XINHUA
From the very beginning of our studies, we have been aware that many Chinese characters can change their pronunciations in different contexts.
从学习启蒙时起，我们就知道许多汉字在不同的语境下有不同的读音。
But how will you feel if you’re told that many of the pronunciations we learned in textbooks will be considered incorrect?
但如果有人说，我们在课本中学到的不少读音以后可能会被认定是错误的，你会怎么想？
In February, an article titled “Chinese characters whose pronunciations have changed” caused heated discussions on Sina Weibo. The article claimed that some pronunciations, which were previously considered to have been misread, are now deemed correct. They include the characters in well-known sentences from ancient poems.
今年二月，一篇名为《这些字词的拼音被改了！》的文章在新浪微博上引发热议。该文章表示，一些过去被认为是误读的读音，如今却被认为是正确的。这些字音就包括了古诗名句中的汉字读音。
One example is by Du Mu from the Tang dynasty. “I go by slanting stony path to the cold hill; Where rise white clouds, there appear cottages and bowers.”
其中一个例子是唐代诗人杜牧的诗句：远上寒山石径斜 (xié，原xiá)，白云深处有人家。
Many internet users disagreed with the changes. They argued that altering pronunciations would “change the rhyme of the sentences in poems, ruining the beauty of Chinese literature”.
不少网友对这一做法表示反对。他们认为修改读音会“改变诗句的韵律，破坏中国文学的美感”。
According to CGTN, supporters of the change say “This is how language advances, and the pronunciations should adapt to the needs of society, rather than remain in the past.”
据中国国际电视台报道，支持这些修改的人则认为“这是语言发展的进程，读音应该随着社会的需求进行调整，而非停留在过去。”
An official from the Ministry of Education responded, saying that most of the so-called “new” pronunciations have not yet been confirmed. However, according to the fifth and sixth editions of the Modern Chinese Dictionary, quite a few pinyin spellings have already been changed: 呆板 (dai, first tone, 原ai, second tone) and 确凿 (zao, second tone, 原zuo, fourth tone)
教育部回应称，大多数所谓的“新”读音尚未通过审议。但在第五版及第六版的《现代汉语词典》中，不少拼音都进行了修改：呆（ái ）板变成了呆（dāi）板，确凿（zuò）变成了确凿（záo）。
“In some sense, pronunciation is a choice between the most popular version and the version with the longest history,” professor Zhang Yiwu told China Daily.
“在某种程度上，读音是大众读法和悠久历史之间所做出的选择，”张颐武教授在接受《中国日报》采访时如此表示。
