Tuesday, March 17, 2015

Translation Tuesday: Gansu Television Program Daguo Wenhua Demonstrates the “International Style” of an African Brother

By Zander Rounds

Author: N/A
Translator: Zander Rounds
Published on: 3/2/15
Source: Xinhua News Agency
Original text (in Chinese): http://news.xinhuanet.com/ent/2015-03/12/c_127573948.htm


It might not be so uncommon to see a foreigner that speaks Mandarin fluently. But its not every day that you see a foreigner who comfortably “plays” with Chinese national culture! Just a few days ago, the Gansu television program Daguo Wenhua [The Culture of a Great Nation] invited an African brother who is well-versed in Chinese national culture. As soon as Jiege, a Cameroonian, entered the stage during the last program, he attracted the attention of the entire audience. While his dark skin and authentic Mandarin was enough to stun Internet users, his self-introduction – delivered in Chinese opera form – even inspired Old Gu’s repeated praise.




So who actually is Jiege? It is understood that the young African guy who enlivened Chinese television screens is actually a bookworm. Not only has he received a PhD in mathematics, but he also is studying for a second PhD at Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics. At the same time, Jiege is an authentic “China fan”—beyond speaking fluent Chinese, he also has an extensive understanding of Chinese traditional culture, like Beijing Opera and the art of face changing. He even studied “cross talk” as an apprentice under Guangquan.

Jiege appeared extremely excited to participate in this episode of Gansu’s Daguo Wenhua. “I really like Chinese traditional culture and therefore love this program, Daguo Wenhua. It is a great honor to have the opportunity to stand on this stage. For a ‘China fan’ like me, this really means a lot,” Jiege responded when interviewed by a reporter after the second section of the show was broadcast.

Jiege’s performance during the show surprised many Internet users. It’s not just that Jiege has cursory knowledge of a range of Chinese traditional customs and national culture—he even has his own original understandings. Although in the end Jiege was unable to achieve “National Culture Expert”, his high score of 80 points still received warm applause from the studio audience.

For a large-scale education variety show that places the dissemination of traditional cultural at its core, the participation of an esteemed foreign guest undoubtedly was a high point for this show. According to the person responsible for Gansu’s television programming, Daguo Wenhua’s invitation of foreign guests not only strengthens the quality of the show but also has a positive impact on the dissemination of Chinese traditional culture on a scope that cannot be overlooked. At the same time, he also revealed that this weekend, Daguo Wenhua will bring a special program of foreigners, which will be even more fantastic than the previous episode.

About Xinhua News Agency (http://www.xinhuanet.com/)
"Xinhua News Agency is the state press agency of the People's Republic of China. Xinhua is a ministry- level department subordinate to the State Council. It operates 107 foreign bureaus worldwide, and maintains 31 bureaus in China—one for each province, plus a military bureau. Xinhua is the sole channel for the distribution of important news related to the Communist Party and Chinese central government." (Wikipedia)

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