This is the 21st century and generally people are more educated and well informed. The westerners have been exposed to Chinese names for centuries and would have no difficulty in knowing how Chinese names are written, that the first name is the family name followed by his individual name.
When a Chinese writes his name as Lim Heng Tan, everyone understands that his family name or surname is Lim and Heng Tan is his given individual name. So it is proper to address him as Mr Lim. But no, today, it is very confusing because some Chinese are trying to confuse the westerners in the way they write their names. Lim Heng Tan could be written as Heng Tan Lim, so can be Mr Heng and not Mr Lim. Lawrence Lim Heng Tan would be even more puzzling.
Lee Hsien Loong is Mr Lee, as simple as that. What would happen if the main media were to write his name as Hsien Loong Lee? Xi Jinping is not written as Jinping Xi for good reasons. The Chinese community and the main media should play its role by not confusing the westerners with the way the Chinese write their names. Chinese name must be written according to how Chinese write them for centuries. There is a standard convention for it. Why start to write their names in funny ways, some this way and some that way? Why become rojak?
Lawrence Lim Heng Tan or Lawrence Heng Tan Lim? What is the intent and purpose of writing Chinese names anyhow and in any way and using it officially? Why is Lawrence Lim Heng Tan written in the birth certificate or IC becomes Lawrence Heng Tan Lim in the media or in the name card?
Are the Chinese people writing their Chinese names in different ways afraid that the westerners would be confused and did not know if they are Mr Lim or Mr Tan? By writing names anyway you like would actually cause more confusion than intended.
Understanding how Chinese names are written in the standard and well known convention is not difficult for any westerner to known and be comfortable with. The govt and main media must be the responsible leader in setting this norm and not be the shit stirrer to confuse instead of making things simple and easier for themselves and for westerners.
The westerners do no need you to make it easier for them, but by doing so confusing them further. Stick to one standard way of writing Chinese name to make life easy for everyone.
Correct or not, Mr Lim or Mr Tan? Lawrence, shall I call you Mr Lim or Mr Tan? How are the westerners going to know which is the correct version?
9 comments:
Do u know that Chinese words or articles were written and read from right to left, and even vertically ? I think many school kids and young adult may not be aware of it. In the 1950s till I think in early 1960s, our schools' Chinese textbooks, Chinese newspapers, storybooks, articles, etc were written the old ways unlike today. And the first page of the books or newspapers started with flipping the pages from left to right. There a few shops left, esp old Chinese provision shops n coffeeshops, have their names in Chinese characters continued to be displayed on top of their shops frontage in the old way. So, I believe this also caused confusions regarding the Chinese names ! I cannot remember when the Chinese texts in books and newspapers have been switched to English version. Anyone know ?
Some western educated Chinese even want to discard their surnames. When you ask them, "How do I address you?" The answer is usually, 'just call me John, Johnny, Robert, Albert, Anthony, Richard, Doris, Annie, Rosy, Elsie or Nancy and what not.' But may I know your surname? "It's alright just call me John, Robert , Elsie, Nancy and so on , the same steriotype answer. I was wondering how would they react if I just call them 'Ah Tih, Ah Kow, Ah Niow, Ah Swei, Ya Tol or whatever.
Some years back I was in Shanghai, staying in Hyatt Hotel. A pretty young lady came to serve me tea at the check in lounge. How do I address you? I asked. "Lilian" came the answer. What's your surname? "Just call me Lillian, will do." But you are a Chinese and you should be proud and keep your surname which is the important root of every Chinese. If you discard your surname it is like you are disowning your culture, your root and in short your ancestry. "But it is our management policy and my manager, says having an English or Western name is easier for westerners to remember our name." Can I speak to your manager? "OK." Soon the manager a young man of about 4o years old came to see me.
The manager Mr. Zhou was friendly. Soon we got into the discussion of hotel staffs using just only one syllable Western name. I told Mr. Zhou that it is OK to have a western name but being a Chinese we must feel proud to be one and not discard our surname which is like cutting away our roots and throwing away our ancestry. Moreover if a westerner really has respect for we Chinese they will make it a point to remember our Chinese names even if it is one mile long. But when they don't really have sincere respect for us Chinese people even if our name is as short as A or B or C they will soon forget the moment they walk out of the premises. We then continued to talk about the Opium Wars and the over hundred years of Chinese humiliation by Western powers and Japan. Mr Zhou agreed with what I said and promised to bring out the issue for discussion during the next board meeting.
Southernglory1
Traditionally Chinese words were written from top to bottom, and right to left.
Today, Chinese word can be read and written from to bottom, right to left, and left to right.
This is confusing to readers of Chinese words and scripts, but less to westerners as they are unable to read them except for a very few. To the westerners, Chinese text are written in codes that they have problems figuring out what they meant. No need coding and decoding.
If a person does not respect himself or his race, then no one would respect him.
Just read Prof Tommy Koh' opinion piece about the war in Ukraine convinces me he has become more an American and western mouthpiece and lackey.
He even accuses China of supporting Russian propaganda and war on Ukraine and writes in glowing terms about NATO being a body 'whose objective is "collective self defence" Perhaps , he pretends not to know who bombed the then Yugoslavia and helped to fragment the country intk 6 different nations today.
He brags about his advice to Baltic states to join NATO so if Putin is getting hostile because NATO keeps expanding to the east against their promise not to do so, Prof Koh cannot be absolved of some blame.
What was he smoking?
Many of these so called Singapore Ex-diplomats or retired diplomats are having a good time with deep pansions and may be earning further more currying favour with the savage Anglo-Saxon Americans by writing scandalous articles or delivering toxic public speeches slandering, smearing and demonizing China, Russia and other Western opponents.
In addition there are countless numbers of so called experts or specialists in international affairs many of which are foreigners who are employed by the government in many of Singapore's institutes of higher learnings and international studies and Singapore U as political analysts. We don't know what benefit they have brought to Singapore in their highly paid jobs at Singapore tax payers' expense except to benefit themselves. Moreover their evil thoughts and ideas have poisoned the minds of thousands of young Singaporeans. And to add insult to injury they often write articles adverse to Asia's interests as well as disparaging and smearing China and the Chinese people.
These so called ex-diplomats and experts in international political studies are nothing but parasites getting free meals at the public tax payers's expense. Singaporeans should get rid of these obsolete social scums.
Eagles Eyes
Those using Western Names like most Hongkies, are not as bad as those masquerading as NGO and charity organization volunteers, but preaching Christianity in China and at many D E Asian Countries. One of the Most Effective Subversion is to convert others culturally in religion and language. China has to be very wary of Oversea Chinese converting Mainland Chinese to embrace religions and faith that are not indigenious to China.
Taoism is the Only Religion that the Ancient Mainland Chinese has ever morped out from Ancestor-worship and Animism. Ancestor Worship and Worship of Great people such as Guang Kong(Guang Yu) for Chilvary/义气，Bao Zhen/包公 for fairness and Justic, Confucius/孔子 and Lao Zhi/老子 for Knowledge and Philosophy, Sun Yat Seng/孙中山， Mao Ze Dong/毛泽东 for leadership, are all for their spirits in propriety, integrity and respectability. As for Animism, it is natural in most humankind as they are consider the Substances of life and creation. Animism is Universal.
The Greatest Threat to ones' origin lies in not knowing 饮水思源/honouring ones' being and the Nurture provided. The Reason why the Chinese places Filial Piety right at the Top of Virtue follow by Patriotism and Loyalty.
The Core Virtue and Value of Chinese Culture are all base on Humanities. There are no divinity and superstition involve. 人伦/Humanities is the
Ultimate Behaviour and Criteria to Wholesome and Meaningful Existence of Human Beings.
Aussie Killer of Singaporean May Be Freed in a Year’s Time
A Singapore judge sentenced an Australian man to jail on Friday, saying he upset the city state’s “sacrosanct” racial and religious harmony when he hurled a bottle from a balcony at a Muslim family group, killing one of them.
Andrew Gosling had been in Singapore for just two months in August 2019 when he picked up an empty wine bottle and threw it from the seventh floor of a condominium block at the group gathered two floors below for a barbecue.
The bottle hit 73-year-old Nasiari Sunee on the head, knocking him unconscious, and ricocheted onto the shoulder of his wife, Madame Manisah. Mr Nasiari died in hospital the next day.
On Friday, Gosling was sentenced to 5½ years in jail for the August 18 incident. Taking into account time served since he surrendered to police 10 days after the offences, and assuming good behaviour reduces the sentence by one third, he would probably be freed in a year’s time.
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