The Asian Games happen once in four years. Only 16 editions have happened so far. Though only about 50 nations participate (thus 25% of the total no of countries), it actually caters to close to half the world's population (thanks to India and China alone).
Why am I building this case? It is because it is appalling that most top Indian media houses - while going gaga over India's performance at it - did not get the pronunciation of the venue correct. I know I had earlier ranted about Beijing's pronunciation, but well I cannot help it. So here I go again.
Apart from the News Services Division of All India Radio (some of whose newsreaders got the pronunciation right), most of the media units got it wrong. Some even sent reps to the city, and I don't know what to say about someone who goes to a city and still cant get the pronunciation right!
The correct pronunciation is 'kw-ahng-cho-oh'. क्वांगचोओ if you can read Devanagari.
But the versions we got!
गुआंग जो
गुअंग ज़ो
गुआंग्शो
ग्वांगज़ौ
ग्वांगजौ
and many more subtler variants. Makes me wonder if these media units have something called quality control.
NDTV, CNN IBN, Aaj Tak - no one got it right! It is surely an indicator that if these respected units do not do the basic homework to get such 'in the news' proper nouns right, how much they would maul the not so much 'in the news'
Sometimes I wonder why I rant at all. But then again at times I ponder.
कभी कभी मेरे दिल में ख़याल आता है :)
No comments:
Post a Comment