Like the Five Olympic Rings from which they draw their color and inspiration, Fuwa will serve as the Official Mascots of Beijing 2008 Olympic Games, carrying a message of friendship and peace -- and good wishes from China -- to children all over the world.
Designed to express the playful qualities of five little children who form an intimate circle of friends, Fuwa also embody the natural characteristics of four of China's most popular animals -- the Fish, the Panda, the Tibetan Antelope, the Swallow -- and the Olympic Flame.
Each of Fuwa has a rhyming two-syllable name -- a traditional way of expressing affection for children in China. Beibei is the Fish, Jingjing is the Panda, Huanhuan is the Olympic Flame, Yingying is the Tibetan Antelope and Nini is the Swallow.
When you put their names together -- Bei Jing Huan Ying Ni -- they say "Welcome to Beijing," offering a warm invitation that reflects the mission of Fuwa as young ambassadors for the Olympic Games.
Fuwa also embody both the landscape and the dreams and aspirations of people from every part of the vast country of China. In their origins and their headpieces, you can see the five elements of nature -- the sea, forest, fire, earth and sky -- all stylistically rendered in ways that represent the deep traditional influences of Chinese folk art and ornamentation.
Spreading Traditional Chinese Good Wishes Wherever They Go
In the ancient culture of China, there is a grand tradition of spreading good wishes through signs and symbols. Each of Fuwa symbolizes a different blessing -- and will honor this tradition by carrying their good wishes to the children of the world. Prosperity, happiness, passion, health and good luck will be spread to every continent as Fuwa carry their invitation to Beijing 2008 to every part of the globe.
At the heart of their mission -- and through all of their work -- Fuwa will seek to unite the world in peace and friendship through the Olympic spirit. Dedicated to helping Beijing 2008 spread its theme of One World, One Dream to every continent, Fuwa reflect the deep desire of the Chinese people to reach out to the world in friendship through the Games -- and to invite every man, woman and child to take part in the great celebration of human solidarity that China will host in the light of the flame in 2008.
In China's traditional culture and art, the fish and water designs are symbols of prosperity and harvest. And so Beibei carries the blessing of prosperity. A fish is also a symbol of surplus in Chinese culture, another measure of a good year and a good life.
The ornamental lines of the water-wave designs are taken from well-known Chinese paintings of the past. Among Fuwa, Beibei is known to be gentle and pure. Strong in water sports, she reflects the blue Olympic ring.
Jingjing makes children smile -- and that's why he brings the blessing of happiness wherever he goes. You can see his joy in the charming naivety of his dancing pose and the lovely wave of his black and white fur. As a national treasure and a protected species, pandas are adored by people everywhere. The lotus designs in Jingjing's headdress, which are inspired by the porcelain paintings of the Song Dynasty (A.D.960-1234), symbolize the lush forest and the harmonious relationship between man and nature. Jingjing was chosen to represent our desire to protect nature's gifts -- and to preserve the beauty of nature for all generations. Jingjing is charmingly naïve and optimistic. He is an athlete noted for strength who represents the black Olympic ring.
In the intimate circle of Fuwa, Huanhuan is the big brother. He is a child of fire, symbolizing the Olympic Flame and the passion of sport -- and passion is the blessing he bestows. Huanhuan stands in the center of Fuwa as the core embodiment of the Olympic spirit. And while he inspires all with the passion to run faster, jump higher and be stronger, he is also open and inviting. Wherever the light of Huanhuan shines, the inviting warmth of Beijing 2008 -- and the wishful blessings of the Chinese people -- can be felt. The fiery designs of his head ornament are drawn from the famed Dunhuang murals -- with just a touch of China's traditional lucky designs. Huanhuan is outgoing and enthusiastic. He excels at all the ball games and represents the red Olympic ring.
Like all antelopes, Yingying is fast and agile and can swiftly cover great stretches of land as he races across the earth. A symbol of the vastness of China's landscape, the antelope carries the blessing of health, the strength of body that comes from harmony with nature. Yingying's flying pose captures the essence of a species unique to the Qinghai-Tibet Plateau, one of the first animals put under protection in China. The selection of the Tibetan Antelope reflects Beijing commitment to a Green Olympics. His head ornament incorporates several decorative styles from the Qinghai-Tibet and Sinkiang cultures and the ethnic design traditions of Western China. Strong in track and field events, Yingying is a quick-witted and agile boy who represents the yellow Olympic ring.
Every spring and summer, the children of Beijing have flown beautiful kites on the currents of wind that blow through the capital. Among the kite designs, the golden-winged swallow is traditionally one of the most popular. Nini's figure is drawn from this grand tradition of flying designs. Her golden wings symbolize the infinite sky and spread good-luck as a blessing wherever she flies. Swallow is also pronounced "yan" in Chinese, and Yanjing is what Beijing was called as an ancient capital city. Among Fuwa, Nini is as innocent and joyful as a swallow. She is strong in gymnastics and represents the green Olympic ring.
最近网上流传一张照片，黄底红字，上面大书中文"干果区"，下面是其英文翻译。任何稍懂英文的人若按照字面来解读的话，上面的英文就有"与水果进行性生活"的含义，这说明一个道理:翻译事关重大，不可马虎。
与翻译有关的大事，还有2008北京奥运会吉祥物的英文名字。原来的英文名叫做"Friendlies"，据说语带双关，是"友好的人"与"运动队之间的比赛(也就是友谊赛)"的意思。但我们从上面的故事就知道，语言这东西双关可不算本事，尤其是翻译成其他语言以后。要是深究起来，完全可以被谐音成"没有朋友的"，以及理解为"说谎的朋友"。别说，这两种歪解之间倒是有逻辑上的一致性。
能把一个很简单的翻译弄成这么复杂，是件着实令人惊讶的事情。按说在前清的时候，我们这里就有了一个叫做"同文馆"的机构，专门培养翻译人才。到现在，每个大学生必过的鬼门关之一都已经是英语四级的时候，这种笑话倒是经常见诸境外报端，真是想让人用"干果区"的英文翻译骂上一句。
值得考究的是，到现在好像没人说过福娃的英文名字到底是怎么来的。从我这不入流的英文水平衡量，敢悍然为它取英文名字的人，水平不会比我高到哪里去。但老实说，我肯定不是衡量某些人英文水平的标准，因为加上自学的部分，《新概念英语》四册也未必能顺利地读下来。但我中国难道就没有一个通人能够信、达、雅地翻译一个吉祥物的名字？可是事情就是这样发生了，应该有个道理在里面。
在我看来，原来的名字很可能是理念先行的产物，执行者中未必没有通人知道这名字实在是扯淡，但为了照顾长官意志，也就只好如此了。反正这是英文，丢人是丢在了外国人面前，老百姓是不大懂得的。即使懂得，也没有办法上达天听。这种关起门来的东西，要是不出毛病才是见鬼的事。
而这次改了以后，干脆直接改汉语拼音的"Fuwa"了。据新闻上说，有某教授已经另外想出了几个合适的名字，但负责的同志本着负责到底的精神，发扬"你说得对也不照你说的改"的决心，继续悍然地改成了现在的样子。本来的名字虽然多些歧义，但毕竟还有一半的正面意义，这次完全就成了一种发音而已，完全具有后现代解构主义的风范。
要只是玩儿了一次后现代也就罢了，但就这么个拼音，居然在网络上搜索的结果中，有一项是日本品牌羊皮手提包。所以，是不是后现代还可以先放一边，别侵犯了别人的商标注册倒是最为要紧。