[6] Appropriatenamesneedbeneithernovel, norerudite, ’, Ilikelookingthroughtheclassifiedads, sportspages, andlistsofrecipientsofscholarshipsandsmallbusinessloans, -ying (FirewoodPhoenixFlower) andMaoYi-jian (FrugalThatch), ’tyouseetheflesh-and-bloodfiguresjustwaitingtoemergefrombehindthenames? OneneedhardlymentionMaoYi-jian’-yingnotonlysoundsliketheepitomeoftheproverbial “preciousdaughterofahumblehome”; hernamesoundslikeithasastoryjustwrigglingtogetout, .
[7] Somepeoplesaythatanameismerelyacipher, , ? Evenifwelivedinanidealizedfutureworldinwhicheverycitizenwasassignedanumberlikeaprisonerandtherewerenonamesbeyondthenumbersthemselves, , ’sQinhuaiShijia (TheHouseofQinhuai) themischievousgirliscalledXiaochun (LittleSpring), whileErchun (SecondSpring) (Deepisthenight), thereisthevirtuousDingErhe (SecondHarmonyDing) andthecautiouslyconventionalSecondMissTian.
[8] Althoughamovementtopromotetheuseofsignsinsteadofnamescouldneverbepushedthroughtosuccessfulconclusion, , , petnameswerechosenwithgreatcare, unliketheperfunctorysortsofendearmentscommontoday, suchasNannan (Girlie) andBaobao (Baby).Forthevastmajorityofgirls, , thereislittleusegivingthemanimpressive “schoolname”, andoncetheymarrytheywillimmediatelylosewhateversenseofidentitytheymightoncehavehad, , andforthisreason, awoman’, wecanseethatanewlywedgroomwhoopenlycallsoutthebride’schildhoodnameisseenasbeingratherremissandhislapsedeservingofapoutingreproach.
