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[Headlines] (HL-정치/사회/경제) China Blocks Winnie the Pooh, Again
최고관리자  |  18-03-04 23:22

The Chinese Communist Party is moving forward with plans to remove presidential term limits from China’s constitution. Under the proposal, President Xi Jinping could continue leading the country after serving two five-year terms in office. People in China have criticized the move on social media. Some Chinese have been doing so by posting images of Winnie the Pooh. Pooh bear has appeared in a number of Walt Disney films. He was the best-known character in books by the English writer A.A. Milne. Social media users have been comparing Xi’s physical appearance to that of Winnie the Pooh for several years. They have often used images of the Disney character to make fun of the Chinese leader. One image on China’s WeChat this week showed Pooh holding a jar of honey, his favorite treat. Users shared the photo along with the words, “Find the thing you love and stick with it.”
* move forward = 전진하다/ remove = 없애다, 제거하다/ presidential term = 대통령 임기/ limit = 제한, 허용치; 한계(점), 한도/ constitution = 헌법/ criticize = 비판(비난)하다/ move = 조치, 행동/ a number of ~ = 다수의; 얼마간의/ compare A to B = A를 B에 비유(비교)하다/ make fun of ~ = ~을 놀리다[비웃다]/ stick with ~ = ~을 계속하다; ~의 곁에 머물다

But recently, Chinese social media sites appear to have blocked images of Winnie the Pooh. And other images, words, and expressions that might be used to criticize Xi are also censored. Blocked terms are said to include “my emperor,” “ascend the throne,” and even “board a plane.” In Chinese, those words sound like “ascend the throne.” The names of several books by British writer George Orwell -- including 1984 and Animal Farm – also are currently blocked. This is not the first time Pooh has been unwelcome on Chinese social media sites. According to the site WhatsOnWeibo, the Pooh comparisons began with a 2013 photo of Xi with then U.S. President Barack Obama. People on social media noted a likeness between Xi and Pooh, while comparing Obama to Tigger, another animal character. Posts of side-by-side comparison photos spread quickly on Weibo and other sites. But they were also quickly removed. And Pooh went from a sweet, friendly creature to a political meme in China. Over the past five years, China has blocked Pooh from time to time. But it remains to be seen how long the honey-loving bear may remain offline this time.
* censor = 검열하다, (검열하여) 삭제하다/ emperor = 황제/ ascend[come to, sit on] the throne = 왕위에 오르다/ board a plane = 비행기에 탑승하다/ likeness = 유사성, 닮음/ side-by-side = 나란히 (서) 있는/ meme = 비유전적 문화 요소[문화의 전달 방식](유전자가 아니라 모방 등에 의해 다음 세대로 전달됨)/ from time to time = 가끔[이따금]/ it remains to be seen ~ = ~인지의 여부는 지켜봐야 한다