汉语回家

[Weronika]

Hi,

I saw this writing on a buffet window. I don't understand. This is 汉语回家. chinese language (?) go back home? It means chinese people go home? But I don't think so because I think the owner of the buffet wrote it.

What do you think?

[Xiao Kui]

I doubt this was the writer's original intent, but the possibilities made me curious. Googling the phrase brought up mostly links to a recent article in 中国教育报 Chinese Education Journal? found here:

http://www.jyb.com.cn/gb/2006/04/13/zy/7-zb/1.htm

I'm too lazy to read the whole article, but the gist is that westernization is causing Chinese to lose touch with the original tradition, culture of their language. The article starts by talking abt a Chinese translation contest in Shanghai that was won by a Singaporean (he somehow only got 2nd place, but one, apparently no one was good enough fro 1st place, such is the decline of Chinese peoples' grasp of their own language.)

So bringing Chinese home is getting Chinese people to really learn Chinese,and preventing the westernization of the language, I guess. I say give them a break - they know enough of their own language, the more they learn, the more we we will have to learn to keep up with them! I only hope these activists for the preservation of Chinese never get violent on us - we could never screw up their precious tones again!

I'm not going to read the whole article, here is the excerpt abt bringing Chinese home,(it refers to a book Chinese in Crisis or sth like that):

《汉语的危机》一书囊括了近年来关于汉语命运的各种观点，像一个集束炸弹，给人们以强烈的震撼。这部书由朱竞主编(文化艺术出版社2005年8月第一版)，收录了几十篇论述当代汉语危机和保持汉语纯洁性的文章，荟萃了学院派理论家、作家、诗人以及自由撰稿人对汉语危机的精思深议，不仅集中展示了当代中国学人对汉语危机的直面反思，而且正面展示了一代学人热忱的汉语文化使命感。面对汉语的现实处境，他们用娴熟自如的母语表达了同一个殷切的声音：带汉语回家。

　　谁来带汉语回家？用什么带汉语回家？书中的作者做出了自己的思考和解答。作家、中南大学教授阎真说，今天，汉语面临的仍是民族性和现代性的交锋和冲突。现在，历史也许提供了一种机遇，使我们能在现代化进程中，保持民族性，使我们不但是人种意义上的中国人，同时也是文化意义上的中国人。在这种理念中，汉语是我们的家园，是我们的文化身份证。

[roddy]

At a charitable guess, I'd say it's a brave attempt at translating 'Chinese takeaway'. Would 'Chinese go home' be a likely thing to see?

[Xiao Kui]

Makes sense that the Chinese buffet owner in Budapest don't know his Hanzi. We have a Japanese restaurant here in Argentina that uses Hanyu pinyin to spell out its kanji!

BTW, i couldn't find the smiley with the tongue in its cheek for my original reply. Then again, those mad activist 汉语学家 might have a sle eper cell in Budapest.

[Weronika]

Interesting. In Budapest there isn't any racism about chinese people. And I don't think that somebody speaks chinese and want chinese takeaway.

My boyfriend's guess is that this is another buffet owner who doesn't wants his business decline. Some years ago there was a stabbing between two chinese. The hungarian chinese community is very closed, but I think in that closed community there is "fights".

But I thought right that this is a "negative" writing.

Thanks

[Xiao Kui]

Why don't you ask the buffet owner what he wrote? There's probably a logical explanation. My reply that it was abt people wanting the Chinese language to stay pure was just a joke, because that's the only translation I could find when I googled it - though I googled it because I was really curious abt what it could mean. But it doesn't make sense because no one would want to spread a message like that in a Chinese restaurant. Sorry for my confusing post - I have a silly sense of humor! (and too much free time since I've been sick this week - should be spending it learning more Chinese, I guess. )

[Weronika]

no problem of course!! Maybe i'll ask the owner, because I'm very curious about it. I'll wrote if I know something.

Get well soon and learn chinese

[Weronika]

Now this writing isn't on the buffet window ...