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Chinese to English.—It is difficult to say to what extent the boys are capable of translating from Chinese to English. The passages set for translation were from the books which had been prepared during the year. There is an English crib translation of these books and the passages selected were well translated by such boys as recollected their crib. Those who forgot the crib usually wrote rubbish.
The translation of Chinese to English appears to us to be a matter of such importance that we venture to go into the question in some detail.
In one passage set to Class II. "The cession of Hongkong" is described.
The date given in the Chinese is≈+; (20th year of To Kwong). the crib owing to a misprint translates this as To Kwong 22nd year. In Class IIA out of 53 boys, 36 instead of looking at the Chinese words before them faithfully reproduced their crib and wrote 22nd year.
Again in one of the passages set to Class III. the phrase
occurs. The
crib translates this "he communed with himself" and so wrote all the boys who recollected the crib; those who did not, wrote "he consumed himself." In fact an unintelligent use of the crib was evident. Those boys who got the translation right got it word for word the same. Some boys began a paragraph before the Chinese passage given them and some continued the crib after the Chinese had come to an end, apparently not knowing in some cases what portions of the crib corresponded with the Chinese before them. We would suggest in future that in all forms a short portion of unseen translation, part of a simple petition or news- paper article, be made obligatory. It is at present impossible to say whether the boys can translate simple Chinese into English or not.
English to Chinese.-LI HO CHING in Class I. and three boys in Class IIA. did very good translations into Chinese. Many of the boys are apparently quite unable to write correct Chinese. A very large number of common characters were incorrect- ly written.
Shakespeare was well done by the non-Chinese form, who had evidently been very carefully taught. The top boys in A. also did very creditable work con- sidering the difficulties which a play of Shakespeare must present to a foreigner. Many of the boys gave a good account of Macbeth's character-one of the questions asked—indeed it is surprising that boys who answered this question so well should have not been able to write a better piece of composition.
General Intelligence.-It was surprising that so few boys could give correctly the names of the Four Books and the Five Classics.
Special Translation.-Chinese to English and English to Chinese.
This paper, which was optional, was attempted by some thirty boys. Only three boys appeared to understand a piece selected from the SHU KING.
The piece of prose set for translation into English was well done in some cases; few boys translated the short sentences correctly.
LI HO CHING did well in both subjects.
Algebra.-General.--The papers set appear to have been too severe in all classes and the amount of work offered for examination to be beyond the abilities of the majority of the boys. The marks and percentage of passes are low, but it is to be remembered that the papers were set for a high standard on the work offered, whereas it is considered that it would have been better to include in the syllabus easy ques- tions only, on the more advanced work.
¡A. As this is a scholarship class, boys should have been prepared to answer any question set on the work offered; consequently it is thought that only the book work of the more advanced portions should have been included.
To make this subject at all comparable to others, it was found necessary to award full marks for two thirds of the paper set.