Faithless
07-25-2007, 01:27 AM
Dude, you voting for "Upset Stomach?"
Now, with a name like Dick Armey, transliteration can only work to the dude's advantage.
Although the dispute has become a flashpoint for those passionate about the issues of voting rights and immigrant assimilation, it is the possibility that candidates' names may bear unintended meanings when transliterated into Chinese that has become the focus of media attention. According to a recent article in USA Today, transliteration could morph candidate names into comic-sounding monikers like "Virtue Soup" and "Upset Stomach."
Candidate 'Virtue Soup'? Not Likely, Say Linguists, Activists -- Transliteration on ballots under scrutiny (http://news.ncmonline.com/news/view_article.html?article_id=dce09c378c026eee32011 6be967c1e92)
Sampan, News Report, Austin Woerner, Posted: Jul 24, 2007
Editor's Note: The transliteration of candidates' names into easy-to-understand characters on their ballots is vital, many Asian-American voters say. The Massachusetts Secretary of State William Galvin opposes the practice, calling it imprecise and confusing.
Boston -- A crowd of Asian American protesters and their supporters demonstrated at the Massachusetts State House on July 9, waving placards and shouting slogans in support of fully-translated bilingual Chinese-English ballots.
"It's not a joke! We want to vote!" clamored the band of 30-odd protesters gathered on the State House steps.
Their indignation stemmed from a controversy over transliterating candidates' names in Chinese characters on bilingual ballots.
Transliteration -- using Chinese characters to approximate the sounds of English-language names -- could lead to confusion and misunderstanding on Election Day, according to Secretary of State William Galvin, who has publicized his opposition to transliteration.
But the Asian American protesters maintained that the transliterated names would help Chinese Americans who speak limited English to more fully exercise their voting rights.
...
Now, with a name like Dick Armey, transliteration can only work to the dude's advantage.
Although the dispute has become a flashpoint for those passionate about the issues of voting rights and immigrant assimilation, it is the possibility that candidates' names may bear unintended meanings when transliterated into Chinese that has become the focus of media attention. According to a recent article in USA Today, transliteration could morph candidate names into comic-sounding monikers like "Virtue Soup" and "Upset Stomach."
Candidate 'Virtue Soup'? Not Likely, Say Linguists, Activists -- Transliteration on ballots under scrutiny (http://news.ncmonline.com/news/view_article.html?article_id=dce09c378c026eee32011 6be967c1e92)
Sampan, News Report, Austin Woerner, Posted: Jul 24, 2007
Editor's Note: The transliteration of candidates' names into easy-to-understand characters on their ballots is vital, many Asian-American voters say. The Massachusetts Secretary of State William Galvin opposes the practice, calling it imprecise and confusing.
Boston -- A crowd of Asian American protesters and their supporters demonstrated at the Massachusetts State House on July 9, waving placards and shouting slogans in support of fully-translated bilingual Chinese-English ballots.
"It's not a joke! We want to vote!" clamored the band of 30-odd protesters gathered on the State House steps.
Their indignation stemmed from a controversy over transliterating candidates' names in Chinese characters on bilingual ballots.
Transliteration -- using Chinese characters to approximate the sounds of English-language names -- could lead to confusion and misunderstanding on Election Day, according to Secretary of State William Galvin, who has publicized his opposition to transliteration.
But the Asian American protesters maintained that the transliterated names would help Chinese Americans who speak limited English to more fully exercise their voting rights.
...