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"THE DIFFICULTY OF ENGLISH."
PROFESSOR SIMPSON'S LECTURE TO THE ENGLISH
ASSOCIATION.'
MY TUM TUM HE NO, CAN ANY MORE SOMETHING."
PIDGIN A DYING LANGUAGE?
|
Idiom and Grammar.
The second big class of difficulties
THE HONG KONG DAILY PRESS, WEDNESDAY,
JANUARY 8, 1930.
ABOLITION OF WAR READY FOR ROYAL
DEMANDED.
AMERICAN MOTOR'
... LIMITING
SHOW.
SIZE OF BATTLESHIPS.
**TIMES" TRENCHANT
"THE DAYS OF CHIVALRY OVER."
"THESE HYPERTROPHIED
GEN, SMUTS' - VIEWS.
"BRITISH DOMINIONS" AS MARKET.
MANY NEW MODELS,
FREUTER'S AMERICAN SERVICE.]
New Youx, Jan. 7. Many thousands daily are attend- might be summed up in the wording the annual National Automo
Grammar." English grammar had few rules and hundreds of excepbile Show which is being held in tions. Few Chinese students ever the Grand Central Palace. acquired a use of the 12 tenses used every day by English people with out a thought. The elaboration of Latin grammar made composition easy when the grammar had been learnt, but no matter how thorough
Most English people," said Professor R. K. M. Simpson, in his lecture on The Difficulties of Eng- lish delivered yesterday to the English Association. are as uneen scious of the difficulty of their language as healthy people are of their internal organs." Those of them who had been brought up by maiden aunts had in their childhood been able to bring every question to an authority on pure English and get in every case an emphatic
knowledge of English grammar he reply. It was not to these people might have the foreign student that he wished to address himself.might make many mistakes in com- Thousands of writers worried over position. Grammar allowed many the difficulties of English-writers constructions that idiom forbade of Betion. and even more the and rice rebra. For example, authors of treatises, books, and re- was correct to say: "A certain ports who attempted to explain new dress suits me a certain house discoveries, law and theories in suits me. Though both were gram- clear understandable terms. For maticnllrrect one might saya such people the pamphlets of the certain dress becomes me" but not English Association were as interest-1a certain house becomes me.
as the Bystander. 145
English speech was full of such Using a language correctly and idiomatic expressions. being able to teach it were, how-
or
Our
This dilemma was sometimes met
be the philosophical attitude that no English grammar beyond a use of logic was needed for the construe Ittion of an English sentence. But
while." He spends £600 year was synonymous with He lives on £600 a year," the reverse though logically it should be as correct was not so, in fact. "He does not spend £500 a year," meant the exact opposite of "He does not live on £600 a year."'
"
11,
be
The show indicates that 1930 will
a year of eight-cylinder, cars. and increased prices.
dels are exhibited, half of which are eight-cylinder types.
Over a score of new chassis mo
The new models are generally more powerful with greater celeration and hill-climbing ability." They are also designed with a view to providing greater comfort. Brakes are more reliable, stylish hody lines have been intro- duced and the bodies luxuriously furnished.
аге
more
more
Dr. Julius Klein, the Assistant
ARTICLE...
VESSELS,"
[DRITISH WIRELESS SERVICE.]
14
RuODY, Jan. 7. In a leading article discussing the forthcoming Naval Conference,' the Times to-day suggests that a practical straightforward step might be made by the further limitation of the size of battleships. It says The Washington Treaty left one loose end usefully trailing. It was part of the plan of its American promoters to confine the first experiment in the limitation of arms to existing naval strength. There is no other explanation why the maximum-tonnage, and there fore in practice the minimum ton- nage, of a battleship should have been fixed at 35,000 tons.
Indred, no scientific reason has ever been advanced, or can be
Secretary of Commerce, in a state-advanced, why a battleship should ment, points out that the British Dominions offer excellent markets for American motor vehicles.
THE DRIVE ON TANG SENG CHI.
(THROUGH REUTER'S AGENCY.]
ever, two different matters. The introduction of the teaching of English in the curriculum of English schools was comparatively new. was found impossible to teach Eng Jish like Latin or Greek to foreign studenty as the study of English was rather like sailing on uncharted eras with the works of the grent writers as the only guiding stars. English could not be learnt either by reading books or by attending lectures: its use was a habit and
The conflict of grammar logic and needed constant practice and close idiom had been dealt with by several attention. Many students maintain writers, he had attempted to deal ed that English was more difficult with it from notes made during ten than Chinese. In the eighteenth years of teaching English to Chi-
HANKOW, Jan. is centary Dr. Johnson had devoted nese. He had not time to go into
The conference between Yen Isi eight years to the writing of a those notes, but he wanted to say Shan, Ho Cheng Chun, and other grammar and dictionary, which he that with the exception of the use Nanking leaders has made a deci hoped would serve to fix the lan n the word "broken guage. The only thing he had fixed or worn out Chinese school boyssion to attack from Chengchow was the spelling, for which he re hardly ever used that rapidly dying in the near future, with the object | ceived more biting than praise. "Ilanguage, pidgin. -found," said Johnson, "our specch
of subjugating Tang Seng Chi. It capious without order, and energetic
is reported that the rebels: lines of, communication have been cut at without rules."
Chumaticn, and they are retiring. Their morale is said to have been "destroyed.""
The Great Abyss.
The difficulties of English might be classed under three heads of which the first was the great abyss between spelling and promunriation "English was classified as a phonetic Janguage as compared with Chincee, which was classified as ideographic. It was probable that at one time English spelling did represent the pronunciation. but this
for torn
Sources of English.
The third great class of difficul- tiea, went on the lecturer, was that of allusion Language was modified be the people who used it. English people went all over the world and they had incorporated their travels in their language. To understand English needed a knowledge not only of English but of Continental History and Social custom, a know ledge of classical lore and of Bible Stories. The teacher of English W18 no had to be a teacher, of everything. fonger the ease. The greatest diver. It was so difficult 'n subject that gence was noticeable in the simpler he had often wondered why foreign words which gave the greatest difera took the trouble to learn it. He ficulty to the foreign student. For had once set that question in an example one. Only one letter examination paper and he had got had any connection with the pro- nounced sound and that letter was in the wrong place. If you tried to make a spoken difference between Arme" and "Alms" every one would be shocked. To pronounce "Laugh" as it was written was im possible. When broadcasting began A specially appointed committee had to deal with 322 words in com- mon use but over which there was doubt as to the envrert pronuncia tion.
the students it." (Laughter.)
same answer from Яevera
Because Americans use
As an illustration of this difficulty of allusion, Prufessur Simpson read the famous passage in Pater's Rennaissance" describing "Mona Lisa," and a passage from Steven- son's Pueris virginibusque."
SIR HENRY GOLLAN.
Pidgin Not a Dying Language! Sir Henry Gollan said that he felt the real tribute to Professor, Simp- son would be to be overcome by the difficulty of English and remain silent, but he had another thought that he must suffer from qver modesty. If I have lived for over 60 years with such a monster beside me, as Professor Simpson has shown English to be, and been un- aware of it, I must be a very re markable man." His third reflec tion was that he was lucky to have been born English and not had to learn the language.
More Letters Needed] Two courses had been suggested to get over this difficulty. One to simplify spelling so that the written word became a clear guide to its sound. The Poet Laurente, Dr. Bridges, was 'n supporter of this scheme and had "published poems in simplified spelling. The difficulty was that English had outdistanced the alphabet. There were 38 dif- ferent articulate sounds, and it was impossible to represent them by the 26 letters of the alphabet. The second course was to add new letters to the alphabet which practically There were one or two points, meant the adoption of the alphabet however, that he would like to chal- of the International. Phonetic Assolenge. Professor Simpson said that ciation. This alphabet could bo Pitigia was a dying language... He used for Asiatic languages and to believed it would never die as long express English dialect, it was, in as there were small English child- fact, a symbolisation of the sounds ren in Hong Kong. The other day of articulate speech of all languages, at a children's party he had pressed but it was not likely to be brought a small girl to have something into common use in England.
more. Her reply was "My tum tum, he no can any more some- thing." Did that show a dead or dying language 1
Teaching English.
FENG YU HSIANG IN
RETIREMENT."
(Wah Ts: Yat Pao.)
SHANGHAI, Jan. 7.
yuan for Chengchow, Yen Hsi Shan Before he departure from Tai- instructed the troops. at Chien An Village to keep strict watch upon the movements of Feng Yu Hsiang.
Visitors to the "Christian Gen- eral were all searched, and many were refused permission to see him.
JAPANESE FOREIGN
TRADE,
OFFICIAL FIGURES. -
THROUGH REUTER'S AGENCY.]
Tokyo, Jan. 7. Official figures for foreign trade in 1999 show the smallest adverse
balance since the excess of importe censed 'in 1918; also the largest volume of exports with the excop- tion of 1925.
Exports are Y.2,145 million, and imports Y.2,216 million. the adverse balance being Y.67 million.
TUNIS EXPRESS SMASH,
DUE TO "LRIDGE COLLAPSE.
(THROUGH REUTER'S AGENCY.]
TUNIA, Jan. 7. The collapse of a bridge near Guelma as the Tunis-Algiera ex- press was passing over precipitated the locomotive, two full coaches and mail van. into a ravine, 12 being killed and 20 injured.
The teaching of English, Professor Simpson continued, was generally With regard to the conflict between of the Association at His Excel- begun by teaching not the sounds grammar logic and idiom, he won-lency's impending departure. They but the parts of speech. This was dered if we had not gone the wrong wished him success in his new career regrettable but excusable. It was way about teaching English. We with a certainty that it would be excusable because if one went English people' learnt ne children successful. (Applause.) through the alphabet. it was seen at when we ignored grammar alto- once that "A" had eight different gether. When Sancho Panza was
His Excellency's Reply. sounds, "C" three and "E" about told that he was talking úngram- His Excellency, Sir Cecil Clementi, half a dozen: Words which began matically he asked "Do you under said in reply that he must firat con- with "Ch," "Sh от Th
pre-stand what I say " When he got gratulate Professor Simpson on his sented great difficulties to the the answer, "yes," his reply was, choice of a subject, It was most foreigner. The first sound was That what are, you complaining interesting and he had presented it hardly ever "C," "S" or "T" about?"
in a lively and concise manner, and the accond never that of He could go on picking plume out His Excellency then made a short "H."
of Professor Simpson's interesting reference to the fixation of lan- Regular practice in dictation was lecture almost indefinitely but there guage in France and Germany, and valuable, and so were what were was no time to do so. He was sure to the simplification which was called tongue-twisters. He had that all the audience thanked him going on every year in the English evolved some special tongue-twisters mest warmly for his excellent ad- language. He wished, he said, to valuable to the Chinese student of dress.
thaak Sir Henry Gollan for what English, among them The village This was the lost occasion on which he had said about him. The Eng where they lived for thirty years.' His Excellency, Sir Cecil Clementi, fish Association had been a great A further difficulty in English was would preside. The English Asso-Pleasure to him and he had enjoyed that of accent. There was nothing ciztion was a new body but he felt the meetings. He would watch its to show where the stress should be it would go strongly owing to the progress with great interest from laid in polysyllabic words, and the interest and hard work of His Ex- Singapore. (Applause.) words considered by the Broadcast cellency during those first months. The next lecture will be given WE committee were mostly included. The were grateful to him for har Teda Fabra
on a question of atress. The studying given them such a good lead, n.m. in the Cathedral Hall, by of English must be based on the and he wished to express the regret Major Doyle on "English of the spoken language.
(Continued on next Column), Army."
be even half that size. The only defence for these hyper-trophied vessels in any Navy is that another nation has built or will build them. Competition created the 35,000 tons battleship, limitation. sanctified it. strategy does not require it, and eronomy condemne it.
"It would be a bold and popular-
[TRKOVOR ZEGTER'S ACENCY.)
BOSTON, Jan. 6. General Smuts, the South Afri ern stateman, in the "course of ad interview with Router's represents- tive, said he could not agree with the suggestion advanced by Presi- dent Hoover a propos the problem of the freedom of the seas, that strict neutrality should be granted to food-carrying ships in the time
of war.
President Hoover advanced the suggestion on the ground that war should not be waged against women and children and urged that food. ships should be given the immunity afforded to hospital ships.
General Smuts disagrees because, he says, it merely consists of an other palliative against barbarism
in war.
"We want to have done with war." This idea of making war humane has been tried over and over again and it has always broken down in the stress of actual conflict."
Future wars, declared the Gener- al, will be unspeakably bärbarous. They won't be the old fashioned,
WEDDING.
MONARCHS GATHER IN
ROME.
POMP AND PANOPLY,
(THROUGH BEFTER'S AGENCY.]
ROME, Jan. 6.
Three Kings of Italy, of the Belgians, and of Bulgaria, the Crown Prince of Italy, the Duke of York and other Princes and Princesees from all over Europe, gathered for Princess Marie Jose's wedding, motored to the King's hunting lodge at Castle Portiago in brilliant aunshine for a day's shooting. Most of the sportamen made good bags of wild boar, deer and hare. The Duke of York had a particularly fine bag...
The City has been flooded with
light every night, and the great fountains illuminated. The street lighting has been increased fourfold by multi-coloured searchlights adorn ing the trees and avenues near the Quirinal. The most stringent pre- chutions against an outrage during the Royal wedding festivities have been taken. Al flying over Italy has been stopped, lest bombs aro dropped from the air. All people in motor cars arriving in Rome are thoroughly searched and all lug- gage closely examined.
LATER. The most brilliant ceremony so
wedding was held at the Quirinal Palace, where their Majesties give
ly intelligible stroke for peace and chivalrous wars, but wars of bombs far in connection with the Royal
in
economy if Britain, America, and Japan, who are the only three hations specially interested battleships, were to agree to trust to common sense rather than con- vention in the stated measure of their battleships.
Such an agreement could not fail to have a powerful effect on all the subsequent, and less tractable business of the Conference."
A White House Breakfast.
WASHINGTON, Jan. 7.. A famous breakfast party is being held by President Hoover at the White House. to-day to, the whole
SHANGHAI COUNCIL
DECISION.
INCREASE IN CHINESE MEMBERS.
(TBROOCH DEUTEE'S AGENCY.]
Shanghal, January 7.
The Shanghai Municipal Coun- ell is introducing a resolution at the next meeting of the rate- payers in April to increase the Chinese members of the Council from three to five.
The Council is of opinion that developments in the past two years fully justify this in- crease.
American delegation to the London Naval Conference, preparatory to their departure later in the day.
It is learned that the Americanst are prepared to discuss further restriction of aircraft-carrier build- ing if the matter is raised at the Conference.
The newspapers state that the delegation would also support a treaty on the lines of the Pacife Four-Power Pact, providing for a consultation among the signatories of the Kellogg Pact, in the event that war is threatened.
NEW R.A.F. 'PLANES.
A FURTHER ADVANCE.
(URITION WIRELESS SERVICE]
RUGBY, Jan. 8. New service machines of high fly. ing speed have been introduced to- day into the Royal Air Force. They are the direct result of experience gained in the Schneides trophy competition. It is declared that they justify the risks and large e penditure involved in those com- petitions,
The engines used in the British machines which, broke the world's speed record in the contest over the Solent last year, and the streamline designs that were adopt- ed for those machines, have been incorporated in new fighting mu chines with noteworthy success.
and bacteria.
LESS ACREAGE OF COTTON.
U.S. FARM BOARD'S ADVICE.
[REUTER'S AMERICAN SERVICE.]
WASHINGTON, Jan. 6.
The Federal Farm Board has warned cotton farmers to reduce their acreage this spring, if they wish the Government. to "assist the marketing of the 1830 crop.
reception to the Royal visitors, diplomats, courtiers, high State officials, members of the Cabinet, Fascist grand councillors, and ro- presentatives of the Services, arte and sciences, the scene providing one of the greatest displays of gor. geous uniforms, wonderful dresses, and priceless jewellery ever seen at the Palace.
Wonderful Glita.
ROME, Jan. 7. Valuable, objets d'art executed, great XV. century artists are among the wonderful presents to the Royal couple from the Italian Government, the Senate, the Cham- her and the Fascist Party.
The bridegroom's presents to the The Board declares that only the bride include a priceless pearl neck. crop failure of Texas in 1829 pre-lace,, willed by his grandmother, vented the total yield reaching would be his bride. The King of Queen Margherita, to whomever 16,000,000 bales, which would have Italy has given the castle of been more American cotton than Racconigi, Piedmont, Crown the world would take a
Prince Humbert's birthplace, where a fair
the happy couple will spend part- price.
of the honeymoon, and later chiefly reside.
A member of the Board said that the warning applied also to wheat, and any other commodity in which producers deliberately attempted to Expand acreage, in which case they would face over-production.
Liverpool Decision.
LONDON, Jan. 6. The Liverpool Cotton Association has directed that rules shall be drafted to provide that, on cotton sold or spot terms, payment must he either on bankers acceptances of bankers' confirmed credit, or cash in exchange for deliveries ordered.
. POOR BULGARIA !
UNABLE TO PAY UP.
(THROUGH REUTER'S AGENCY.]
THE HAGUE Jan. 6. The Committee of Non-German slowly. Bulgaria, like Austria, has. Reparations is progressing very
pleaded that through poverty she is. unable to bear the heavy repara- tions, so the Drafting Committee' is examining an alternative scheme for Bulgaria.
The German Reparations Com mittee is progressing satisfactorily, and has discussed whether Germany should remit payments at the end or the middle of the month. Ger- many is considering the point im- portant because she will 10eu 4,500,000 gold marks annually in interest if the payments are made in the middle of the month.
STRENUOUS TIMES IN
AMERICA.
HEAVY PROGRAMME FOR CONGRESS.
"[REUTER'S AMERICAN SERVICE.]
WASHINGTON. Jun. 6. Faced with an uncompleted tariff bill, & bitter prohibition contraver- sy, and a host of other questions that may necessitate their continu- ing work, until the summer, Con- presa reassembled to-day after the
recera.
In 1995, America gained the world's record at, what was then regarded as a phenomenal speed of 177 miles per hour. For some time past the British Royal Air Force has had in service Bristol Bulldog machines with speed in excess of this machines that are not mere.
The Appropriations Committee racers, but carry a full equipment. in the House of Representatives ap- The machines now being put into proved the War Department's es deviza maturther advanceandtimates for the coming year of
are claimed to be easily superior total of 8438,000,000, an increase of in performance to machines pro- 8442,000 compared with the current duced abroad.
financial year ending June 30.
7
U.S. BOOTLEGGING EVILS.
GOOD WORD FOR THE CAPITAL.
RECTER'S AMERICAN SERVICE.]
After an
COAL INDUSTRY PROBLEMS.
CONFERENCE OPENS AT GENEVA,
MINERS' WAGES.
BRITISH WIRELESS SERVICE)
RUGBY, Jan. 7. At Geneva yesterday a prepara- tory technical conference on condi tions in the coal-mining industry, which aims at socuring an interns- tional solution of certain of the industry's more critical problems was opened by Mr. W. R. Smith, Board of Trade, being elected presi Parliamentary Secretary to the dent.
The day's proceedings, were de- representatives of the nine Euro voted to general statements by the
pean coal-producing States taking part in the conference. Sir Sydney Government heartily welcomed a Chapman said that the British
convention on hours of labour in welcome if possible one also the coal-mining industry, and would
wages and conditions of work,
On
The British Government wAJ in "ympathy with all attemple to circumstances were ripe for such standardise labour conditions, when standardication, He hoped that the question of wages and, condi- explored. tions of labour would be carefully
On the matter of hours of work he was fully convinced that with a little patience, open-mindedness and determination, a convention on that question would be possible.
FILM 'PLANES TRAGEDY.
BODIES RECOVERED,
- [REUTER'S AMERICAN SERVICE]
SANTA MONICA, Jan. 8. Naval divers have recovered the bodics of Mr. Kenneth Hawks, the film director, and Mr. Thomas Har- ris, a studio property man, who
were
killed on January 3, when two air-liners collided three miles from land and plunged into the
Ten lives were lost.
11
TEA PRODUCTION.
ANGLO-DUTCH POLICY.
(THROUGH REUTER'S AGENCY.]
LONDON, Jan. 9. The Financial Times correspon- dent in Amsterdam says there is every reason to believe that agree- ment on a joint policy of restric tion between English and Dutch tea growers will be reached as the result of negotiations at Amster- dat on January 6 of the Dutch Indies, and representatives of the tea section of the. British Chamber of Commerce, which is the Dutch" Association's representative in England.
Telegrams in Brief.
The
Prince of Wales has con- sented, if circumstances permit, to anveil the Londen statue to Mar ahal Foch, which will be erected on a site near Victoria, and will be
WAHBHINGTON, Jan. 6.
extraordinary three months' ression with the special en quiry into the alleged bootlegging evils of Washington, a Federal ready next May!! Grand Jury has reported that the", United States capital is not the vice-ridden lawless community it has been pictured.
They found that conditions in the Capital are not worse anywhere else.
than
GENERAL FALLS DEAD.
FAMOUS DOCTOR'S
COLLAPSE.
Lieut-General, Sir Arthur Slog- gett, the eminent Army doctor, fell down dead while walking with his son, Lieut. Colonel Bloggett, near the Baker-street entrance to Re- gent's Park, London, last month. He had suffered from heart trouble for some years. He was seventy-
two.
Sir Arthur was, it is believed, the only example of a man shot through the heart who survived. He received the wound during Kitchener's Sudan campaign when on the staff, being shot by a Mahdi using an Italian rifle with finely pointed bullet.
The Secretary for India has ap- pointed Sir Alexander Cobbe to-
succeed Field-Marshal Sir Claud Jacob as miltary secretary at the India Office, when Sir Claud vacates his appointment on May D.
K
William Howard Taft, Chief Justice of the Supreme Court of the United Statca and former Pre- sident, has been taken to hospital seriously ill His enndition gives- rise to some anxiety. He is seventy- two years of age.
H.M. the King has approved the appointment of Mr. William Seeds, His Majesty's High Commissioner on the Inter-Allied Rhineland High Commission, "to be Ambassador Ex- traordinary and Plenipotentiary at Bío de Janeiro.
Sir Robert Vansittart, has taken up his duties as Permanent Under- Secretary for Foreign Affairs in succession to Sir Ronald Lindsay, who leaves England in about two months' time to assume his post as new Ambassador at Washington-
Colonel Ralston, the Minister for National Defence, is leaving for England on Friday to represent Canada on the Naval Disarmament
Sir Arthur had been hon, sur geon to the King-since 1911, and Colonel Commandant of the Royal Army Medical Corps from 1921 to 1928. He was Director-General of Conference. Commander Hose, the Army Medical Services during Chief Executive Officer of the Naval the war, and Chief Commissioner Branch, will be the Canadian ex- of, the Order of St. John of Jeru pert. salem and British Red Cross 80- ciety.
A further step towards the He entered the R.A.M.Q. in 1881 rationalisation of heavy industries and saw service on the Indian in Great Britain is indiented in frontier in 1884. He served in the the announcement that a company Budan in 1897 and 1898. He was will be formed to take over and mentioned in despatches no fewer operates the coke ovens, blast fur than eight times during the great naces, steel works, and heavy rol- war, and was given his K.C.B. aling mills of Guest, Keen your fion therontherako hauler leiddefoldaperde Baldwinpatwavefun tics and made K.C.M.G. and the largest steel manufacturers in. K.C.V.O. in 1917. He was a direc- England, whose combined paid up tor of a number of companies. capital is nearly £15,000,000.
and