5 ms·

I like how the reporter speaks Chinese. Usually it's english only, which i suppose is translated off screen for the local being interviewed. I don't watch much

I like how the reporter speaks Chinese. Usually it's english only, which i suppose is translated off screen for the local being interviewed. I don't watch much BBC so i don't know if that changed lately. It's a change for the better imo.

DanBC 9y ago
Lots of people are saying he's from the BBC, but is he? The video is a "Lion Television / All3 Media production for JSBC" Lion Television is a UK TV production company. All3 Media are "content creators". JSBC is Jiangsu Broadcasting Corporation. So, I don't know if we can say anything about the BBC from that interviewer. We can say the BBC have many foreign correspondents (although their have been drastic cuts), who spend long times in the countries they report on. When you hear reports from foreign correspondents (eg, BBC radio 4's "Letter From Our Own Correspondent") you'll hear them speaking non-English languages and providing a translation. Complaints about cuts to the foreign correspondents: https://www.theguardian.com/media/2011/oct/21/bbc-foreign-correspondents-cuts https://www.theguardian.com/media/2011/oct/21/bbc-foreign-co... From Our Own Correspondent page, with many downloadable podcasts: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qjlq http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qjlq
jstanley 9y ago
It seemed to me that he was interjecting with arbitrary comments, just to show off that he speaks Chinese. I didn't think it added to the video at all.
- tsukaisute 9y ago
  Chinese speaker here. His comments were all over-the-top excited, repeating and exaggerating others' words, almost like mocking the Chinese staff (see around 2:20 mark for example.) Think Borat-speak. Seemed very strange and unfit for this otherwise good piece.
  - stupidcar 9y ago
    That is just how these interviews are done by the BBC. It would be the same if both participants were in the UK speaking English. I think it's perhaps because the BBC does a lot of educational material aimed, at least partially, at children and schools, and the presenters are trained to be very exaggerated and enthusiastic in their reactions. Experts like scientists and engineers can be quite placid in their delivery, and so the presenter's job is to make whatever it is they're talking about seem more "exciting". E.g. some engineering project, scientific experiment, historical fact, etc.
  - liuw 9y ago
    It is a bit over-enthusiastic but I don't think there is any mocking going on there. I as a layperson would act the same if I were the reporter. (I'm a native Mandarin speaker.)
  - yomly 9y ago
    Think you're reading too much into it. His behaviour and inflection is what you get if you were to splice polite British reporter mien with an idiomatic way of speaking Chinese. Fun to watch in its own right. Don't think there's any malice there, must be hard to context-switch between speaking a non-native language while interviewing for a foreign audience. EDIT: if you've watched other BBC productions, the level of enthusiasm would be familiar. I think it is a BBC company culture/style thing. Drawing a blank at the moment, had someone very specific in mind, but maybe anything by Clare Balding, Sue Barker or Lizo Mzimba though none of these are the person I have in my mind...
  - juiyout 9y ago
    Native mandarin speaker here. I agree with you that this reporter really didn't add to the conversation. Like you said, it is more of repeating/exaggerating. Programs like this can be paid to make with purpose of showcasing a government project instead of actual "reporting".
  - hdra 9y ago
    Really? I think its fine. Pretty normal response from a layperson being impressed by a major engineering feat without being interested to dig too deep into the technicals. Maybe a bit of pandering, but I think he is just trying to be polite, but I don't see any sign of mocking.
- deleted 9y ago
  [deleted]
london888 9y ago
I thought the same and then was less impressed realising he was Australian.
laurieg 9y ago
I came here to say this too. All to often TV has an interpreter and is editing together to make the interviewer seem like they understand. Even worse, the interviewer reads the question in English and then the interviewee responds in the native language, clearly having been told the question already. It's wonderful to see people having a normal interaction in a language that isn't English.

DanBC 9y ago

Lots of people are saying he's from the BBC, but is he? The video is a "Lion Television / All3 Media production for JSBC" Lion Television is a UK TV production company. All3 Media are "content creators". JSBC is Jiangsu Broadcasting Corporation. So, I don't know if we can say anything about the BBC from that interviewer. We can say the BBC have many foreign correspondents (although their have been drastic cuts), who spend long times in the countries they report on. When you hear reports from foreign correspondents (eg, BBC radio 4's "Letter From Our Own Correspondent") you'll hear them speaking non-English languages and providing a translation. Complaints about cuts to the foreign correspondents: https://www.theguardian.com/media/2011/oct/21/bbc-foreign-correspondents-cuts https://www.theguardian.com/media/2011/oct/21/bbc-foreign-co... From Our Own Correspondent page, with many downloadable podcasts: http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qjlq http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b006qjlq

jstanley 9y ago

It seemed to me that he was interjecting with arbitrary comments, just to show off that he speaks Chinese. I didn't think it added to the video at all.

tsukaisute 9y ago
Chinese speaker here. His comments were all over-the-top excited, repeating and exaggerating others' words, almost like mocking the Chinese staff (see around 2:20 mark for example.) Think Borat-speak. Seemed very strange and unfit for this otherwise good piece.
- stupidcar 9y ago
  That is just how these interviews are done by the BBC. It would be the same if both participants were in the UK speaking English. I think it's perhaps because the BBC does a lot of educational material aimed, at least partially, at children and schools, and the presenters are trained to be very exaggerated and enthusiastic in their reactions. Experts like scientists and engineers can be quite placid in their delivery, and so the presenter's job is to make whatever it is they're talking about seem more "exciting". E.g. some engineering project, scientific experiment, historical fact, etc.
- liuw 9y ago
  It is a bit over-enthusiastic but I don't think there is any mocking going on there. I as a layperson would act the same if I were the reporter. (I'm a native Mandarin speaker.)
- yomly 9y ago
  Think you're reading too much into it. His behaviour and inflection is what you get if you were to splice polite British reporter mien with an idiomatic way of speaking Chinese. Fun to watch in its own right. Don't think there's any malice there, must be hard to context-switch between speaking a non-native language while interviewing for a foreign audience. EDIT: if you've watched other BBC productions, the level of enthusiasm would be familiar. I think it is a BBC company culture/style thing. Drawing a blank at the moment, had someone very specific in mind, but maybe anything by Clare Balding, Sue Barker or Lizo Mzimba though none of these are the person I have in my mind...
- juiyout 9y ago
  Native mandarin speaker here. I agree with you that this reporter really didn't add to the conversation. Like you said, it is more of repeating/exaggerating. Programs like this can be paid to make with purpose of showcasing a government project instead of actual "reporting".
- hdra 9y ago
  Really? I think its fine. Pretty normal response from a layperson being impressed by a major engineering feat without being interested to dig too deep into the technicals. Maybe a bit of pandering, but I think he is just trying to be polite, but I don't see any sign of mocking.
deleted 9y ago
[deleted]

london888 9y ago

I thought the same and then was less impressed realising he was Australian.

laurieg 9y ago

I came here to say this too. All to often TV has an interpreter and is editing together to make the interviewer seem like they understand. Even worse, the interviewer reads the question in English and then the interviewee responds in the native language, clearly having been told the question already. It's wonderful to see people having a normal interaction in a language that isn't English.