Home>News Center>China
       
 

'Seoul' morphs into Chinese 'Shouer'
By Cao Desheng (China Daily)
Updated: 2005-01-20 23:52

It could take a while for the new Chinese name for the capital of the Republic of Korea (ROK) to catch on among common Chinese.

The nation has known the Korean city of Seoul as "Hancheng" (or Hanseong in Korean) for centuries, and it will not be easy for Chinese to adopt the use of "Shouer" as its new name, said Zhao Rixin, a Beijing Language and Culture University professor said Thursday.

The Seoul city government announced Wednesday it has decided to change the city's Chinese name from "Hancheng" -- which can be interpreted as "Chinese city" -- to avoid confusion.

The new name combines two Chinese characters that produce the sound "Shouer," similar in pronunciation to "Seoul," AFP quoted a Korean official as saying.

"It is a general perception in the world community and an international practice to call the capital city Seoul, not Hanseong," Mayor Lee Myung-Bak said at a news conference in Seoul on Wednesday.

"Shouer" is closer to the actual name as well as the Chinese meaning of "first city," which makes it more suitable for the capital, Lee was quoted as saying.

However, Zhao felt it "unusual" when he pronounced the new name in Chinese after learning of the news from the local media.

"I feel the pronunciation is very bizarre, as if I'm talking about an unfamiliar city," Zhang said.

Chen Jian, an employee in a state-owned enterprise in Beijing, feels similarly.

Chen said it's hard for him to match "Shouer" with the capital city since Hancheng has become deeply engraved in his mind.

Last January, the city of Seoul formed a special committee of Chinese-language experts to prepare for the change.

A survey by the city last year of 1,440 Chinese living in Seoul showed that 44 per cent were against changing the Chinese name, with 32 per cent in favour.

The city plans to use the new name in translations of official city documents, on its Chinese web page, promotion materials and road signs.

It also asked the Chinese Government to adopt the new name.

The Ministry of Foreign Affairs gave no comment about the change, saying it has not received any official request from the ROK.

Han Jaeheuk, a press official from the ROK's Embassy in Beijing, said his embassy was not officially informed of the change.

"Generally, a name should follow its bearer, but it is rare that a country asks its counterpart to change translations of its city's name," Zhang said.

It might need a generation or more for Chinese speakers to accept the new name, Zhang said.



 
  Today's Top News     Top China News
 

Iraqis assure full help on release

 

   
 

Briefing: 'China a victim of terrorism'

 

   
 

Duet Chinese to orbit Earth this autumn

 

   
 

China, Canada pledge further cooperation

 

   
 

Online gambling sees 600 arrested

 

   
 

Cellphone users send 217.7 bn SMS in 2004

 

   
  Hostages' families pray for safe return
   
  China, Grenada resumes diplomatic ties
   
  Chinese firms file lawsuit on DVD patent
   
  Beijing feels the pinch of winter gas shortage
   
  Governor-turned-professor nabbed in Sichuan
   
  China to shut down gambling websites
   
 
  Go to Another Section  
 
 
  Story Tools  
   
  News Talk  
  It is time to prepare for Beijing - 2008  
Advertisement
         
主站蜘蛛池模板: 亚洲国产精品自产在线播放| 国产码欧美日韩高清综合一区| 国产成人精品视频一区二区不卡| 久久嫩草影院免费看夜色| 欧美日韩一级二级三级| 免费a级毛片大学生免费观看| 老湿机香蕉久久久久久| 国产午夜无码片在线观看| 欧美日韩第一页| 国产精品视频二区不卡| 99精品国产在热久久婷婷| 少妇愉情理伦片高潮日本| 中文字幕水野优香在线网在线| 日韩AV无码一区二区三区不卡毛片 | 女人张开腿让男人桶视频| 中文在线视频观看| 日日噜噜夜夜狠狠久久aⅴ| 久久精品国产亚洲av四虎 | 国产乱码精品一区二区三区四川人 | 国产成人免费片在线视频观看| 窝窝午夜色视频国产精品东北| 国农村精品国产自线拍| a毛片a毛片a视频| 女人被男人狂躁视频免费| 三上悠亚在线观看视频| 护士撩起裙子让你桶的视频| 久久亚洲欧美日本精品| 日韩免费视频在线观看| 么公的好大好深视频好爽想要| 欧美不卡一区二区三区免| 亚洲国产老鸭窝一区二区三区| 永久免费无码日韩视频| 亚洲色大成网站www永久男同 | www.91久久| 好男人官网在线观看免费播放| 一道本免费视频| 成人免费无码大片a毛片| 中文字幕一区二区日产乱码| 无码专区一va亚洲v专区在线| 久久久无码人妻精品无码| 日本高清视频免费观看|