4.社會文化問題——奧運吉祥物

　　Directions:

　　Study the following drawing carefully and write an essay in which you should

　　1) describe the drawings,

　　2) account for the implied meaning of their names

　　3) their cultural representation, and

　　4) your understanding

　　You should write about 160-200 words neatly on ANSWER SHEET 2. (20 points)

　　參考范文

　　As is vividly revealed in the drawing above, the five Beijing 2008 Olympic mascots are cute and lovely.

　　Each mascot has a rhyming two-syllable name, the traditional way of expressing affection for children in China. Beibei is the Fish, Jingjing is the Panda, Huanhuan is the Olympic Flame, Yingying is the Tibetan Antelope and Nini is the Swallow. The first characters of their two-syllable names read “Beijing Huanying Ni.” or, in English, “Welcome to Beijing.”

　　The mascots have distinctive Chinese characteristics, representing not only the multi-ethnic cultures of China, but also the traditional Chinese philosophy of harmony between humans and nature. They also represent the five elements of nature- the sea, forest, fire, earth and sky. “Five” also matches the five elements (metal, wood, water, fire and earth) believed by ancient Chinese people to explain the origins of the world.

　　Called the “Five Fuwa”, the figures embody the Chinese people’s hope for peace and friendship in the world and the spirit of the Olympics. Dedicated to helping Beijing 2008 spread its theme of One World, One Dream to every continent, the Five Fuwa reflect the deep desire of the Chinese people to reach out to the world in friendship through the Games- and to invite every man, woman, and child to take part in the great celebration of human solidarity in 2008.