but about CCTV’s ill attempts at censorship. :)
回Little Alex; agreed (on Paul).
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[…] (courtesy of Sean Penn) didn’t quite come out the same for CCTV viewers in China without the “commie,” “homo-loving” or “sons of guns”. [Black and White […]
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