Tweedledum and Tweedledee

What comes to mind  when you hear the phrase 半斤八兩 bànjīnbāliǎng which literally means half a catty and eight taels? Most Chinese especially those well versed with the Chinese language, most certainly would recognize that as a popular idiom which means Two of a kind. For me, I sometimes recall the 1976 Hong Kong comedy The Private Eyes starring the Hui brothers, Michael Hui, Samuel Hui and Ricky Hui. The hit movie Chinese title needless to say is 半斤八兩 bànjīnbāliǎng. Sometimes ago, I came across an animated series featuring two Chinese guardian lions, the ones one often see standing guard outside Chinese buildings. I saw my grandnephew laughing over their antics and no wonder - the series Stoney and Rocky which took seven years to develop had since become Disney’s first original Chinese television co-production and China Central Television’s Number 1 children’s programme.  Of course, the Chinese title for Stoney and Rocky is 半斤八兩 bànjīnbāliǎng.








Comments