SKIRMISHER

Americans sporting tattoos made in kanji or Chinese characters look like utter fools, says an article on The Japan Times, because of the lost of a subtle thing called “context.”

Says New York Times:

“[They] copy the characters from templates that are often of uncertain provenance. When two characters are combined to form what is in English a catchy phrase, context can be lost and the result can be hilarious — or worse.”

Several star players in the National Basketball Association sport kanji tattoos. Shawn Marion of the Phoenix Suns was under the impression that his nickname, “the Matrix,” was tattooed on his leg, but Tang says the inscription translates as something like “demon bird mothballs.”

On rare occasions these have invited trouble. Fox News reported a fight nearly broke out on the court when Chinese star Yao Ming of the Houston Rockets lost it and began laughing at a tattoo on a rival player’s neck, which he interpreted to mean “power forward stinky pants.”

For more fine, real-world examples of the West’s expertise on Sino-Japanese tattooing, Hanzismatter gives you a nice view.

via JAPAN TIMES

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