The Art of Naming in China and Translating Western Names Into Chinese

Abstract

What follows is the introductory paragraph of the article. A name in China is much more than a code of a certain person to distinguish him from another. It often associates the person with many interesting things, such as a line of a poem, a picture, a song, or a famous person. Judging from these clues, one can tell where a person was born, how old he is, what kind of cultural background he has, and even why he was named so. Based on this particular cultural background, many writers have made good use of the art of naming, giving significant names to the characters in their novels. The master of this art in China is probably Tsao Xueqin, author of The Dream of the Red Mansions. There are over a hundred characters in the novel and each of them has a significant name that helps the readers to understand the theme.