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老桑说
你知道你名字的含义吗
与我分享你的英文名字
和其背后的故事
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「朋友，你好！我是老桑。」
每个人的名字都是自我身份的一部分。与很多西方明细不同，中国人的名字可以起的非常有文采、有历史深度、有精神内涵。我的中文名字是“桑国亚”，因为它可以被简单地翻译为“亚洲的桑树”，所以大家通常都会对此十分好奇。当大家问我为什么选择这个名字，是否有什么特殊寓意的时候，我总会有一个简单的答案——
并没有什么寓意。
我是上大学时才开始学习中文，是我第一年的中文教授为我选择了这个名字。白亚仁（Allan Barr）教授是研究中国古典文学的distinguished（著名的）学者，同时也是余华小说的译者，但他从未告诉我们他是如何为我们起名字的。
My name
我的名字
虽然他不说，但我怀疑白教授是选择与我们姓氏发音相近的字来给我们起名字。由于我当时不懂中文，所以我别无选择，只能让其他人给我一个名字。
我的姓“Smagula”起源于乌克兰，它有三个音节：/smə-gü'-lə/。我不知道这意味着什么——同样的，大多数美国人也不知道他们的姓氏的含义。开始每个音节的音素是S-G-L，据我猜测，白教授可能是依照这个为我选择了一个具有相似声音结构的中文名字。
因为我的英文姓氏以S开头，所以我的中文姓也应该以S开头，这是有道理的。中文里与其发音最接近的姓是“司马”，但这样一个不同寻常的双音节姓可能会给像我当初那样没有中国文化背景的学生带来很大的困惑。因此“桑”则是一个fit the bill（刚好合适的）选择。
我那时还不明白“桑”是指桑树，也不知道它是中国百家姓之一（albeit（虽然）排的比较靠后）。在那个时候，它对于我来说只是一个拼音而已。
解决了姓之后，就留下了以G-L为发音标准的名字。依照这个逻辑，我中文名字中的第一字“国”是由G而来，这是合乎道理的。但是我英文姓的最后一个音节是以L开头，但在中文里，我名字的第二个字“亚”则是以Y开始。为什么我的老师选择了“ya”而不是另外一个以L开头的字呢？我始终没有明白背后的原因，有些东西永远是一个谜。
多年来，我已经习惯了这个名字。如果我改名的话，可能我都不会对打电话给我称呼我其他名字的人作出反应了。另外，我也是唯一拥有这个中文名字的人，所以它使得互联网搜索变得非常简单，我总能准确地找出与我有关的讨论和话题！
Your name
你的名字
去年10月，我与你分享了一篇关于如何选择一个英文名字的文章，建议你根据美国社会保障管理总署统计的出生年份排名前100名的名字选择一个适合你的。
本月早些时候，美国社会保障管理总署发布了2017年最受欢迎的婴儿名字的年度名单。
Emma和Liam是2017年最受欢迎的宝宝名字。对于女生来说，Emma自2014年以来一直名列榜首。对于男生来说，今年Liam终于edged out （挤掉）Noah登上了头把交椅。
2017 最受美国人欢迎的名字
Rank 排名 | Girls 女孩 | Boys 男孩 |
1 | Emma | Liam |
2 | Olivia | Noah |
3 | Ava | William |
4 | Isabella | James |
5 | Sophia | Logan |
6 | Mia | Benjamin |
7 | Charlotte | Mason |
8 | Amelia | Elijah |
9 | Evelyn | Oliver |
10 | Abigail | Jacob |
有趣的是，Michael这个名字自20世纪40年代以来首次跌出前十名。直到最近，Michael这个男孩的名字在44次排名榜单上已经出现了43次了，是出现次数最多的名字。我们一直听到这个名字：Michael Jackson, Michael Jordan, Michael Phelps等等......不过如今的父母们可能希望在给他们的儿子起名时更加individualistic（个人化）一些吧。
如果你希望找到最完美适合你的英文名字，请查看我之前分享的如何选择英文名字的文章。如果你无法访问该文章中列出的美国社会保障管理总署公布的新生儿姓名排名网站，请尝试去Nameberry（www.nameberry.com）或Top 100 Baby Names Search（http：//www.top-100-baby-names-search .com) 找一找类似的结果。
Join in the fun! 加入这乐趣吧！
本期特别活动
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@想起英文名的你
老桑今天摇身一变成“大师”
特此征集一个给大家起英文名的活动
你想起个好听又适合自己的英文名吗？
那就关注“老桑说”公众号
把你的信息在后台回复给老桑
这是一个专属给你的英文名定制活动哦
赶快来参加吧！
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在此之前
老桑需要初步了解你的信息
以便能够起个适合你的英文名
编辑以下信息
回复到“老桑说”公众号后台即可
中文姓名
性别
出生年月
个人爱好
自我性格评价
想起个英文名的初衷
活动时间：2018.05.23-05.25
机不可失，失不再来！
起英文名这件小事，让我来！
谢谢收看《老桑说》。
给你启发，激励你上进，陪伴你坚持。
敬请期待下一集。
英文版
English
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What's in a name?
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「 Hello, my friend！
I'm John Smagula. 」
Your name is a part of your identity. Unlike many Western names, Chinese names can have literary, historical, and inspirational meanings. My Chinese name “Sang Guoya,” which roughly translates into “Great Asian Mulberry Tree,” is often a source of curiosity for many people. They ask me why I chose this name. I have an easy answer.
I didn’t.
I started studying Chinese when I was in college, and my first-year Chinese professor chose this name for me. Professor Allan Bar, a distinguished scholar of classical Chinese literature and translator for Yu Hua’s novels, never told us how he came up with our names.
My name
I suspect, though, Professor Barr chose Chinese names that sounded like our family names. I didn’t understand Chinese at the time, so I had no choice but to have someone else give me a name.
My last name, Smagula, is of Ukrainian origin and has three syllables: /smə-gü’-lə/. I don’t know what it means, but then again, most Americans don’t know the meanings of their last names. The phonemes that start each syllable are S-G-L, in that order, and the professor probably chose a Chinese name that had a similar sound structure.
As my last name starts with an S, it makes sense that my Chinese last name should also begin with an S. The closest sounding surname in Chinese would be “Sima,” but having an unusual two-syllable last name would probably have been too confusing for a student like me with no Chinese background. “Sang,” then, must have fit the bill.
I didn’t understand that “Sang” meant mulberry tree, nor that it’s also one of the official 100 Chinese surnames (albeit low on the list). At the time, it was just a pinyin word to me.
That leaves the G-L for my first name. Having my first name in Chinese start with the G in “Guo” follows this logic. But the last syllable begins with an L, but in Chinese, the second part of my name begins with the Y of “ya.” Why my teacher chose “ya” and not a word that begins with L is beyond me. Some things will remain a mystery forever.
Over the years, I have gotten so used to this name that if I were to change it, I may not react to a person who calls me by anything else. I’m also the only person with this Chinese name, so it makes Internet searches really easy, as I can always find out who is saying what about me!
Your name
Last October I shared with you How to choose an English name, suggesting you choose a top 100 name for your birth year, as compiled by the U.S. Social Security Administration. Earlier this month, Social Security released its annual list of the most popular baby names for 2017.
Emma and Liam were the most frequently chosen baby names for 2017. For girls, Emma has topped the list since 2014. For boys, this year Liam edged out Noah for the top spot this year.
2017 Popular Names in USA
Rank | Girls | Boys |
1 | Emma | Liam |
2 | Olivia | Noah |
3 | Ava | William |
4 | Isabella | James |
5 | Sophia | Logan |
6 | Mia | Benjamin |
7 | Charlotte | Mason |
8 | Amelia | Elijah |
9 | Evelyn | Oliver |
10 | Abigail | Jacob |
Interestingly, the name Michael fell out of the top 10 for the first time since the 1940s. Until recently, the boy’s name held the No. 1 spot on the federal list for 43 out of 44 years. We hear the name all the time: Michael Jackson, Michael Jordan, Michael Phelps… Parents today may want to be more individualistic when naming their sons.
If you’re trying to find your perfect English name, please check out my How to choose an English name article. If you can’t access the Social Security Administration baby names web site listed in that article, try Nameberry (www.nameberry.com) or Top 100 Baby Names Search (http://www.top-100-baby-names-search.com) for similar results.
Join the fun!
1.Distinguished
a)含义：adj.卓著的; 著名的;受人尊敬的
b)例句：
i.Professor Allan Bar is a distinguished scholar of classical Chinese literature and translator for Yu Hua’s novels.
白亚仁教授是研究中国古典文学的著名的学者，同时也是余华小说的译者。
ii.The Chinese nation is distinguished for its diligence and courage.
中华民族以勤劳勇敢著称。
c)近义词：celebrated, outstanding, preeminent
2.Albeit
a)含义： conj. 即使；虽然
b)例句：
i.“Sang” is one of the official 100 Chinese surnames albeit low on the list.
“桑”是中国的百家姓之一，虽然排的比较靠后。
ii.Albeit difficult, the job is getting done.
尽管工作很困难，还是就要完成了。
c)近义词：although, notwithstanding, though
3.Edge out
a)含义：挤掉，险胜
b)例句：
i.For boys, this year Liam edged out Noah for the top spot this year.
对于男生来说，今年Liam终于挤掉Noah登上了头把交椅。
ii.Will mobile communication edge out fixed lines as the most frequently used means of communication?
移动通信会取代固定电话成为人们最常用的通话方法吗？
c)近义词：defeat narrowly
4.Fit the bill
a)含义：刚好符合要求；满足要求
b)例句：
i.Because “Sima” is too confusing for a student like me with no Chinese background, “Sang” must have fit the bill.
ii.因为“司马”可能会给像我当初那样没有中国文化背景的学生带来很大的困惑，因此“桑”则是一个刚好合适的选择。
iii.Under the circumstances, regular black tea can easily fit the bill.
iv.在这种情况下，普通红茶可以轻松解决这些问题。
c)近义词：fill the bill, suffice
5.Individualistic
a)含义：adj. 个人主义的，个性化的
b)例句：
i.Parents today may want to be more individualistic when naming their sons.
如今的父母们可能希望在给他们的儿子起名时更加个人化一些吧。
或许未来的你也能在某方面卓然有成，与美国国会一样蜚声于世界！
ii.Clearly, his ideas about the individualistic nature of religion were important to him.
显然，对于宗教其个人主义性质的想法对他相当重要。
c)近义词：individual, nonconforming, unique
Thank you for watching me to inspire, encourage, and accompany you.
See you next time.
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