Chicken means prostitute? Dictionary upsets
parents
BEIJING, Aug. 18 (Xinhua) -- A dictionary designed for pupils and
middle school students is considered unsuitable by many parents for
their kids.
The Xinhua Dictionary with English Translation, published by
Nanfang Press in 2003, defines the Chinese word "chicken" as either
a kind of poultry, or the derogatory short form for prostitutes.
The dictionary also gives "pimp" as one of the meanings of the
Chinese word "duck."
The dictionary describes itself as a "modern, up-to-date dictionary
specially designed for pupils and middle school students in the new
century."
An anonymous parent, however, said she think some of the
definitions are unsuitable for young kids and teenagers.
According to an on-line survey on the People's Daily website, 560
out of 878 people who took part in the survey think the dictionary
will have a bad influence on kids and teenagers, and 322 of them
believe the editors should be punished. Three hundred and eighteen
respondents think the definition given by the dictionary will not
harm young readers.
An editor surnamed Zhang with Nanfang Press said in an interview
with Beijing Youth Daily on Thursday, "There is only oneedition of
the dictionary, published in 2003, so any bad influence on pupils
is limited."
He said that if Nanfang Press publishes other dictionaries,
definitions of this kind will be deleted.
The country's most authoritative dictionary, Xinhua Dictionary
published by Commercial Press in 2005, and other commonly used
dictionaries for pupils and middle school students define "chicken"
only as poultry.
There is no connection between Commercial Press' Xinhua Dictionary
and the Xinhua Dictionary with English Translation by Nanfang
Press.