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Politically correct term for 农民
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889 -

I have no problem calling 农民 nongmin "peasants" in English, but for those who do I'd suggest
"villagers".



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Luobot -

The term “peasant” seems to go through periods of trendiness, for example, peasant skirts and
peasant dresses, and best of all, vegan peasant bread.










roddy -

Depends on the context and who I'm translating for - I'm under instructions not to use it for one
client - but I'll usually end up with either peasant, farmer or rural resident. Sometimes
villager, maybe. Locals.

The word peasant does sound odd, but you'll see the likes of the BBC use it, and I'm quite happy
to defer to them on matters of style. In some cases you are talking about people with little if
any money, no land or an insecure hold on the land they have, no power to speak of, and who are at
the mercy of those who have money, land and power. If there's a better word than peasant I don't
know what it is.










alexamies -

I think that countryside people or countryside residents is the best suggestion that I have heard
although it is not perfect. I have not been referring to migrant workers specifically but the
suggestion prompts me to think that maybe there is scope to use a different term depending on
context.. Several sentences like this from an article on Xin Hua's web site led me to ask this
question:

农村税费改革取消了延续２６００多年的农业税，农民人均减负约１４０元�
��农村改革正步入以促进农村上层建筑变革为核心的综合改革新阶段。

However, I hear the term 农民 many times daily in conversations, particularly because I am
staying in the outskirts of Beijing at present, and watch them as I catch the bus into town. I am
glad to hear that the BBC uses the term peasant - there couldn't be a much better reference for
style and I am sure that they have battled with the use of the term too.










mandel1luke -

agricultural folks?










ABCinChina -

Well me and my girlfriend have thought about this one and just use "farmer". It fits the best, but
I suppose countryfolk could also work.










studychinese -

I thought that 农民 = farmer. If 农民 is peasant, then what is 庶民? Also, if 农民 is
peasant, then how do you refer to someone that is a person on a farm?










muyongshi -

I think farmer should be the correct term in translations even though the dictionary refers to it
as peasant.

The thing about a peasant though is that it was used under a feudal (I sure hope I am getting that
right) where a peasant (also called a surf) was the caretaker and planter of the land which
belonged to the Lord's. The land was solely taken care of by them for sustenance by the Lord's
would take the majority of the crop as a "fee". So, the word peasant in English just doesn't work
as it carries a certain connotation.

Maybe we should make this a poll and vote on it...










zhwj -

Context makes a difference: On a recent subtitling job, one woman in the film was talking about
anti-rabies campaigns, and how the local farmers were handing their dogs over to the authorities
because they were afraid of steep fines. She was using 农民, which I translated as "farmer"
throughout.

Then another woman chimed in with the single word 农民, said very dismissively and drawn out. I
figured that "peasant" captured her tone of voice fairly well.










muyongshi -



Quote:

Then another woman chimed in with the single word 农民, said very dismissively and drawn out. I
figured that "peasant" captured her tone of voice fairly well.

I would agree with you on this that peasant would definitely have the feel of "those peasants"
(the last part being spit out). Definitely has the feel of an insult to it. Farmer can too but
that would depend on the tone but since you are subtitling there is no tone. Quite clever.












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