On December 15, a netizen posted ** saying that he had formally sued the "Xinhua Dictionary", and the netizen said that the "Xinhua Dictionary" was suspected of violating the "Regulations on the Administration of Publications" by interpreting "**sex", "holding a pistol pinned to his waist", and "the child became a burden when he was small". The netizen also said that in the 12th edition of the "Xinhua Dictionary", there is no word "倭寇", which is suspected of violating the "Patriotic Education Law of the People's Republic of China". This is a topic that has aroused widespread concern and controversy, involving many aspects such as language standards, publication management, and patriotic education. In my opinion, there are several questions worth thinking about in this incident:
1. As an authoritative language reference book, should the content and use cases of Xinhua Dictionary be more rigorously reviewed and updated to adapt to the changes and needs of society?Are some of the words and example sentences in the Xinhua Dictionary really vulgar, inappropriate, inaccurate, etc., and do they need to be modified or deleted?
2. Is the behavior of netizens suing the "Xinhua Dictionary" a reasonable rights protection and supervision, and is it conducive to promoting the improvement and perfection of the "Xinhua Dictionary"?Whether the litigation basis and demands of netizens have sufficient legal and factual basis, and whether they comply with legal procedures and norms?
3. As a reference book reflecting the norms of the national language, should the "Xinhua Dictionary" assume the responsibility of patriotic education, and should it include and promote some words that reflect the national spirit, history and culture, such as "Wakou"?Is it necessary for the Xinhua Dictionary to be consistent in each edition, or can it be appropriately adjusted according to the development of the times and changes in language?
In response to these problems, I will analyze and comment from the following perspectives:
Development and change of language:Language is a social phenomenon that is constantly evolving and updating as society develops and changes. Language norms and standards also need to be adjusted and improved according to the requirements of the times and the Xi of language users. As a language reference book, Xinhua Dictionary should also keep pace with the times and reflect the latest conditions and norms of language. Since its first publication in 1953, the Xinhua Dictionary has undergone 12 revisions, each of which has added, deleted or modified some words and example sentences according to the development and change of the language. This is a normal linguistic phenomenon and a necessary linguistic work. Some of the words and example sentences in the Xinhua Dictionary may be appropriate in one period, but they may seem out of place or inappropriate in another.
For example, the word "playing", in the 11th edition of the Xinhua Dictionary, gives "**sex" as an example sentence, but in the 12th edition, it is changed to "playing with feelings". This is because the term "sexuality" has taken on an obvious derogatory and discriminatory connotation in today's society, which is not in line with the values and morals of society, and is not suitable for use as a language reference book. Therefore, the Xinhua Dictionary has revised it, which is a reasonable linguistic update and a kind of respect for society and readers. Similarly, some other words and example sentences may need to be adjusted and refined accordingly due to the development and change of the language. This does not mean that there is a problem with the quality of the Xinhua Dictionary, but it shows that the Xinhua Dictionary is a language reference book that keeps pace with the times, and is a language reference book that is constantly improving and improving.
Management and supervision of publications:Publishing is a social activity, which must not only follow the rules and norms of language, but also abide by the provisions and requirements of the law. The management and supervision of publications is to ensure the quality and level of publications, maintain the authority and credibility of publications, protect the legitimate rights and interests of publications, and promote the healthy development of the publishing industry. As a publication, Xinhua Dictionary also needs to accept the management and supervision of publishing, and abide by the laws and norms of publishing. The publication of Xinhua Dictionary has been approved and filed by the General Administration of Press and Publication of the People's Republic of China, and conforms to the relevant regulations and requirements of publication. The content and use cases of Xinhua Dictionary have also been reviewed and proofread by experts to comply with the relevant norms and standards of the language. The publication of Xinhua Dictionary is a legal act of publication and a standardized act of publishing.
Whether the behavior of netizens suing the "Xinhua Dictionary" is a reasonable protection of rights and supervision, and whether it is conducive to promoting the improvement and perfection of the "Xinhua Dictionary", needs to be judged and evaluated from a legal perspective. Whether the litigation basis and demands of netizens have sufficient legal and factual basis, and whether they comply with legal procedures and norms, also need to be heard and adjudicated by the court. Judging from the current situation, the lawsuit of netizens has not been accepted and supported by the court, nor has it been recognized and understood by the society. This shows that netizens' lawsuits may lack reasonable legal and factual basis, may not conform to legal procedures and norms, and may not be conducive to promoting the improvement and perfection of the Xinhua Dictionary, but are an unreasonable lawsuit and a useless lawsuit.
Education and inheritance of patriotism:Patriotism is a noble emotion and morality, and a powerful force and motivation. The education and inheritance of patriotism is an important responsibility and mission, as well as a long-term work and task. As a reference book reflecting the norms of the national language, should the Xinhua Dictionary assume the responsibility of patriotic education, and should it include and carry forward some words that reflect the national spirit, history and culture, such as "倭寇"?It's a worthwhile question.
From a personal point of view, I believe that the main function and purpose of Xinhua Dictionary, as a language reference book, is to help readers learn, Xi and use Chinese, to provide basic knowledge and information about the Chinese language, and to reflect the current situation and norms of the Chinese language. The Xinhua Dictionary is not a historical toolbook, nor is it a political toolbook, nor is it an educational toolbook. The content and use cases of the Xinhua Dictionary should be based on the perspective and standards of language, not history, politics, or education. Whether or not the "Xinhua Dictionary" includes and promotes some words that reflect the national spirit, history and culture should be decided according to the actual situation and needs of the language, and should not be interfered with or influenced by other factors.
Some of the words in the Xinhua Dictionary may have been historically and culturally significant in one period, but they are outdated or uncommonly used in another. For example, the word "倭寇" is still included in the 11th edition of the Xinhua Dictionary, but in the 12th edition, it is not included. This is because the word "Wako" is no longer a commonly used word in today's society, nor is it a word that reflects reality, but a word with historical specificity, which is only used on some specific occasions and contexts. Therefore, the Xinhua Dictionary deleted it, which is a reasonable linguistic adjustment and a kind of respect for language users. This does not mean that the Xinhua Dictionary ignores the education and inheritance of patriotism, but shows that the Xinhua Dictionary pays attention to the function and effect of language, and is a language reference book that conforms to the actual language and adapts to language changes.
To sum up, I believe that the incident of netizens suing Xinhua Dictionary is a topic that has aroused widespread attention and controversy, and it is also a topic worthy of in-depth thinking and analysis. As an authoritative language reference book, Xinhua Dictionary should keep pace with the times, reflect the latest state of language and norms, accept the management and supervision of publishing, and abide by the laws and norms of publishing. The behavior of netizens suing Xinhua Dictionary should be judged and evaluated from a legal point of view, and should not be interfered with and influenced from other perspectives. As a reference book reflecting the norms of the national language, the Xinhua Dictionary should be based on the perspective and standards of language, and should not be based on other perspectives and standards, nor should it assume responsibilities and tasks beyond its function and purpose. Xinhua Dictionary is a language reference book that is constantly improving and improving, and it is also a language reference book that conforms to the actual language and adapts to language changes.