皮皮蝦號?! 國防部就首艘航母命名做出迴應

China's Ministry of National Defense denounced on April 27 the rumor that the country's newly launched aircraft carrier will be named after the mantis shrimp, an animal widely ridiculed by Chinese internet users for its bizarre appearance. The ministry clarified that no name has been chosen yet.

4月27日，中國國防部譴責了稱首艘國產航母將取名爲“皮皮蝦號”的謠言（皮皮蝦因其奇特的外觀被中國網民們廣爲取笑）。該部門表示，航母的名字目前還沒有選定。

"The online vote for the name of China's new aircraft carrier will be determined by netizens themselves. According to the Chinese military's rules, the name of a new ship is only bestowed when the ship is delivered and commissioned," Senior Colonel Yang Yujun, spokesperson for the ministry, told media during a briefing.

國防部發言人、大校楊宇軍在一場新聞發佈會上對媒體表示：“互聯網上給我國首艘國產航母取名的投票只不過是網民的自發行爲。按照中國軍隊的規定，一艘新艦隻有在交付使用時纔會命名。”

Yang's remarks came after , a well-known video-streaming site, held an online poll about the name of China's new carrier.

楊宇軍的發言是針對中國著名視頻流媒體網站愛奇藝舉行的一場有關中國新航母名字的網絡投票活動。

The results of the poll were dominated by suggestions like "mantis shrimp" and "Taiwan." As of press time, "mantis shrimp" had garnered over 890,000 votes, while Taiwan took second place with more than 830,000 votes.

投票結果全是“皮皮蝦號”和“臺灣號”等名字。截止發稿時爲止，“皮皮蝦號”獲得了89萬票，而“臺灣號”則獲得了83萬票。

"Mantis shrimp, lets' go!" has become a new internet meme and catchphrase in 2017, originating from online gaming. The term is generally understood to signify a carefree and capricious attitude, since the real animal is known as a strong creature that is capable of smashing aquariums with its strong claws.

“皮皮蝦，我們走！”起源於網遊，已經成爲了2017年新晉網絡流行語、口頭禪。這個詞通常被理解爲一種無憂無慮、反覆無常的態度，因爲皮皮蝦本身是一種很強大的動物，它的螯甚至可以打碎水族箱的玻璃。

Many netizens ridiculed the ministry's response, saying that the name is funny and entirely appropriate.

許多網民都取笑國防部的迴應，表示這個名字很搞笑、完全適合。

"Mantis shrimps are creepy yet fearless animals, and they have hammer-like claws that can dig into your muscles. I think our new aircraft carrier should also possess such qualities, so that it can protect the country's honor. Maybe the ministry can consider mantis shrimp as the ship's nickname", one netizen wrote.

一位網民寫道：“皮皮蝦是一種很怪異卻又無所畏懼的動物，它們的螯像鐵錘一樣可以直擊到你的肉裏。我認爲我們的新航母也應該具備這樣的品質，這樣才能捍衛我們的國家榮譽。也許國防部可以考慮將皮皮蝦作爲新航母的小名。”

Others worried that the name was "too vulgar" to truly showcase China's power.

而其他人則認爲這個名字“太俗”，不能真正展示中國的實力。

"In case you guys haven't noticed, mantis shrimp in Cantonese is 'pissing shrimp,' and that is not a good name for our first homegrown aircraft carrier," another netizen wrote on Sina Weibo.

另一位網民在新浪微博上寫道：“或許你們不知道，皮皮蝦在粵語裏叫'撒尿蝦'，對於我們第一艘國產航母來說並不是個好名字。”