Terms, regading force and politics.

[Guest guest]

All,

 

So that our political position may be clearly known, the following is

the text of my letter to the World Federatino of Chinese Medical

Societies and the State Administration of T.C.M. as regards term

standardization.

 

The CD reference is to the open, entire compilation of the term set we

use.

 

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I am pleased that the books and CD have arrived and will be of use to you.

 

I wish you the very best for your March term meeting. My personal

opinion remains the same as in my previous letter to you.

Standardization is a natural process, it occurs when a proposed

standard becomes so useful that it is widely adopted. For the

People's Republic of China to lead this process, it should set the

Chinese language standard and make those who propose English

terminologies subject them to the " test of time. "

 

1. The appropriate P.R.C. authority should publish a Chinese language

list of Chinese medical terms and their definitions, such as your text

" Chinese Terms in Traditional and Pharmacy. "

 

2. Everyone who proposes a terminology should be invited to submit

their list of English equivalents for those terms.

 

3. Everyone who proposes a terminology should agree in writing that

their terminology is available for use by anyone without fee, royalty,

or prior permission of any publisher or individual.

 

4. The appropriate Chinese authority should make all the proposed

terminologies available to anyone through the World Wide Web and other

publications.

 

In two or three years it will be very clear which terminology will be

successful.

 

There are several advantages to this approach. First, it establishes

the Chinese language, and therefore Chinese expertise, as the basis of

the standard. Second, it is fair and honors the traditions of

academic peer review and excellence. Third, it provides P.M.P.H. and

all Chinese publishers and societies the greatest guarantee that

English language readers will accept their works.

 

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This letter was signed by me as the publisher of Paradigm Publications.

 

Thank you,

 

Bob Felt