Found in Translation
Sep 3rd, 2010 | By KevB8ll | Category: Articles by almajir, Blues News, Lead ArticleHere is almajir’s latest blog. I think it is a fascinating one.
He has given me permission to re-publish.
One thing I’ve aimed to do whilst writing this blog is to try and research a little about Birmingham City’s owners. Not much is known about them in truth, and I’m intrigued as to what their plans for the club are; how they see the future at BCFC. We know that the Chinese business model is different from the way we do things in the west, and I think it’s prudent to see what we can learn about them.
Unfortunately, my Mandarin isn’t up to par with some peoples (as you’ll see), and about all I can manage is “Hello” and “Thank You” in Chinese. However written Mandarin is easier to search online when you know how and it’s thanks to this that I’ve found something for today’s piece.
This piece, (shown here in it’s original format in Chinese) was posted by the BBC about a week ago, and it features a video interview with Carson Yeung in Chinese. As you can see, Carson is much happier to talk in his mother tongue. Now, I’m going to have to admit I’ve put this together from using translation engines and what not, so I’ve tried to stick to generalities more than anything else until I get a translator (or learn to speak Mandarin) and I can get a proper 100% legit translation.
The first thing the article talks about is that Carson Yeung wants us to consolidate as a Premier League club; and that the club was going to strengthen the midfield (which has happened in the signings of Hleb and Beausejour).
It then talks about how since Carson fully took control of the club he’s slightly faded from the limelight a bit in England, and how we’re undefeated at home. Carson appears to be quietly confident that we can continue to improve. The article quotes him saying that this year’s target is still just survival from relegation, and that he expects our presence in China to grow slowly but surely as we maintain our Premiership status.
Carson then flatters us immensely, saying that even the girls in the catering stands can say “Hello” and other simple phrases in Chinese; I’ve seen comments at times on various sites that the catering staff in the past have had problems with English – maybe we’ve been talking to them in the wrong lingo? They also mention the Lion dance that took place before the Blackburn game. This is a traditional Chinese custom designed to bring fortune and luck to the recipient at the start of a new year, or in our case new season, and bearing in mind this is Blues we need all the luck we can get. Also present with him during the first home game of the season festivities was Councillor Mike Whitby, who is leader of Birmingham city council, and Carson mentions that we cannot hope to progress further as a club without the council’s support.
Carson mentions quite proudly that Birmingham City were about the only Premiership team last season not to make a loss, and he confirms that the strategy is keep us on an even keel through prudent financial management. I have to be honest and say that I personally would question the veracity of that statement, but the fact is we have minimal debt which is rare within the Premiership. He welcomed Kenny Huang’s bid for Liverpool (which has since been retracted), but cautioned against overspending on transfers. Yeung goes on to state that he doesn’t believe that pots of money should be thrown at a club; that he believes in a more smooth transition of players into the team over a period of time. He confirms he’s making money available for transfers, and that he’ll back Alex in the transfer market; something that I think has been proven on Tuesday.
All in all, it’s nothing groundbreaking, but there are a few positives to be taken away. This is an interview for BBC China, to be broadcast to Chinese people so it must help raise our profile out there. In his mother tongue, he seems a bit surer of what he is saying and it seems obvious to me that the enthusiasm is there.
I’m a big believer in slow, organic change with an incremental building of the team, the infrastructure and the club and I think that the board believe that too. I don’t think people should expect the owners to throw “£20-40million” at the club to be spent willy-nilly; I think what people should expect (and be happy with) is that McLeish will continue to identify players who will help build us as a club and take us to the next level, and that the board will back him in this quest.
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What a great article and thank you for translating it!
KRO
It’s nice to read a positive blog from a Blues fan. I’m getting totally fed up with so called supporters still being negative about the board and the manager. We’ve just had the best transfer window I can ever remember and it has really given the club a massive boost. I believe Carson Yeung when he says he is here for the long haul and I do think he has the interests of the club at heart.
This is an interesting angle but appears to be in keeping with the general theme coming out from the manager and Peter Pannu. It seems that everybody is singing off the same sheet so in a way it is comforting to know. The slow progression approach is fine by me. We’ve waited 135 years so we may as well wait a bit longer. Hopefully the lost fan base will start to return because there is no doubt it’s out there but is disillusioned with the lack of success over so many years. My Grandad said to me when I was a young lad, wide-eyed and dreaming of Wembley, the First Division and beating the best that Blues would break my heart and they have! (Many many times!) We can still have hope though because without it there’s no point to anything is there?
KRO SOTV
JohnR, are you suggesting that I DON’T normally DO positive blogs??? ;-p
Thank you almajir, and kev for bringing this to us. It’s nice to hear Carson Yeung speak in Chinese; he comes across as much more relaxed and authoritative than he did in that famous press conference in Brum just after his buy-out! If he still sounds a bit hesitant, it’s because Mandarin isn’t his first language either.
It’s funny how things work out. I’m a Moseley lad who moved to Hong Kong in 1983. I lived, worked and played football there for 14 years before coming back to take my place on the Tilton again. Now the two parts of my life have come together.
Great job with the translation! If you need any help with spoken Cantontese, let me know. I had to give the odd speech in it when I was in Hong Kong!
By the way, Birmingham City in Cantonese is pronounced Baak Ming Hon Sing (Baak Ming Hon being a transliteration of Birmingham, and Sing meaning City).
Ditto to all the above; more insightful and well presented articles like this please. Has Eck ever discussed how/why he thinks players like Fahey, Valles, Murphy can or will develop into contenders, for instance?
@Tony D
Can you read/write Mandarin or Cantonese?
If you can please you let me know via the forum or Kev? It could become really useful to pursue more stuff like this.
Thanks
That is a good blog, i like it, very possitve, i think slow progress is a very good thing regarding taking teams forward as you have time to think about the mistakes you could end up making, take man city for example, they threw a lot of money rhobinio’s way for him to not make an impact, unlike steven carr who has made an impact at blues.
we might have a small side but weve got togetherness which takes time to gel.
I have just got a job at the Blues as steward and have been getting to know the veteren stewards, they have said since the take over there has been a good vibe about the place ( and you do feel it ) a lot of good chages have been made there, one lad said the owners walk around and aknowlage that everyone from the poeple selling programes to the board are all part of one family, we as club have owners who really care, and dont want go in heave ho and make a mess of things, which makes me so proud to be a part of it.( Tony D, keep a look out for me, i work in the tilton/cattel rd turnstiles, steward number 192 ) anyone can approach me.
All the best
KRO.
I’ll look out for you Martin!
Almajir, I speak Canonese, but don’t read and write Chinese (or precious little anyway). However, I can probably get help for translations. I’ll ask my Chinese friends to keep an eye on the Chinese media and alert me to anything relevant. I’m going to Hong Kong in a couple of weeks, so it will be interesting to gauge the mood there and support for Blues following the pre-season tour. Pray for me – I’ve been invited to play fooball less than five hours after I step off the plane. And I’m 51 with dodgy knees!
@Tony
Cheers, appreciated.
Good luck with the football
I’ve been in Canada for the past 30 yrs and get to watch most Blues games on TV over here now. Which is great by the way. I was thinking wouldn’t be great to hear while watching the game the Tilton brake out in song “And it’s Baak Ming Hon Sing, Baak Ming Hon Sing F.C. etc” It would make the visiting fan really think !! LOL
KRO.
Eamonn – NOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!
@ Tony
If you get anything, send it to me via the contact page on the top menu. I’ll make sure Almajir gets it.
Kev
OK Kev.
Tony