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Use one good Chinese name to reduce confusion and create a brand.
President Bush: President Bush is known by several different Chinese names in Greater China. The transliteration Bu Si, which has the connotation of "spreading hope," is used by 20 million people. Another transliteration, Bu Shi, sounds the same as the word for "inauthentic." This transliteration is known by 1 billion people. Little can be done about the confusion since both translations have been used for more than 20 years, since George H. W. Bush was president.
Michael Jackson: In 1996, when Michael Jackson visited Taiwan, he was curious about the meaning of his Chinese name. He got upset when he learned from a fan that the last character of his Chinese name, Xun (pronounced syun), could be the slang word for "not as good as" or "inferior." What he didn't know was that he actually has more than 10 different Chinese names created by record companies, fans, and reporters. This is the case because he has never declared an official Chinese name. Most of his Chinese names are fine, even the "inferior" one. That particular transliteration for Jackson is "Jie Ke Xun," meaning "excellence overcomes inferiority." Three questions remain: Which of these Chinese nicknames best communicates the image Jackson wishes to convey? How can he reduce confusion (too many different names) and build a brand in Greater China? Is it too late now?
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