The Max Planck Institute is one of the world’s leading science and technology research groups, and boy does the Germany-based group ever have egg on its face.
It turns out that the latest issue of its flagship journal has China as its focus. The journal’s cover bears what the editors thought were Chinese characters for an elegant classic poem.
But the Chinese characters are really an ad from early in the last century for some sort of strip club offering girls.
According to this blog at the University of Pennsylvania, here’s a rough translation of the “poem”:
With high salaries, we have cordially invited for an extended series of matinées
KK and Jiamei as directors, who will personally lead jade-like girls in the spring of youth,
Beauties from the north who have a distinguished air of elegance and allure,
Young housewives having figures that will turn you on;
Their enchanting and coquettish performance will begin within the next few days.
When the cover brought howls of both laughter and indignation from Chinese natives, the Institute immediately issued the following apology and explanation:
Dear Colleagues,
The cover of the most recent German-language edition of MaxPlanckForschung (3/2008) depicts a Chinese text which had been chosen by our editorial office in order to symbolically illustrate the magazine's focus on "China". Unfortunately, it has now transpired that this text contains inappropriate content of a suggestive nature.
Prior to publication, the editorial office had consulted a German sinologist for a translation of the relevant text. The sinologist concluded that the text in question depicted classical Chinese characters in a non-controversial context. To our sincere regret, however, it has now emerged that the text contains deeper levels of meaning, which are not immediately accessible to a non-native speaker.
By publishing this text we did in no way intend to cause any offence or embarrassment to our Chinese readers. The editors of MaxPlanckResearch sincerely regret this unfortunate error and would like to offer an unreserved apology to all of their Chinese readers for any upset or distress they may have caused.
The cover title has already been substituted in the online edition, and the English version of MaxPlanckForschung (MaxPlanckResearch, 4/2008) will be published with a different title.
We would ask you to forward this information to all Chinese scientists at your Institute. Please find attached the new version of the title. Perhaps you can distribute this print-out within your institute.
One person posting on the UPenn blog had the following comment:
This is astonishing. The fact that the Max Planck Institute treats Chinese as decoration rather than a language speaks volumes. "Well, we had some guy take a look at it and he said it looked pretty traditional…" Give me a break. Would they have published an "English issue" with a cover reading "GIRLS GIRLS GIRLS! Hot housewives for fun and frolic!!"? Was it really impossible for them to find someone who could actually read Chinese?
Michael Schoenhails, in his little nice book "Doing Things with Words in Chinese politics", observes the following:
"Whereas Western universities, media, and government(s) never would regard anyone with a reading ability in English of ten pages an hour as qualified to speak with authority on British politics, a similar standard does not yet apply to China".
Posted by: OtOh | December 07, 2008 at 05:58 PM
That is just spectacularly idiotic. I wonder what my old Chinese professors would make of the sinologist in question who's skills only amounted to being able to scratch his chin and say 'hmm this is poetic classical Chinese.'
I hated every second of classical Chinese classes- loved the language, structure and everything about it but for some reason my mind just couldn't bend itself around the the language to ever get to the stage my teachers didn't want to strangle me. ah thems were the days.
still, even I can read this without problems and I would never tout myself as an academic type when it comes to classical.
Posted by: Chris Stevens | December 07, 2008 at 07:04 PM
"Would they have published an "English issue" with a cover reading "GIRLS GIRLS GIRLS! Hot housewives for fun and frolic!!"? Was it really impossible for them to find someone who could actually read Chinese?"
I DID see huge amount of inappropriate English in magazines, on signs and clothing, etc. in China.
Not that that excuses this goof, just that it's an even bigger laugh seeing it go both ways.
Posted by: Meg | December 07, 2008 at 10:02 PM
The chinese are crybabies. They are always so "offended" at everything. They can butcher the English language all day long and that's ok, but someone makes an honest, although stupid mistake and everyone is so offended.
Give me a break.
Posted by: johnny justice | December 08, 2008 at 02:48 AM
Johnny,
If you need a break, get lost.
Posted by: cc | December 08, 2008 at 07:32 AM
It's okay for t-shirts and whatever amateur publications to butcher English or Chinese. It is not okay for an institution to mess up on this magnitude.
If anyone wants to be a creditable institution; taking an extra five minutes to find a creditable expert is not too much to ask.
The difference between "desperate housewives" and tasteful poetry does not require a scholar to distinguish.
It's funny that people call the Chinese crybabies but in fact are "crying" about Chinese "crying". This situation was hardly the butchering of language but the sheer lack of understanding or ignorance of the language and not by an individual, but by an institution.
I think they should replace their Sinologist and hire my youngest relative who is currently in grade school.
Posted by: Junhui | December 08, 2008 at 01:54 PM
The Chinese are crybabies about a lot of perceived insults, there is no doubt.
However, I would seriously call into question anything written by this magazine if they cannot even get this level of basic research done properly.
If they are so half-arsed in their research for the front cover what else have they got wrong?
Posted by: Chris Stevens | December 08, 2008 at 05:43 PM
It does go both ways. I remember seeing a banner from a Seafood restaurant (I won't name the place) with a sign that reads "Sushi... 盟生云立较月非各亩啊然", something like that.
Posted by: Pffefer | December 08, 2008 at 06:03 PM
A general perception of the chinese as cry babies because they feel insulted by something a westerner would not find insulting is due to simple arrogance. That somehow if they treat it as a joke, the chinese therefore must follow suit or be labelled cry babies. This is hardly unique to china, I see this hallmark in India and South Africa.
Posted by: Lagos | December 11, 2008 at 06:49 PM
I is certainly not a joke and a good magazine shouldn't make such a mistake. I never suggested that they should have. The point is that everything somehow gets blow out of proportion into some big national insult. I stick to what I said. They are crybabies.
CC: Whatever. I am free to comment same as yourself.
Posted by: Johnny Justice | December 12, 2008 at 01:23 AM
I'm sure the Chinese who read this coverpage is laughing their heads off. I don't think anyone would be crying about this.
But most of you probably do not realize is the fact that this is a flagship journal of one of the most respected scientific institution in the world. Yes, the institution is in Germany. What they've done would be equivalent to Harvard posting an ad to solicit prostitution on the coverpage of the Harvard Business Review.
Posted by: Anonym | December 12, 2008 at 01:25 AM
This is a disaster for us, but i can understand it. This is just like that I misunderstand English in the same way.
But for an institute, that still makes us feel shock. Anyway, all Chinese remember that German institute now. :)
Posted by: ChineseLin | January 12, 2009 at 02:56 AM
Wow... yet another blog dealing with both "poetry" and the sex trade in China. Although this one...
http://donaldgallinger.com/dons-blog/memoirs-of-china/36-china-memoirs-there-was-no-poetry.html
... is a LITTLE different. But anyway, congratulations to our friends in China! People in the West obviously believe you're poetic lovers!
Posted by: Doni | January 22, 2009 at 02:51 PM
Ha, this is too funny, I can't imagine they did this without asking anyone who knows Chinese. But I have to say, this seems like traditional Chinese, which is not the words they are using now in China.
Posted by: Cherry | January 26, 2009 at 11:52 PM
I want a copy of this!
Posted by: LTF | January 27, 2009 at 03:58 AM
what dumbasses. couldnt take a moment to proof read?
Posted by: nyc escorts | March 13, 2009 at 05:37 PM