English name change for 2008 Olympics mascots

时间：2006-10-16 07:06:36

（单词翻译:单击）
 
Oct. 16 - The 2008 Olympic Game mascots1 have been renamed from the "Friendlies" to "Fuwa" due to concerns the original name may have caused confusion, Beijing Star Daily reports.

 

The Beijing Organizing Committee for the 2008 Olympic Games (BOCOG) has officially announced the change of name on its website, but Olympic ads and products using the mascots will continue to use the original name in the short term.

 

The suitability of the mascots' name has been the subject of heated debate since the Friendlies were unveiled to the public.

 

Dr Li from Lanzhou University in the Gansu Province was the first critic to skewer2 the name. He claimed "friendlies" is too ambiguous a title for the mascots, as it refers to friendly people as well as the friendship games. He also objected to the title on the grounds that it is too similar to words and phrases with negative connotations, like "friendless" and "friend lies".

 

Dr Li proposed three alternative names to BOCOG, including Forworld, Forward and Forwords. He said Forworld stands for the slogan, "One World, One Dream", claiming it is true to the Olympic slogan "Faster, Higher, Braver". Foreign experts and netizens also approved of Forwards because they liked its meaning and the way it is pronounced in Chinese, fuwazi.

 

The committee rejected all of these suggestions, opting3 instead to rename the mascots "Fuwa". Standing4 for happiness, prosperity, health, good luck and enthusiasm, the new name symbolises the Chinese people's wishes for the people of the world.

 

The change of name has received a lot of approval and support.

 

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1 mascots aecb9f35e21335e20c5eb14a9f5e4d45     
n.吉祥物( mascot的名词复数 )
参考例句：
  • One of the mascots was the platypus. 吉祥物一是鸭嘴兽。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Information on all things Olympic, including logos, mascots, venues,and bid candidates. 所有事情奥林匹克，包括的标识语，吉祥物，地点，和出价候选人的信息。 来自互联网
2 skewer 2E3yI     
n.（烤肉用的）串肉杆；v.用杆串好
参考例句：
  • I used a skewer to make an extra hole in my belt.我用扦子在腰带上又打了一个眼儿。
  • He skewered his victim through the neck.他用扦子刺穿了受害人的脖子。
3 opting e6a09ce5b5c8079c1654586c4e1dc5b3     
v.选择，挑选( opt的现在分词 )
参考例句：
  • What courses are most students opting for? 多数学生选什么课程？ 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • Wells doesn't rule out opting out and then re-signing with Houston. 威尔斯没有排除跳出合同再与火箭重签的可能。 来自互联网
4 standing 2hCzgo     
n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的
参考例句：
  • After the earthquake only a few houses were left standing.地震过后只有几幢房屋还立着。
  • They're standing out against any change in the law.他们坚决反对对法律做任何修改。

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