Chopsticks & Pidgin
Westerner uses knives and forks to eat while Chinese uses chopsticks to eat.
Chopsticks are a unique tool of Chinese (originated) and East Asian for eating, Western world doesn’t have such kind of stuff. So how to translate such stuff into English is a kind of problem?
The translator used Chinese Pidgin English to translate it. The chopstick in Chinese semantic-phonetic (xingsheng) sounds like ‘quick’, and it is a pidgin which ‘chop chop’ meant quickly, And the chopstick is made of wood which it looks like a little stick, For those reasons, The stuff chop-stick has been translated, And, Chinese always use 2 pieces of chopsticks to make it work, therefore, the word 'Chopstick' always uses plural 'chopsticks'.
The very famous of Chinese Pidgin English in Taiwan is ‘long time no see’ which means ‘haven’t seen (you) in a long time’. It’s a way of saying hello to an old friend of Chinese. Many westerners who stay in Taiwan in a certain days would like to say ‘long time to see’ to an old friend instead of ‘hello’.
In general, chopsticks etiquette is similar to general Western etiquette which is regarding eating utensils. And there are still several things about Chinese chopsticks that you might want to know:
1) We hold the rice bowl up to our mouth and use chopsticks to push rice directly into the mouth.
2) It’s ok that you transfer food to your closely related people, besides, don’t do that please.
3) If there are communal chopsticks, use them to pick up food to your plate, afterwards, use your own chopsticks to pick your own food up from your plate.
It needs a lot of time to practice the skill of using chopsticks. And, once you can use chopsticks, you’ll feel good.
I had written and published 2 blogs on May 26 & 27, and it has not shown up on BBC's website till now(Monday, May 28, 2007、11:22:42 PM, Taiwan time).
Maybe it is because today is the last Monday in May which is Spring Bank Holiday (Whitsun)
Love always,
It’s never late to be diligent in learning.
James Zhih-Cheng Wu
Photo：James uses chopsticks to pick up a piece of watermelon.
Comments
Hi James! I´ve never succeeded in my infinite attempts to have a meal using the chopsticks. Well, it seems that my fingers aren´t able to handle them. However, I provide to my friends lots of fun, and they usually mocking me, because they know when I try to use the chopsticks, my food often "fly" to the friend plate who is seating beside me. How embarrassed, and at the same time how funny this situation is! Anyway, I guess this situation has never happened to you. Hasn´t it? Best wishes, Ana Paula.
Hello there . How was your day ? Today is rain- soaked all day and all night in North East in Thailand . The reainy season are comming very quickly and even ruining everywhere not to have much trees to protect. That may be the effect of global warming or green house effect is a major problem of world todays . As a result of this problem , we should grow many tree in my house, mountains ,parks and leaving cut many trees. Why is it related to this topic ? Regarding to chopsticks, people who live in Asia are almost using it . Most of chopsticks made from wood . That mean we must cut many tree except plastic chopsticks . I think we should use plastic chopsticks instead in order to reduce cutting down the tree. Bye for now !!! The rain is very hard .
Hi,James.IT has been a daily routine to check out the student/teacher blogger.I feel odd when i found nothing new on the BBC. However, your last sentence of 28th blog has clarified those suspisions.Spring bank holiday or Whitsun,which is another occasion to have a good relax,right? I cannot remember Teacher Alex's gorgeous smile,may i say long time no see? i am obliged to tell you that i have write you a long blog on May 20th, but somewhat reason, they haven't published.Assumedly,i must break the rules.Whatsoever, I am fine.Do you have a moment that you feel tired and quit to try again when you fail? I am appreciated to hear your answer.
Dear James! I appreciate very much your dilligence in writing and learning! You put much time and energy to the work! I have to admit that I can`t compare with you absolutely. I was lazy and lazy didn`t work so hard.(Waiting for appearance of your blogs I`ve painted my biggest work until now as relaxing activity.) It is known, people on the far East are hard-working as you are too. Are you never tired? Here is the result, my knowledge of English develops slowly despite an interesting new fact for me which teacher Alex mentioned about native speakers. To the weather news we had many short but powerful thunder-storms yesterday and bolts swooped right down into the lake and thunders rolled after instantly. And,there are fewer forests over the world! Warm greetings for everyone.
I don't altogether agree with what Wisarut had said. We can use reusable chopsticks instead of disposable ones. They can be made of wood, metal, plastic or stone etc.
Hello.. My comment has something wrong . Obviously,Strengthen from China misunderstood about recycling chopsticks in some case. ThusI would like to restate comment again. In SOME RESTAURANT in Thailand, they are normally using chopsticks ,made from wood or bamboo. And then they dispose of chopsticks . I would like to talk in that case.
That's strange, I've never seen chopsticks in a restaurant in Thailand, they normally use only a spoon and a fork!
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