| Jennifer 8. Lee (New York Times reporter, author of 'The Fortune Cookie Chronicles') changed her middle name to the auspicious-sounding number and that is the way The Times uses it. I asked her if it could be pronounced (in English) 'eight' or 'ba' and she said either, though as an American (parents immigrated from Taiwan) she says 'eight'. Incidentally, as the eldest of 3 children born to a couple that entered the US at JFK airport, her first name begins with 'J'. In America it used to be the case that one could use a stage name if no fraud involved, but as you point out, now security for travel and credit means this is less possible. Another point is tht styles change for how married women caall themselves, both in China and the West. I think we should keep track of naming conventions over time, as it indicates Western influences (how easy for others to pronounce) and what parents expect from children. |
Jian Shuo Wang Becomes Wang Jian Shuo