FIREFLY CHINESE TRANSLATIONS

Why do they speak in Chinese on Firefly?

POSTED BY: HARSHCRITIC
UPDATED: Sunday, January 10, 2016 01:08
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Monday, December 12, 2005 12:58 PM

HARSHCRITIC


Why do they speak in Chinese on Firefly? I have seen
almost all of the episodes on Sci fi channel and just bought the DVD. However, I still don't know why the speak in Chinese so often on the show. I like it better than a made up language but just don't get it.


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Monday, December 12, 2005 1:05 PM

TRAINEEALTERNATE


It's part of the hybrid culture that Whedon creates- His theory on the future is that the US and China both enter space at the same time, and equally mix cultures together. For example, the Alliance's proper prefix is 'Anglo-Sino' implying a English-Chinese sharing of power. The fractured Mandarin is a subtle hint at the more overt Chinese decorations, writing, and philosophy Whedon incorporates into the series and movie.

---------------------------------------------
"Pretty lights...angels.... [thud.]"
"That's why I never kiss them on the mouth."
"When do I get to get sexed up?!"
"This is my most favorite-est gun..."
"Y'mean she's a witch?!" ...." She's in Congress?!?!"

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Monday, December 12, 2005 1:11 PM

STAKETHELURK


If you look at the Alliance flag as it appears in the series (best seen on the side of the medicine crates in "The Train Job"), you'll notice that it is a combination of the American and Chinese flags. Joss has said that in the 'verse, the potential rivals merged together into one society rather than fighting each other.

As an aside though, I've always questioned the term "Anglo-Sino Alliance." The only canonical reference to the Alliance's proper name in is "Ariel," when Jayne, Simon, and River are arrested in the name of the "Union of Allied Planets." I've always felt that "Anglo-Sino" was merely a descriptive term used in interviews and such simply to explain the Alliance's origins, rather than its official name.

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Monday, December 12, 2005 1:41 PM

OOKAMIKAWAHARA


Part of the reason is that it fits with the universe that Joss created. Remember the back history is that eventually a war breaks out between the Western Countries and China. Earth is destroyed, but other planets have been terafirmed. Thus both languages and cultures make it out into space. Chinese being more the bluecallor type language. The other part is its just down right fun to be able to cuss and speak in a diff language. Something that the U.S. is sadly missing. Most Ameircans can not speak a 2nd language which is very sad. Anyways there is my 2 cents on the reason. Yes I know enough Japanese to get myself into and out of trouble.

mochiron dakedo anata wa mo shitsumon ga ari masu ka? (lit: But of course, although do you have any more questins?)

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Sunday, August 27, 2006 10:40 AM

ZOMBIE61


Quote:

Originally posted by Ookamikawahara:
Part of the reason is that it fits with the universe that Joss created. Remember the back history is that eventually a war breaks out between the Western Countries and China. Earth is destroyed, but other planets have been terafirmed. Thus both languages and cultures make it out into space. Chinese being more the bluecallor type language. The other part is its just down right fun to be able to cuss and speak in a diff language. Something that the U.S. is sadly missing. Most Ameircans can not speak a 2nd language which is very sad. Anyways there is my 2 cents on the reason.


I'm curious as to where you are getting this information. As I understand the backstory, Earth is destroyed because humans have depleted all of its natural resources, which is why the planets in the other galaxy are terraformed and why we Earthlings have migrated to them. In the process the U.S. and China, being the two superpowers, have learned to set aside our differences and become allies in order for the human race to survive, and that is why everyone in the 'verse is able to speak English and Mandarin Chinese.

Also, the war is not between the U.S. and China, but between the newly-formed Alliance (what the two ruling governments eventually evolve into) and the outlying planets who are resisting being ruled by the Alliance (the Independents). Can anyone shed some light on this?

I do agree with you, however, that it's unfortunate most Americans do not speak a second language. Since I live in Southern California, I speak a little Spanish; unfortunately, not enough to hold a conversation--just enough to order food and drink, locate a rest room, and get myself killed.

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Monday, August 28, 2006 3:43 AM

OOKAMIKAWAHARA


Zombie61,
You are correct in your synopis, however this was a older post of mine. The war between the independents and Alliance is not the war I`m refering to though. Basically the world was used up, but whether the resources were just exasted or whether there was a war between the U.S. and China don`t know. When I posted this, I was going off the info a friend gave me when he was explianing the sereies. No could that be a slight diff spin and not cannon YES it could be. From what I`ve seen of the verse, plus drawing on modern history I could easily see it as a cold war between U.S. and China that turned hot. However by that time, both sides had the tech to go into outer space. Anyways hope that helps clear it up. Anyways give me a hallor if you want to discuss this more. Will take a while for me to get back to ya though. I`m in Japan working and the net cafes are a bit price.
mata, Ookami yori

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Monday, August 28, 2006 1:20 PM

ZOMBIE61


Ah, that explains it. Just wondering. Thanks for the response!

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Sunday, January 18, 2015 6:09 AM

DOGURASU


It never gets old when someone says it's sad or pathetic or whatever, that Americans don't speak more than one language....
You're not thinking it all the way thru.
English is spoken all over the globe.. If it's not the primary language, it's usually the secondary language.. Americans speak English so there is really no reason for an American to speak a second language unless they need to speak it for travel or for employment.
The USA is full of cultures that speak every language on Earth....
So what, exactly, should Americans speak as a second language to please you? DO you not see the problem? If you live in New York you would need to know a dozen different languages to speak to all of the different cultures that visit the that part of the country.. If you live in the South, you could find Spanish helpful, and if you life near Canada or around New Orleans, you might find French helpful. It's not "sad" that Americans don't speak other languages... Most of them have no need to speak another language. People from non-English speaking countries aren't more intelligent because they can also speak English.. They have to know English if they want to be able to communicate in a universal manner. You can communicate with English all over the world, but if an American learns a second language, that second language is only good in a few places on Earth but English can be used everywhere.
The only reason an American needs to learn a second language is if they plan on living in a foreign country for a while but if they are just traveling around the world, then English is all you really need.
If they do no traveling at all, then there is absolutely no need to speak another language unless it's needed for employment or for recreation.


Use your head for more than a hat rack.

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Sunday, January 18, 2015 8:20 AM

SECOND

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at https://www.mediafire.com/folder/1uwh75oa407q8/Firefly


Quote:

Originally posted by Dogurasu:

The USA is full of cultures that speak every language on Earth....

All the reasons for speaking Chinese are given at the Firefly Chinese website http://fireflychinese.kevinsullivansite.net/faq.html#whychinese

Joss Whedon said, once upon a time, “The Wild West was full of people from the Far East, and so the mixture of those two cultures—that’s what history is, it’s culture in a blender, and so to take those two and juxtapose them, the idea that every nobody speaks fluent Chinese to me is kind of delightful and not actually unrealistic.”

Did you know that until 2013 Joss Whedon believed that the word Joss was Chinese? During a live TV interview, Joss learned he is not even a little bit Chinese. http://fireflychinese.kevinsullivansite.net/faq.html#joss

The Joss Whedon script for Serenity, where Wash lives, is Serenity-190pages.pdf at www.mediafire.com/folder/1uwh75oa407q8/Firefly

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Sunday, January 18, 2015 1:58 PM

JEWELSTAITEFAN


It's almost unfair to review posts from fans from before much of the backstory was known, published, thoroughly explained, yet they were giving it an honest try. But fun to see how the history of our browncoats evolved.

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Sunday, January 18, 2015 2:02 PM

JEWELSTAITEFAN


Although I did not intend to degrade the caliber of this post:
Quote:

Originally posted by Dogurasu:
It never gets old when someone says it's sad or pathetic or whatever, that Americans don't speak more than one language....
You're not thinking it all the way thru.
English is spoken all over the globe.. If it's not the primary language, it's usually the secondary language.. Americans speak English so there is really no reason for an American to speak a second language unless they need to speak it for travel or for employment.
The USA is full of cultures that speak every language on Earth....
So what, exactly, should Americans speak as a second language to please you? DO you not see the problem? If you live in New York you would need to know a dozen different languages to speak to all of the different cultures that visit the that part of the country.. If you live in the South, you could find Spanish helpful, and if you life near Canada or around New Orleans, you might find French helpful. It's not "sad" that Americans don't speak other languages... Most of them have no need to speak another language. People from non-English speaking countries aren't more intelligent because they can also speak English.. They have to know English if they want to be able to communicate in a universal manner. You can communicate with English all over the world, but if an American learns a second language, that second language is only good in a few places on Earth but English can be used everywhere.
The only reason an American needs to learn a second language is if they plan on living in a foreign country for a while but if they are just traveling around the world, then English is all you really need.
If they do no traveling at all, then there is absolutely no need to speak another language unless it's needed for employment or for recreation.


Use your head for more than a hat rack.


I might not have seen a more elegant explanation on the subject.

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Sunday, January 10, 2016 1:08 AM

BARKINGPUMPKIN


If the show is depicting an English-Chinese culture, why are there not a lot of Asian cast members?

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