Monday, October 12, 2009

Silence on ‘compatriots’

Taipei Times printed the letter in English:

Silence on ‘compatriots’

DEAR EDITOR:

The People’s Republic of China (PRC) delegation of athletes at the Deaflympics last month did not attend the opening ceremony on Sept. 5, but part of the team did show up for the closing ceremony two weeks later, in full view of the public and on TV.

In an unusual move, the PRC team did not carry the Chinese flag upon entering the stadium during the closing ceremony, but instead held up a long red banner with white simplified Chinese characters that read “Go, Taiwanese compatriots in the disaster zone.”

While the thought may have been sincere and heartfelt, wishing a speedy recovery to victims of Typoon Morakot in the southern part of this country — which the PRC team was visiting as foreign guests — it was at the same time a strange sight to see the PRC banner calling their Taiwanese hosts at this international event “compatriots.”

Compatriots means people from the same country. How on earth could the PRC team have the chutzpah to unfurl such a propagandistic banner in a foreign country? And how did they get away with it, with virtually no criticism from anyone in Taiwan, certainly not anyone in the government or the ruling party and not even anyone in the opposition party?

It is hard to imagine this Alice in Wonderland behavior happening in any other country. Writing the term “compatriot” on that banner meant that the PRC team was saying that Taiwan is part of communist China. It is the height of arrogance to unfurl such an untrue phrase in a foreign country where the PRC team are guests of the Taiwanese.

Taiwanese are not “compatriots” to the communist Chinese in the PRC.

The Americans and the British are not compatriots, even though we have many things in common in our inherited cultures, nor are Canadians and Americans compatriots in any sense of the word. We are friends, but we are not compatriots.

Brits, Canadians, Americans, Australians and New Zealanders all live in separate countries. They are not compatriots. For the PRC team to unfurl its banner in public at the Deaflympics calling their Taiwanese hosts “compatriots” was blatant propaganda.

Did anyone in Taiwan complain about this? Or was this kind of rude and impolite linguistic behavior on the part of the visiting PRC team just accepted by the Taiwanese public as par for the course, business as usual? I did not see any news reports complaining about the banner insult.



This story has been viewed 213,795 times in communist China.

Saturday, October 3, 2009

紅布條的陽謀 by BIKO LANG [Deaflympics in Taiwan closing ceremonies Chinese banner calls Taiwanese people as "compatriots" of Communist Chinese? WTF?

紅布條的陽謀

◎ Biko Lang

聽奧開幕式,技術性缺席的中國代表團,閉幕式沒再缺席,由留在台北的五十多名隊職員參加,但沒有攜帶中國五星旗國旗,而是招展「台灣災區同胞加油」的紅布條進場。根據媒體的解讀,中國代表團的這項舉動是釋出善意、也為他們自己解套、避免尷尬…云云。

筆者不否認,中國代表團為莫拉克颱風受苦受難的災民加油打氣是善意的表現。但是,來台灣作客的中國代表團稱呼國際運動賽事主辦國台灣的人民為「同胞」,就令人不敢苟同。所謂「同胞」應該是同屬一國人民之間相互的稱呼。美國人和英國人雖然繼承了相同的文化,但我們絕對不以「同胞」相稱。美國人、英國人、加拿大人,是朋友,但不是「同胞」。中國代表團斗膽,居然大剌剌地在他們的外國/臺灣,招展充滿統戰意味的旗幟,直接、間接宣示台灣是中國的一部份,台灣是屬於中國的!令人訝異的是,事後不但聽不到中華民國政府抗議的聲浪,連一向主立張台灣、中國「一邊一國」的民進黨黨團也鴉然無聲,靜悄悄地。

在筆者的眼裡,中國代表團此舉是「吃台灣人夠夠」,居然還贏得閉幕式觀眾席熱烈的掌聲。
(作者本名 Biko Lang, 為美籍資深媒體人.本文由 Terry Huang / 黃大河翻譯。
全文見 http://pcofftherails101.blogspot.com; EMAIL: bikolang@gmail.com )







BABELFISH TRANSLATION:
◎ by Biko Lang

Listens to the Austria opening ceremony, the technical absence Chinese delegation, the closing ceremony not to absent again, by keeps Taibei's more than 50 team staff members to participate, but has not carried the Chinese five-star flag national flag, but flutters “Taiwan disaster area compatriot refuels” the red cloth strip approach. According to the media explanation, Chinese delegation's this action is the release good intentions, also solves for them, avoids awkwardly…And so on. The author did not deny that the Chinese delegation the disaster victims who suffers hardships and calamities for the Molake typhoon refuels inflates is the good intentions performance. But, visits the Chinese delegation which Taiwan sojourns to call international movement sports event host country Taiwan the people are “the compatriot”, makes one beg to differ. So-called “the compatriot” should be is between country people the mutual name. American and English, although has inherited the same culture, but we 絕 to not by “compatriot” symmetric. The American, the English, the Canadian, are friends, but is not “the compatriot”. The Chinese delegation with great courage, unexpectedly the haughty in theirs foreign/Taiwan, flutters fills united front meaning the flag, direct, declared indirectly Taiwan is a China's part, Taiwan belongs to China! Those who make one be astonished, not only does not hear the voice which afterward Republic of China Government protested, sets up opens Taiwan, China “one side a country” Democratic Progressive Party Political organization also crow including always the host however silent, very quiet. In author's eye, Chinese delegation this act is “eats the Taiwan people 夠 夠”, also receives the closing ceremony auditorium warm applause unexpectedly. (author name Biko Lang, is the American nationality senior media person.

This article by Translator Terry Huang/yellow river. The full text sees http://pcofftherails101.blogspot.com)


NEWS

In an auspicious turn of events, the Chinese delegation,
which had been absent from the opening ceremony, attended the closing
ceremony with over 80 athletes led by the head of the delegation, Jia
Yong. The Mainland athletes entered the Taipei Stadium without holding
PRC national flags or placards. Instead, they carried a red banner
reading “Support Taiwan compatriots in the (Typhoon Morokat) disaster
areas”
. The audience broke into rapturous applause in response.



The Chinese delegation of atheletes at the Deaflympics did not attend
the opening ceremony on Sept. 5, but they did show up for the closing
ceremony. Deputy director of the Chinese Deaflympics team Zhao Su-jing
(趙素京) said at a press conference before the closing ceremony that the
team still had about 52 competitors and staff in Taipei who would
attend. During the closing ceremony, The Chinese team did not carry
the Chinese flag upon entering the stadium, but instead held up a red
banner with white Simplied Chinese characters taht read: “Go,
Taiwanese compatriots in the disaster zone.”It is very strange that
the Chinese team from the PRC would have the effrontery to call their
Taiwnese hosts of the Deaflympics their compatriots, their fellow
countrymen. Taiwanese are NOT compatriots to the communist Chinese in
the PRC, and for the Chinese team to display such a banner was very
rude and impolite, in my humble opinion as a foreigner in Taiwan. the
Americans and the British are not compatriots nor are Canadadians and
American compatriots. We all live in separate countries. So for the
PRC team to unfurl a banner in public at the Deaflympics calling their
Taianese hosts their "comatriots" whioch is a blatant communist
progagnada lie was a slap in the face to Taiwan. Did anyone complain
about this? Or am I the only person who felt this was very rude and
impolite behavior on the part of the visiting PRC team? I did not see
any news reporters of anyone in Taiwan complaing about this? Did I
miss something? Is it true: the people of the PRC and the people are
Taiwan are compatriots? really?


Dear Editor,


The PRC delegation of athletes at the Deaflympics did not attend
the opening ceremony on Septemer 5, but part of the team did show up
for the closing
ceremony in Taipei, in full view of the viewing public in the stands
and on television. During the closing ceremony, the PRC team, in a
very unusual move, did not carry
the Chinese flag upon entering the stadium, but instead held up a long red
banner with white simplied Chinese characters that read: "Go,
Taiwanese compatriots (sic) in the disaster zone."

While the thought was sincere and heartfelt, wishing a speedy recovery
to victims of
Typoon Morakot in the southern part of this country, which the PRC
team was visiting as
foreign guests, it was at the same time a strange sight to see the PRC
banner calling their Taiwanese hosts at this international event as
"compatriots". Compatriots means people from the same country. How on
earth could the PRC team have the LP to unfurl such a propagandistic
banner in a foreign country? And how did they get away with it, with
virtually
no criticism from anyone in Taiwan, certainly not anyone in the
government and not even anyone from the opposition?

Can you imagine this "Alice in Wonderland" behavior happening in any
other country? Writing the term compatriot on that banner meant that
the PRC team was saying that Taiwan is part of communist China. That
is the height of chutzpah, to unfurl such an untrue phrase in a
foreign country where the PRC team are guests of the Taiwanese!
Imagine any other country in the world pulling off such an act and
getting away with it? Impossible.

For the PRC officials and their team to have the effrontery to call their
Taiwnese hosts of the Deaflympics their "compatriots", their fellow
countrymen, which is surely a loaded word, was really in bad taste.
Again, the thoughts
behind the banner were heartfelt and caring. Long live the heartfelt
and caring communists
of the PRC. And may the victims of Typhoon Morokat recover as soon as possible.

But the world should know that the Taiwanese are not "compatriots" to
the communist Chinese in
the PRC. For the PRC team to display such a banner in public, on TV, was very
rude and impolite, in my humble opinion. The
Americans and the British are not compatriots, even though they share
many things in common in their inherited cultures, nor are Canadadians
and
American compatriots in any sense of the word. We are friends, but we
are not compatriots.

The British, the Canadians, the Americans, the Australians and New
Zealanders all live in separate countries. They are not compatriots to
each other. So for the
PRC team to unfurl their sweet red banner in public at the Deaflympics
calling their
Taianese hosts their "compatriots" was a blatant communist
progagnada trick and a slap in the face to Taiwan.

Did anyone complain about this? Or was this kind of rude and
impolite linguistic behavior on the part of the visiting PRC team just
accepted by the Taiwanese public as par for the course, business as
usual? I have not seen
any news reports complainng about this kind of banner insult. Did I
miss something? Am I over-reacting?

Is it true: the people of the PRC and the people are
Taiwan are "compatriots"? Really?