Here's something interesting that my recent Chinese studies have led me to. Presented below is a list of 3 Chinese characters and their English meanings.
woman
broom (see the hand holding a broom?)
wife
Did you see what just happened there? Perhaps with this in mind, we can better understand today's Directly Translated mistranslation:
- Auntie-
In English, "Auntie" or "Aunt" is a term generally reserved for female siblings of either parent. It is known to be flexible enough to encompass a parent's extremely close adult female friends. The line is drawn at Aunt Jemima.
In Chinese, "Auntie" can be used to address any woman who is your parents' age (mostly by kids). I'm going to compare it to calling a stranger "ma'am," which sounds slightly older than "miss."
Furthermore, alongside "Uncles," every school that I've ever heard of has at least one "Auntie." At my school, we have both a "Cooking Auntie" and a "Cleaning Auntie," who are nothing more than a hired cook and cleaner, respectively (neither of which are married to any of our Bus Uncles).
While walking to the park one day with my class of 3 year olds, one of them pointed out, "There is a auntie cleaning the floor," as he directed our attention to a woman simply sweeping the sidewalk in front of her door. In most English-speaking places that I've heard of, you don't just walk up to women and call them "Auntie," no matter how respectful it is in Chinese.
A typical Taiwanese Cleaning Auntie
As with "Uncle," and all future Direct Translations, I'm not commenting on Chinese words. There are plenty of direct translations that work, for example, "strawberry," and even a longer phrase like "long time no see."
Just because it works some of the time, doesn't mean it works all of the time. Otherwise I'd be allowing kids to call computers "electric brains" and cell phones "hand machines."
3 comments:
So if Uncle and Aunt are used so loosely there, what is an actual Uncle or Aunt Called? Are they recognized as important people in a child's life or are they of the same caliber as a strange woman sweeping a stoop? Also, have you been called Uncle Johnny, or have you heard Zon be called Auntie??
Actual relatives are also called Aunt and Uncle, and the terms are meant to be respectful and polite. And to Zon's cousin's 2 year old son, I am Uncle Johnny.
That is how it is in Hawaii too. So I am going on a limb to say... most Asian cultures?? I know it was especially the Japanese and Phillipino cultures. But basically any adult woman is "Auntie _____" to a child. That is how the parents or adults introduce new adults as well. "This is Auntie Karen." I think, if I remember correctly, it was a sign of respect/ friendship that you were an auntie.
On another note---- haha about the wife thing. I am sure if there were characters in America/English, you would find a similar translation. Considering that was what woman were "supposed" to do until the 1940's or so.
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