The official logo for the 2024 Spring Festival Gala Photo: Courtesy of China Media Group
On Saturday, the logo of the upcoming Year of the Dragon Spring Festival Gala was officially released by China Media Group. It is a Chinese character composed of three smaller characters for the word "dragon" written in traditional Chinese. A rare character, it has sparked heated discussions online.
Some Chinese netizens were amazed by this intricately written character, confessing that "This was the first time I learned that this character is pronounced da." Others said: "It best suits China as we regard ourselves as the 'descendants of the dragon.'"Showing enthusiasm for this Chinese New Year, others said, "I am looking forward to the joyful and dynamic Year of the Dragon," "I hope I have good luck this year" and "My favorite year is coming."
Over the 5,000 years of Chinese history, the Chinese dragon used to be a totem. Gradually, it has evolved into a Chinese icon representing the spirit of the Chinese nation.
The Chinese dragon is a mythical animal composed of the parts of nine animals: a deer's antlers, a camel's head, a rabbit's eyes, a clam's belly, fish's scales, an eagle's claws, a tiger's paws and an ox's ears. Its entire body is often depicted using winding curves and painted in golden color. Legend goes that the Chinese dragon can fly and has the magical power to control wind and rain, so can spurt water from its mouth to provide timely rainfall to ensure a good harvest. To show their supreme power and dignity, emperors in ancient China always regarded themselves as "true dragons."
Across the vast land of China, ordinary people worshipped the dragon, whose images and names can be found in architectural structures or decorations, such as the Nine-dragon Wall, the Dragon Boat and the Dragon Pavilion among others. As the dragon always has an auspicious meaning, Chinese culture is also called the "Culture of the dragon." There are many fairy tales that have evolved into idioms related to the Chinese dragon, such as Hua Long Dian Jing, or "Adding a finishing touch to a picture of dragon that makes it comes to life and fly." The title of the famous film Crouching Tiger, Hidden Dragon is actually from a well-known Chinese idiom.
Of all the 12 Chinese zodiac animals, the Chinese dragon is one of people's favorites. In the Classic of Changes, the Chinese dragon stands for wood in the theory of the five elements, symbolizing vitality and exuberance. When the Chinese name newborn babies, long, the pronunciation of Chinese dragon in Putonghua, is a frequently selected character, especially for boys born in the Year of the Dragon, as it is hoped that they will grow as strong and energetic as a dragon. As one Chinese netizen posted recently, "Next year, I will name my first child Long."
However, the dragon in the Western world is quite different from the Chinese dragon. Like what we see in movies, the Western dragon has a big snake's body full of scales, the giant wings of bats, strong and sharp claws, and embodies evil that is always defeated by heroes. Instead of spouting water, it breathes fire and is mostly depicted in dark colors, which carries negative meanings.
According to reports, long was first translated to "dragon" in the Travels of Marco Polo in 1299. And in China's Qing Dynasty (1644-1911), Western missionaries translated long as "draco," which is Latin for "dragon."
Although the Chinese dragon is similar to its Western counterpart in certain ways, such as its huge size, scaled body and huge claws, and "dragon" may have been the best term to describe long at that time, it is far from able to represent all of its connotations in Chinese culture and, in some sense, can lead Westerners astray. The reason for this is deeply rooted in the different cultures between China and the Western countries. The dominant philosophy of China is Confucianism, which advocates harmony between man and nature, so they hope to find kindness and benevolence in humanity. On the contrary, Western culture champions individual heroism, which is claimed when they defeat a vicious dragon.
The debate on whether it was right to translate long into "dragon" took place at home and abroad a decade ago. Some people have stated that "dragon" does not really match the Chinese connotations of long, and so may mislead Westerners in their understanding of Chinese culture. Others argued that there is a shortage of expressions for dragon in Western languages as it was an exotic term itself. As such, it was inevitable for them to borrow the term dragon to describe such culturally profound symbol as the Chinese dragon.
In recent years, some Chinese have tried to translate long in a way that is both suitable in Chinese meaning and convenient for Westerners to understand. For example, the Zhejiang Loong Airlines Co Ltd writes long as Loong, a pun that is similar to the English word "long" and the Chinese word long and easier for Westerners to pronounce.
No matter which way long is translated, it is worth noting that the Chinese dragon is a positive, dignified, auspicious, warm and joyful image, much different from that of the Western dragon. As the Year of the Dragon is coming, it is necessary to give a clear interpretation of this term so as to prevent Westerners from getting "lost in translation."
