Monkey-snake.
Sounds the same as “mouthpiece” (喉舌 hóushé). Within the pantheon of mythical creatures of the Chinese Internet, the monkey-snake represents the propaganda apparatus of the Chinese government. Human rights activist Wen Yunchao described the creature on his (now defunct) blog:
Monkey-snake: Mammal, developed brain, human-like face. Has the head of a monkey and the body of a snake. Rear end also resembles a face. Skilled at imitating human language, but usually tells lies. First appeared approximately 100 years ago in Russia. While once common in much of Eastern Europe, Northeast Asia, and Africa, it is now only found in Northeast Asia and South America. While there are many variations in the species, those found in China and North Korea are considered to be the purebred. Because it is somewhat rare, Chinese scholar Ling Cangzhou has proposed that April First of every year be designated “Monkey-Snake Day” to promote recognition and protection of the species.
猴蛇，属哺乳纲灵长目猴蛇科。大脑发达，颜面似人，猴首蛇身，臀部亦呈脸状。善模仿人语，但多说假话。约一百年前出现在俄罗斯，一度广泛分布于东欧、东北亚、非洲等地，现存于东北亚及中南美洲等地。该物种形态各异，但以分布在中国大陆及朝鲜半岛北部之品种较为纯正。因种群稀少，中国民间学者凌沧洲2009年4月1日提议将每年的4月1日定为“中国猴蛇节”，以加强对该物种的重视及保护。
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The Word of the Week comes from China Digital Space’s Grass-Mud Horse Lexicon, a glossary of terms created by Chinese netizens and frequently encountered in online political discussions. These are the words of China’s online “resistance discourse,” used to mock and subvert the official language around censorship and political correctness.
