Bill Deng, the first Virtual TV Presenter in China lately shows its face again on TV after two-months' "cosmetic surgery", born last November. In addition to physical changes, it has been given a new name of Chinese tint---Yan Dongfang, and Bill, as its English name implies, is still kept.
Casting off all past stiffness and mechanical posture, Yan was blessed with a vivacious and free air typical of Chinese. Now Bill looks much like Chinese by its demeanor and appearance.
Last November, Bill made its debut on media. To cater to the demand of a multitudinous Chinese audience, Bill soon began to collect ideas about its names and images on the Internet. At long last, five contributions were finally chosen: Bill Long, Gao Ming, Yan Dongfang, Bill Longfei and Dazhi. After the second round, Yan Dongfang got a vote of 31.5 percent, leaving the other four far behind.
What does Yan Dongfang mean on earth? According to insiders, "Yan" means talk and representing while "Dongfang" symbolizes China's geographic position---the oriental part of the earth. The joint meaning of Yan Dongfang is "Chinese Presenter".
As reported, Yan Dongfang is to devote itself to producing programs this Friday February 23. And its participation in China's TV program will be on 1st "Science News Weekly" by seven TV stations in China.
(People's Daily 02/23/2001)
