Bob Myers wrote:
> "Amarantha" > wrote in message
> . 244.170...
>
>>>Right, although in this case it should be noted that in the
>>>case of one of the Iron Chefs themselves - Chen Kenichi -
>>>the Americanized version leaves his name in the original
>>>form, based on the notion that to most American ears
>>>"Chen Kenichi" SOUNDS more like a "first name, last
>>>name" than would "Kenichi Chen" (which is really what
>>>it should be if you insist on the family name last).
>>>
>>
>>On the English-language version of the show they reverse the Japanese
>
> names
>
>>to conform to English name order standards, but all the Chinese names,
>
> such
>
>>as Chen's and those of Chinese challengers, are left in the chinese
>
> format.
>
> Yes, but the reason for doing this is as I stated - most often,
> Chinese names given surname-first (which is not just the
> Chinese format, but common to a number of Eastern
> cultures) will SOUND better (i.e., "as expected") to
> American (and other Western) ears. "Chen Kenichi" simply
> sounds better to Americans than "Kenichi Chen," which if
> you listen closely to the original Japanese dialogue (when
> audible, as is often the case with Kaga) or read the printed
> version of his name is the way he's referred to on the show.
>
> Adding to the confusion is the fact that many Chinese who deal
> regularly with Westerners will often adopt a "Western"
> given name, to use on their business cards and in any other
> dealings with us. I recall quite clearly being unsuccessful
> in suppressing my amusement in one such case, and then
> having to explain why the choice of the name "Peter" might
> not have been the best one to make, when one's family
> name might be Romanized as "Pan"....:-)
>
> Bob M.
>
>

One of my Korean colleagues uses "Strider" in the US instead of his
actual name.


jim