[Photo/youth.cn]

With the widespread availability of such hit shows as Chinese Spelling Hero and Dictation Assembly of Chinese Characters, the Chinese fervor in revisiting Chinese culture and traditions has been aroused again in the Middle Kingdom. Even apps like classical Chinese translation have suddenly emerged online and are being well received among netizens.

It’s been reported that some of the apps can translate classical Chinese into modern, and vice versa. Many netizens are fond of using such apps and take delight in talking about the humorous translation versions. The chosen materials they put into the apps boast a wide variety, from prominent classical writings from ancient China to modern hot words with Chinese characteristics.

According to the production team of one app, they designed the software both for entertainment and for study. At first they went to any lengths to create a body of work based on hundreds of thousands of classical articles. And then a combination of such factors as rhythms and tonal patterns in classical Chinese poetry led to the final version.

Meanwhile, some scholars voice their concerns about the use of such apps. Zhu Jikang, Professor from Yangzhou Unversity, believes that these apps are just for fun, without much academic value. Some of the translation versions seem to be well-done at first sight. A rigorous check may find that many sentences are loosely organized with many grammar errors.

Gu Jian, Chinese teacher from Jinling High School in east China’s Jiangsu province, says that Chinese culture enjoys a long history with profound impact and classical Chinese is no exception. A proficient mastery of it requires a steady accumulation of related knowledge through a wide variety of readings and writing. Translation apps can only serve as a supplementary tool in our learning process.