Zhen Huan, Chu Yu-herb, Ji Xiaolan: Have We Been Pronouncing These Names Wrong All Along?

Recently, the ancient costume light comedy "Tian Geng Ji," starring Zeng Shunxi and Tian Xiwei, has been gaining popularity. The main characters, a man and a woman, team up to outsmart their troublesome relatives and achieve wealth through farming, presenting a refreshing storyline. However, while the audience enjoys the plot, some netizens have noticed a blind spot – "Am I the only one who noticed that it seems like the entire production team has been mispronouncing the name of the female lead?"

In "Tian Geng Ji," the female lead, "Lian Man'er," lives in Shisanliyingshi and is the third daughter of the Lian family. Whether it's the male and female leads or the supporting cast, including Lian's father and mother, they all refer to her as "Lian màn (pronounced like 'màn') er." Some netizens have pointed out that "màn" is a polyphonic character, so why did the production team insist on pronouncing it as "màn"? Does this pronunciation align with the character's background?

By consulting the "Xinhua Dictionary" app, the reporter found that apart from the "màn" pronunciation, "mán" (pronounced like "mán" in 'mánduò') and "wàn" (pronounced like "wàn" in 'wànwù') are two other pronunciations for "蔓" (màn). "Mán" is less commonly used and refers to a type of herb called rapeseed, which can be ruled out. When "蔓" is pronounced as "wàn," it means a slender and twining stem, which is suitable for the character's name, considering the simple naming tradition of the Lian family, who likes to use plant-related names for their girls.

The reporter contacted the scriptwriter of "Tian Geng Ji," Jin Yuanyuan. Jin Yuanyuan responded, "Thank you for the criticism and correction. According to the naming conventions of the Lian family girls, '蔓' should indeed be pronounced as 'wàn.' However, as a scriptwriter, I wasn't involved in the production after the script was written. The pronunciation in the film and television adaptation should be discussed with the production team for appropriateness."

"Creation of the Gods" is not an isolated case. In the once immensely popular idol drama "Meteor Garden," the self-introduction of the female lead, "Chu Yu Herb," has continued to be a subject of online discussion: "I'm not called 'wèi,' I'm called 'Chu Yu Herb (xún).'"

The scriptwriter used a mother-daughter dialogue to craft the meaning behind the name "Chu Yu Herb" – "Mom, does the 'herb' in my name refer to herbs?" "Yes, this name was given to you by your uncle!"

However, what's laughable is that the persistent and tenacious herb should be pronounced as "qián" instead of "xún." According to the "Modern Chinese Dictionary," when "荨" is pronounced as "xún," it refers to urticaria, a skin condition, which is not suitable for use as a personal name.

Similarly, the revered drama "Empresses in the Palace" has also sparked controversies. When Zhen Huan entered the palace to participate in the selection, Emperor Yongzheng asked, "Zhen Huan, which 'huán' character is it?"

Zhen Huan replied, "Huán huán (pronounced like 'huán') yi bei chugong yao, zhèng shi chén nǚ guī míng."

The phrase "Huán huán yi bei chugong yao" is taken from the Southern Song Dynasty poet Cai Shen's "A Sprig of Plum Blossoms: Piled Pillows and Black Clouds Fall, Emerged in Green and Slippery Palace," describing an image of a delicate and graceful woman. However, the actress mispronounced the word "huán" in this context. Here, "huán" means gentle and beautiful and should be pronounced as "xuān."

The ancient costume drama "Ji Xiaolan," first aired in 2000, has influenced several generations. According to the "Xinhua Dictionary," when the character "纪" is used as a surname, it has only one pronunciation, "jǐ." However, the general public often follows the pronunciation used in film and television dramas, which mistakenly pronounce it as "jì."

Furthermore, there are numerous examples of the mispronunciation of character names in film and television dramas due to homophonic characters. In Jin Yong's work "The Smiling, Proud Wanderer," the male lead Ling Huchong's surname "令狐" should be pronounced as "líng hú," but in most television dramas, it's pronounced as "lìng hú." The female lead Ren Yingying's "任" should be pronounced as "rén," but it's often mistakenly pronounced as "rèn."

Jin Yong and Gu Long share a common challenge in this regard. In "The Proud Twins," the great hero Yannantian's surname "燕" should be pronounced as "yān" when used as a surname, but it is often pronounced as "yàn" by different actors.