Bab 1252: Grandma Meng!

PERTIMBANGAN PENCIPTA

As you may be aware, there are numerous very specific forms of address for relatives in Chinese. In this case, Meng Ru specifically mentions her “paternal grandmother” which causes Meng Hao to think of his “maternal grandmother.” This would indicate that Meng Ru is an actual member of the Meng Clan, with her father having been surnamed Meng, whereas Meng Hao is related to them through his mother, but would not be considered an actual member of the clan. After all, his father's surname is Fang. I’m going to forgo translating the literal forms of address because they tend to get very clunky, especially when used in dialogue as a form of address. Instead, Meng Hao's "maternal grandmother" will be "Grandma Meng" or simply "grandmother" depending on the context. Please note, her surname is not Meng; in Chinese culture women don’t change their surname upon marriage. However, you can address a female by the surname of her husband in Chinese culture, assuming you use the right form of address. If I remember correctly, Meng Hao’s mom Meng Li was even called “Madam Fang” at one point. Similar forms of address exist for other relatives. I did the same thing in the past with Meng Hao’s grandfathers. Instead of referring to them as paternal and maternal grandfathers, I’ve been calling them Grandpa Fang and Grandpa Meng. I think this way makes it much more simple to understand who is being referred to, and at the same time keeps the same familial feeling as the original Chinese. By the way, astute readers might remember a few times where an “Old Lady Meng” was mentioned, a real mythological character who serves people the tea of forgetfulness in the Underworld. Meng Hao’s grandmother does not have any connection to that woman!