{"id":68267,"date":"2025-02-10T08:52:32","date_gmt":"2025-02-10T13:52:32","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu\/nll\/?p=68267"},"modified":"2025-02-14T13:53:31","modified_gmt":"2025-02-14T18:53:31","slug":"prc-foreign-minister-wang-yis-not-so-subtle-reprimand-falls-on-deaf-ears","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/languagelog.ldc.upenn.edu\/nll\/?p=68267","title":{"rendered":"PRC Foreign Minister Wang Yi's not-so-subtle reprimand falls on deaf ears"},"content":{"rendered":"

Seldom does a matter of correct \/ precise translation go viral the way these words of Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi to American Secretary of State Marco Rubio did:\u00a0 \"h\u01ceo z\u00ec w\u00e9i zh\u012b \u597d\u81ea\u4e3a\u4e4b\".\u00a0 The set phrase (\"<\/span>ch\u00e9ngy\u01d4 \u6210\u8a9e\") has been rendered scores of different ways, most of them dismissive or pejorative.<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Why Wang Yi\u2019s message to Marco Rubio may have been lost in translation<\/a>:

There has been much discussion about how to interpret an idiom used by China\u2019s foreign minister in talks with the US secretary of state<\/p>\r\n

Meredith Chen, South China Morning Post (1\/28\/25)<\/p>\r\n

<\/p>\r\n

Clearly, Wang Yi meant to teach Marco Rubio (and the United States) a lesson.\u00a0 China is accustomed to using such undiplomatic tactics, not just toward America, but to all other countries \"under heaven\".\u00a0 By using serpentine (especially appropriate for this year) sleight of tongue, China's representatives think that other nations will not retaliate against their rebukes and insults because they are, oh, so very clever — so they think.<\/p>\r\n

China\u2019s top diplomat held his\u00a0first phone conversation<\/span><\/a> with the new US secretary of state on Friday, days after Donald Trump\u2019s return to the White House brought more uncertainty to relations.<\/p>\r\n

Since then, there has been much discussion about how to translate a four-character Chinese idiom used by Wang Yi when he was talking to Marco Rubio: hao zi wei zhi.

Interpretations of Wang\u2019s message to Rubio \u2013 a China hawk who has been sanctioned twice by Beijing \u2013 have varied, from the foreign ministry calling it a warning to \u201cact accordingly\u201d, to a foreign media outlet translating it as \u201cconduct yourself well\u201d.

So what was Wang really saying?<\/p>\r\n

How it got translated<\/b><\/p>\r\n

After the call, China\u2019s foreign ministry released a readout in English saying that Wang had cautioned Rubio to \u201cact accordingly\u201d and \u201cplay a constructive role for the future of the people of China and the United States, as well as for the peace and stability of the world\u201d.

State news agency Xinhua interpreted it as Wang telling Rubio to \u201cmake the right decisions\u201d.

Reuters translated the idiom as \u201cconduct yourself well\u201d while Bloomberg\u2019s interpretation was \u201cconduct yourself properly\u201d.<\/p>\r\n

Before delving deeply into the implications that have been extracted from Wang Yi's infamous idiom, let's look at what the four bare characters signify:<\/p>\r\n

h\u00e0o\u00a0\u597d (<\/span>\"be fond of, like, have a tendency to, be prone to\") \/ h\u01ceo\u00a0\u597d (\"good, well,\u00a0<\/span>carefully,<\/span> properly\"), and many other meanings and parts of speech depending upon context)<\/span><\/p>\r\n

z\u00ec \u81ea \"self\"
<\/span><\/p>\r\n

w\u00e9i \u4e3a \"do\"
<\/span><\/p>\r\n

zh\u012b \u4e4b \"it\"<\/span><\/p>\r\n

Wiktionary<\/a> offers an excellent treatment of this quadrisyllabic<\/span> idiom, both in its original, ancient, classical meaning, where \u597d in Modern Standard Mandarin (MSM) is pronounced in the fourth tone (<\/span>\"be fond of, like, have a tendency to, be prone to\") and in its corrupted, contemporary meaning, where \u597d in MSM is pronounced in the third tone (<\/span>\"good, well,\u00a0<\/span>carefully,<\/span> properly\").<\/span><\/p>\r\n

What does it actually mean?<\/b><\/p>\r\n

According to the Xinhua Dictionary of Idioms, the phrase hao zi wei zhi means to \u201chandle things properly yourself and act accordingly\u201d and is often used when giving advice to others.

That was also the verdict on Yuyuan Tantian, a social media account run by state broadcaster CCTV.

A video posted to the account on Saturday said the idiom was \u201coften used to advise someone to properly manage their own affairs, or else they will have to bear the consequences\u201d.

Another Yuyuan Tantian video ran through several translations for the idiom: a casual way to say \u201csuit yourself\u201d with a hint of negativity and criticism; a more serious reminder or caution to \u201cbehave yourself\u201d; a way to say \u201ctake care of yourself\u201d that conveys a sense of contempt; and it can also be used with a heavier tone to express rejection by saying \u201cyou care about yourself then\u201d.<\/p>\r\n


Diplomatic context<\/b>

The idiom has been used before in diplomatic exchanges and has previously been translated into English \u2013 in different circumstances \u2013 as \u201cmake the right choice\u201d or \u201cbe very prudent about what you say or do\u201d, according to Yuyuan Tantian.

According to its video on the topic, the idiom is used to convey a message of caution to others. It said Wang\u2019s use of the phrase highlighted the \u201csubtlety of diplomatic language\u201d and was an effort to present China as a great power issuing a \u201cstern reminder\u201d to another party.

It said the implication was that \u201cif the US insists on an anti-China stance, it will have to deal with the consequences\u201d, and Wang was issuing \u201ca reminder to the US government about what to say and do over the next four years\u201d.

Well-known political commentator Qiu Zhenhai, who has more than 2 million followers on social media network Weibo, also weighed in on the debate on Saturday, saying the phrase could imply that \u201c[we can] temporarily put past issues aside and let\u2019s aim to open a positive chapter for the future\u201d.

\u201cThese are rather serious words, not something used between friends or in a cheerful atmosphere,\u201d Qiu said in a video post. \u201cIt suggests that something unpleasant has happened but I do not want to escalate the conflict, and even extend some courtesy to you.\u201d

Beijing has previously used the idiom in response to other countries\u2019 engagement on issues it deems sensitive, such as the Taiwan Strait, Xinjiang, Hong Kong, the South China Sea and the East China Sea.<\/p>\r\n

 <\/p>\r\n

Exegesis of allusion<\/b><\/p>\r\n

Although Wang Yi was almost certainly unaware of the classical basis of the demeaning gibe he directed at Marco Rubio, its ultimate source is from the Hu\u00e1in\u00e1n Z\u01d0<\/i> <\/span><\/span>\u6dee\u5357\u5b50 (Master Huainan) (before 139 BC).<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n

Zh\u01d4 sh\u00f9 x\u00f9n 9.25: J\u016bn r\u00e9n zh\u011b b\u00f9 r\u00e8n n\u00e9ng \u00e9r\u00a0h\u00e0oz\u00ecw\u00e9izh\u012b, z\u00e9 zh\u00ec r\u00ec k\u00f9n \u00e9r z\u00ecf\u00f9 q\u00ed z\u00e9 y\u011b<\/p>\r\n

\u4e3b\u8853\u8a13 9.25:\u00a0 \u541b\u4eba\u8005\u4e0d\u4efb\u80fd\u800c\u597d\u81ea\u70ba\u4e4b\uff0c\u5247\u667a\u65e5\u56f0\u800c\u81ea\u8ca0\u5176\u8cac\u4e5f\u3002(Chinese Text Project<\/a>)<\/p>\r\n

\"The Ruler's Techniques\", 9.25:\u00a0 <\/span><\/span>If the ruler does not rely on capable people but wants to do everything himself, then his wisdom will be taxed daily, and he will be burdened with responsibilities.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n

—-
<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n

John S. Major, Sarah A. Queen, Andrew Seth Meyer, and Harold D. Roth, tr., ed., intro., and annot. Liu An, King of Huainan, The Huainanzi<\/i><\/span><\/span>, \"The Ruler's Techniques\"), 9.25<\/span><\/span>:\u00a0 A Guide to the Theory and Practice of Government in Early Han China<\/i> (New York: Columbia University Press, 2010), p. 323.<\/span><\/span><\/p>\r\n

 <\/p>\r\n

Afterword<\/b><\/p>\r\n

A learned friend told me that \"h\u00e0ozi\u00a0w\u011bi zh\u012b<\/span> \u8017\u5b50\u5c3e\u6c41\" (lit., \"mouse tail juice\") (Baidu<\/a>) is a homophonic expression for \"h\u00e0o z\u00ec w\u00e9i zh\u012b \u597d\u81ea\u4e3a\u4e4b\"<\/span>.<\/p>\r\n

Other popular homophonic versions of Wang Yi's daft insult are \"h\u00e0ozi w\u011bi zh\u012b \u8017\u5b50\u840e\u6c41\" (lit. \"mouse\u00a0wilt \/ wither juice\"), \"h\u00e0ozi w\u00e8i\u00a0zh\u012b \u8017\u5b50\u5582\u6c41\" (\"mouse suckle juice\"), etc.<\/p>\r\n

 <\/p>\r\n

Selected readings<\/b><\/p>\r\n