China’s new term, tuhao, may be in next year’s Oxford English Dictionary. The word caught the attention of the dictionary's editing team after BBC’s recent program on influential Chinese words. “If its influence continues, it is very likely to appear on our updated list of words,” said Julie Kleeman, project manager with the editing team.
In Chinese tu means uncouth (笨拙的) and hao means rich. It has traditionally been referred to rich people who throw their weight around in China’s countryside. The word became more popular in September with the launch of Apple’s new gold-colored iPhone, which is loved by China’s rich people. The color became known as “tuhao gold.” The word is now also used by the online community to refer to people who have the cash but lack the class to go with it. Kleeman also mentioned two other Chinese words — dama and hukou — which may also make it into the dictionary.
People can have an intuitive (直观的) grasp of the meanings if they see pinyin, Kleeman said, adding that people avoid using an English word to keep the original meaning.
“We have nearly 120 Chinese-linked words now in Oxford English Dictionary,” she said. Some of them are: Guanxi, which means “connection”; Taikonaut, a mix of taikong, meaning outer space, and astronaut.
The new words will be first uploaded on the official website before the dictionaries arrive. The online version is also renewed every three months. “It at least broke our old rules. It used to take 10 years to include a new word but now we keep the pace with the time,” according to a statement from ex-chief-editor John Simpson.
小题1:Which of the following statements is true according to the text?
A．Dama and hukou have made it into Oxford English dictionary.
B．Some influential Chinese words appeared on one of BBC’s recent programs.
C．tuhao refers to people who have both the cash and the class.
D．John Simpson thinks that it is not good to break old rules.小题2:What does the underlined part in paragraph 2 mean?
A．Give orders to others.
B．Get ready to help others.
C．Go on a diet.
D．Put on weight.小题3:Tuhao becomes more popular in September partly because ______.
A．it is very likely to appear in Oxford English Dictionary
B．it is often used by the online community
C．people use Chinese pinyin to keep the original meaning
D．Apple launched a new gold-colored iPhone小题4:The main idea of the text is that ______.
A．tuhao may end up in Oxford English Dictionary
B．sometimes pinyin makes Chinese words better understood
C．tuhao has a new meaning at the present time
D．Oxford English Dictionary Includes new words faster than before
