Mark Rowswell, AKA Da Shan, is for many years the most sinicized laowai (foreigner) in the Chinese media sphere, and one that has mastered every aspect possible of the Chinese language. After making a career out of this talent, Canada, his home country, is now finding diplomatic advantages in Da Shan's popularity in China.

据加拿大(Canada)总理府[1]发布的消息，加拿大总理哈珀(Harper)７日宣布任命著名笑星[2]大山(Mark Rowswell)为加拿大中国亲善大使[3]。哈珀说，多年来，大山以就杰出的才能在加拿大与中国之间成立了理解的桥梁[4]。总理府的新闻稿[5]说，过去二十年来，大山在中国已经成为一个文化偶像[6]和名人。他在中国是一名活跃的表演艺术[7]家、语言教育家和电视主持人[8]。

大山１９６５年生于加拿大，八十年代开始学习中文。在中国学习期间开始对中国表演艺术特别是相声[9]产生兴趣。一个偶然的机会让他一夜间成为在中国家喻户晓[10]的人物。

２００８年北京奥运会(Beijing Olympic Games)期间，大山出任加拿大奥委会特使[11]。２０１０年上海世博会(Shanghai Expo)期间，他被加拿大任命为加拿大总代表。

Da Shan in a typical pose at the 2010 Shanghai Expo

Canada's Prime Minister Office has published an announcement that Canada's Prime Minister Harper has declared on the appointment of comic star Da Shan (Mark Rowswell) as Canada's goodwill ambassador in China. Harper said that Da Shan has built a bridge of understanding between Canada and China through his exceptional talent. The Prime Minister Office press release has explained that in the last 20 years Da Shan has become a cultural idol and celebrity in China. He is an active performing artist, a language educator and TV host.

Da Shan was born in Canada in 1965 and began studying Chinese in the 1980s. While studying in China he began showing interest in Chinese performing arts, particularly cross-talk (xiang sheng). A random opportunity has made him a character known by every Chinese within one night.

In 2008 Da Shan was a special envoy of Canada's Olympic Committee in the Beijing Olympic Games. In 2010 he was Canada's main representative during the Shanghai Expo exhibition.

Original article published by Xinhuanet.com

[1] 总理zǒnglǐ fǔ - Prime Minister Office

[2] 笑星 xiào xīng - Comic star

[3] 亲善大使 qīnshàn dàshǐ - Goodwill ambassador

[4] 理解的桥梁 lǐjiě de qiáoliáng - Bridge of understanding

[5] 新闻稿 xīnwén gǎo - Press release

[6] 偶像 ǒuxiàng - Idol

[7] 表演艺术 biǎoyǎn yìshù - Performing arts

[8] 电视主持人 diànshì zhǔchí rén - TV host

[9] 相声 xiàngsheng - 'Cross-talk', a comedic performance, most commonly in the form of a dialogue between two comedians. This traditional Chinese comic style is conducted in the Beijing dialect.

[10] 家喻户晓  jiāyùhùxiǎo - Become known to every family

[11] 特使 tèshǐ - Special envoy