politics

Chinese gloat over Obama's turkey named Abe

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34 Comments
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Gloat if you must. Just don't drool over it!

Gobble, gobble!

6 ( +7 / -1 )

I guess nobody told them yet that the turkey that's in the oven is called Xi!

1 ( +14 / -13 )

Chinese gloat over Obama's turkey named Abe

Ha-Ha . . . what a backstabber the president is? What was the pig's name, who was spared from becoming roast ham? Akie?

-12 ( +1 / -13 )

Really, they tried to translate "Abe" rather than "Abraham"? With the Chinese government it's equally possible that they did this deliberately with an 8 year old mentality, or it occurred from complete ignorance and incompetence. Besides, If I were a Chines J-Hater I'd rather see the bird executed, not pardoned.

-2 ( +5 / -7 )

Leave it to the Chinese government to make two mistakes (of course these are just mistakes and the state-run media would never do anything snide on purpose!); first they mispronounce the name as "Abe" is a reference to former-President Abe Lincoln and second they miss the fact that Abe is being pardoned which means he is being forgiven and given a second chance at life. Forgiveness is a concept most Asian cultures have a problem with but the Chinese government is worst than most. Stay classy Chinese government.

3 ( +4 / -1 )

Best story of the day by far. If only humor made the world go round ay! Does Abe get indefinate clemency , or will he eventually made a meal? If so, would it be considered a national secret? Sweet and sour sauce??

2 ( +2 / -0 )

My wish this Thanksgiving is that the Chinese realize that the world is laughing AT them, not WITH them.

and second they miss the fact that Abe is being pardoned which means he is being forgiven and given a second chance at life

You threw me with this one. The turkey is being forgiven for being a turkey?

Back home for my brothers funeral. There has been a very small family turkey farm in the middle of our suburb that has been there for over 50 years. They always have the turkeys out and you can go and choose yours and the farm will slaughter and prep it. This year, a bunch of college kids, no more than ten, decided to protest this farm holding up signs reading "MURDER!!" My other wish this Thanksgiving is that these kids realize what LAZY fools they are. Certainly the factory farms would make for an appropriate target, but I guess they wanted to be close to home to get the Black Friday deals.

4 ( +6 / -2 )

A good story for the feathered Abe and his pal Honest, perhaps. Pity about the other 45 million plus birds that weren't pardoned for the crime of being born turkey and that ended up on the dinner table.

http://www.farmsanctuary.org/giving/adopt-a-turkey/thanksgivings-toll-on-turkeys/

The lucky pardoned birds apparently live out their lives in a specially-prepared pen on a farm. They will however not have the company of any of the other birds pardoned in earlier years; they're all dead. Birds bred for the table do not live long lives, even if they escape ending up in the White House oven. Eating turkeys are genetically manipulated to grow extremely big extremely fast, with the large meaty breasts favoured by diners. Their organs and bones are unable to support the weight, and they do not last many months past Thanksgiving, in the meantime suffering lameness, deformities and crippling leg pain. Eating turkeys are bred by artificial insemination, because the birds are too heavy to manage it themselves.

http://edition.cnn.com/2013/11/27/politics/pardoned-turkeys/

So, pity for Abe and Honest, too, I suppose.

0 ( +4 / -4 )

"You threw me with this one. The turkey is being forgiven for being a turkey?"

No, forgiven for being so delicious and not eaten! :)

-2 ( +0 / -2 )

Well they were not entirely wrong. The Japanese PM is a TURKEY!

-3 ( +4 / -7 )

No, forgiven for being so delicious and not eaten! :)

If only turkeys could talk, I'm sure he'd say he's not the one who needs forgiven. LOL

0 ( +4 / -4 )

"If only turkeys could talk, I'm sure he'd say he's not the one who needs forgiven. LOL"

Ha! Ha! Ha! Ha!

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Trouble is, this turkey Abe, we're stuck with here, is far from being honest, and shouldn't be forgiven.

0 ( +3 / -3 )

Sounds cruel to me Cleo and this practice of raising these turkeys should be stopped.

As for PM Abe think this poor bird describes his administration exactly!

3 ( +6 / -3 )

They should have named the turkey "Erdogan". I think it's more fitting.

1 ( +2 / -1 )

Just further proof that Obama and his Staff are idiots and are totally clueless at how their actions are seen and used by other Nations and Peoples.

-9 ( +1 / -10 )

Does anyone know if this story hit CNN or The New York Times? This would backfire on those CC's (Capitalistic Communists) and show the world their true skin color.

Still tired from my overseas trip having just returned hours ago but this story just eased my jetlag.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

"Faulty" translation.

'Nuff said.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Or a fowl-ty translation even :)

-1 ( +2 / -3 )

shame on you all... it is Thanksgiving and tradition dictates that ceremony. and to think that one time you all could stop being political and understand the underline themes to all of this. oh well.... ignorance suffers to the fools!!!

-3 ( +0 / -3 )

Bernard Matthews names his turkeys now?

Maybe its because Abe is a wiley old bird who knows ho to create a flap? Or is it because Japan is going to get stuffed over the TPP?

3 ( +3 / -0 )

OssanAmerica: "Really, they tried to translate "Abe" rather than "Abraham"?"

Why translate it as the latter when it's not the latter in the US? They don't call it, or use of the former President's name, "Honest Abraham", they say, "Honest Abe", as you well know. So, some clowns, albeit witty clowns, took the name and decided to pronounce it the same way as Abe's name in Roman characters.

In any case, I guarantee that most North Americans who don't know much or anything about Japan and see Abe's name don't pronounce the name in the Japanese manner but along the lines of Lincoln's nickname, with probably some asking why a Japanese PM's name is 'Abe', even. I mean, how many times have you seen people on here, even, calling Abe "Honest Abe" just to poke fun and indirectly point out the contrast between the nickname and what Abe stands for?

So, it's fitting that they should take 'Honest Abe' and read the second name as that of the Japanese PM, especially given what a turkey the guy is.

1 ( +4 / -3 )

Tiresome. Should just go and get stuffed.

2 ( +2 / -0 )

@bpsitrep: Or, I dunno, maybe it just isn't that important? I see it more as the outside world being way too invested in silly flufff traditions we have in USA.

Unless you are suggesting that a task force exist to vet every single name that gets put out to ensure no translation goofs occur?

I mean "coca cola" phonetically means something like "bite the wax tadpole" in Chinese...does that make Coca Cola stupid? (Answer: no, because nobody cares)

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Isn't Abe a short form of Abraham aka Abe Lincoln?

Doubt that anyone was thinking about a non-american name, besides the Chinese.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

" a translation glitch in Chinese media replaced the character for single-syllable “Abe” with the surname of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe. Several commenters in Chinese social media focused on comparing the prime minister to an animal."

Idiots.

-1 ( +1 / -2 )

cleoNov. 26, 2015 - 11:37PM JST A good story for the feathered Abe and his pal Honest, perhaps. Pity about the other 45 million plus birds that weren't >pardoned for the crime of being born turkey and that ended up on the dinner table.

Oh stuff it cleo. Please.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

It's compounded absurdity. America celebrates a community of religious nutters who would have undue influence on the US even now and whom England was happy to get rid of. But why this community? It was not even the first English settlement in America. They celebrate their first thanksgiving as if it was god that helped these puritans from starving when it was the native americans, who would go on to be decimated. Some thanks. Then somewhat later the president comes around to a stupid tradition of saving one turkey. For what? To show compassion in a country where there is very little, and especially not for animals? And they give the turkey the name of a revered presidential hero. A turkey!! And then the Chinese misread the ridiculously-named turkey and think it refers to a Japanese leader.

0 ( +2 / -2 )

Now totally confuse Chinese think Senkaku island is occupied by Turkey and will call Ankara with complains.

0 ( +1 / -1 )

Childish and ignorant China strikes again. Having been, I was surprised at how ignorant and uninformed the Chinese were to a lot of global events. It seems they were believing the narrative they were feed from the government. Ironically, in often cases, the same can be said about the Japanese public, the American public and pretty much the rest of the world. There are not enough worldly people in the world.

1 ( +1 / -0 )

Smith san, most Americans do not know who Honest Abe could possibly be in history. Some might guess a football star or a rap singer. No history is no longer taught in American schools just enough to pass standardized tests to earn the school administrators extra bonus money. Ask them about Japan and they tell you about all of the children being born, they do not have a clue. Then again they do not have a clue about their own country.

-1 ( +0 / -1 )

Bernard Matthews names his turkeys now?

If he were still around, he'd probably say that it was bootiful!

0 ( +0 / -0 )

If he were still around, he'd probably say that it was bootiful!

Norfolk boy here. Didn't know BM had croaked.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

considering the japanese named a baby chimp after Charlotte, Prince William's first daughter they have no right to complain.

0 ( +0 / -0 )

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