Shenzhou? Shenshen? Shooshoo?

[PicardSpeedo]

One of the many things that drives me crazy about Discovery is that there seems to be no consistency about the pronunciation of 'Shenzhou.' I've heard it pronounced multiple ways, but the characters in the show always seem to pronounce it 'Shenshen' in this whispery, ninja-style accent whenever they say it. What's the actual pronunciation, and why doesn't the spelling in any way match what the characters on screen are saying?

 

[Christopher]

As far as I can tell, they're pronouncing it correctly and consistently, basically like "shen-joe." Although in Chinese phonetics, it should be pronounced with a rising intonation in the first syllable and a steady one on the second, "Shén Zhōu". Kinda like "Shen? Joe..." (Here's a Chinese pronunciation chart.)

 

[Lord Garth]

Trust me, as someone who's half-Iranian, half-American, and grew up with two cultures, I call tell you that anytime I try to say something in Persian, full Iranians who speak the language all the time start laughing at me because it sounds wrong or they think I have a funny accent.

Having characters never get the pronunciation right rings true to life. Very true to life. That's why "Kay-lesh!" is fun to make fun of here, but I'd never say, "Why aren't they pronouncing it right?! TEH CANON!!!!111"

 

[Vger23]

We find it far too easy to identify and bitch about virtually meaningless things, don't we?

 

[cultcross]

but the characters in the show always seem to pronounce it 'Shenshen' in this whispery, ninja-style accent whenever they say it.

Can't say I noticed that even once. Can you point out an example?

 

[lawman]

(Here's a Chinese pronunciation chart.)

Thanks for the link to that! Clearly my Chinese friends have been more than tolerant at my garbled mispronunciations of their names.

(Doesn't help that Pinyin transcription — or for that matter Wade-Giles, which was more familiar when I was growing up — doesn't actually utilize typical English pronunciation of all its symbols, as we monolingual Americans are prone to expect. Helps even less that I was taught the AHD phonetic alphabet as a child, and never learned the IPA, which is what I usually see, to my frustration, when I try to look up the pronunciation of something in Pinyin. The ability to just click a sound from a grid and have it pronounced for me is brilliant. Isn't the Internet amazing?)

 

[PicardSpeedo]

Can't say I noticed that even once. Can you point out an example?

Any scene in episode 1.

 

[fireproof78]

Isn't the Internet amazing?

And yet I can't find an article on the depression measurement I need for papers

 

[Christopher]

Doesn't help that Pinyin transcription — or for that matter Wade-Giles, which was more familiar when I was growing up — doesn't actually utilize typical English pronunciation of all its symbols, as we monolingual Americans are prone to expect.

I think Wade-Giles was based on an older dialect, which is why its transliterations were so far off from the modern sounds. Pinyin is somewhat closer, but it can only do so much, since the sounds of the two languages are so different.

And of course, not all romanization schemes of Asian languages are based on English phonetic values for the letters. The romanization of Vietnamese, for instance, is based pretty much on the French pronunciation of the Roman alphabet.

 

[Mudd]

This is what on-set continuity people are for. You can't trust actors working from script.

 

[KennyB]

Can't say I noticed that even once. Can you point out an example?

Neither can I.............I can look during a rewatch......but then again I don't really care. Like the way people vary when pronouncing USS Missouri. Some say Miz zur eeee some say Miz zur uhhh. There will always be different ways to say words until our Cyborg Overlords take over. To let it bother you is pointless really........unless you just revel in looking for things to get irritated about.

 

[shapeshifter]

Pahtatoe. Tamhatoe. Who cares?

 

[PicardSpeedo]

Neither can I.............I can look during a rewatch......but then again I don't really care. Like the way people vary when pronouncing USS Missouri. Some say Miz zur eeee some say Miz zur uhhh. There will always be different ways to say words until our Cyborg Overlords take over. To let it bother you is pointless really........unless you just revel in looking for things to get irritated about.

I'm not irritated. Why must everyone always assume outrage when someone notices an inconsistency and asks about it?

I just want to know how to pronounce the name of the damn ship without sounding like an ass.

 

[KennyB]

I'm not irritated. Why must everyone always assume outrage when someone notices an inconsistency and asks about it?

I just want to know how to pronounce the name of the damn ship without sounding like an ass.

You said "drives me crazy"..........that sounds irritating. Maybe that's why. Try baffles or confuses.........

 

[PicardSpeedo]

You said "drives me crazy"..........that sounds irritating. Maybe that's why. Try baffles or confuses.........

I'm sorry for outraging you with my grammar faux pas.

Bewilders. Baffles. Mystifies. Bemuses. Perplexes. Puzzles. Confounds. Confuses. Flummoxes. Fazes. Stumps. Foxes. Discombobulates. Bedazzles. Take your pick.

Can we go back to talking about the name of the ship now?

 

[Lord Garth]

Next time I go through DSC -- I'll have my computer hooked up to my big-screen TV in front of my exercise bike in the living room, so I can stay in shape and be a couch potato at the same time -- I'll look out for when someone says Shenshen. I don't remember that anyone called it that.

If did they say Shenshen, then, I don't know. Maybe it's a nickname?

 

[KennyB]

Nope..........like I said in my initial response. I don't really care. Not outraged. You started this thread. Looks like every other reply has been ok with a slight variance. By all means continue to flog the horse.

 

[shapeshifter]

Bewilders. Baffles. Mystifies. Bemuses. Perplexes. Puzzles. Confounds. Confuses. Flummoxes. Fazes. Stumps. Foxes. Discombobulates. Bedazzles.

Nope ^ all those have a negative sounding connotation in print, imo.

Try, I don't understand...

 

[KennyB]

Nope ^ all those have a negative sounding connotation in print, imo.

Try, I don't understand...

Words can be your friends.

 

[Spot261]

It's pronounced "Shenzhou"