Beijing locals express how they really feel about the Olympics by passing around this clever play on pregnancy terms to describe the current state of mind. Roll-over on the Chinese words below to see the pun and original definitions. Original post found here.
(Notes: To understand this meme with limited Chinese language knowledge, the first thing you need to know is the connection between “sports” and “pregnancy” in Chinese. “Sports” = “运动” (yùn dòng), it can be abbreviated as “运”(yùn) as in “奥运会” (奥林匹克 运动 会, Olympic Games, lit. = Olympic Sports Meeting). “pregnancy”(孕) in Chinese pronounces as “yùn” as well. It is very likely that you don’t know which character people are referring to in speaking. – Min)
Meme: The four movements of the Olympics (段：奥林匹克四)
Currently there are four kinds of people in Beijing (当前北京四种人):
1. The Escapists
Those who travel outside of Beijing to avoid the Olympics
(1、避运的：外出旅游避开奥运)
2. The Tolerant
Those who remain in Beijing and suffer the Olympics
(2、受运的：留在北京忍受奥运)
3. The Misplaced
Those who welcome foreigners to participate in the Olympics
(3、宫外运的：恭迎外国人参加奥运)
4. The Repressed
Those who only dare to harbor negativity, but do not dare to openly abuse the topic
(4、怀运的：只敢怀怨在心，但不敢发帖去骂。)
Photo credit DexterPerrin
