18
THE CHINA REVIEW.
to exhibit progressively the idiom of the language, and treating also of the Gram- matical principles which extended analysis and comparison show to nuderlie the same. The classifiers, numerical categories, and corapound verbs should all be fully displayed in such a work, advantage being taken of all previous labours which could in any way throw light on the several portions I have indicated. Where it seemed, desirable only to present a portion or outline of any subject, references should direct the enquirer to the best and latest authority, and accuracy in detail should be deemed a first essential in
every part.
Any one expecting to find something of this sort in Dr. Burdon's new Primer will most certainly be sorely disappointed. It is evidently only a part of a scheme for the study of Chinese as Dr. Burdon thinks it ought to be studied. Writing exercises, as advertised by the Preface, are provided in a separate volume, and an adaptation of Wade's forty exercises are to complete the work, and supply also the much-needed sen- tonces to exemplify the use of the material contained in the part already published, It being the case that there exists no stand- ard to show what a Primer of the Chinese language should be, every one is free to follow the bent of his own mind in devising a plan for learning or assisting others to learn it. Dr. Bridgman recommends the use of colloquial sentences, which the student should analyse by the aid of a Tonic Dic- tionary, not aiming at quantily but thorough- ness" non multa sed multum." That this principle has been found excellent in prao- tice, is shown by the fact to which I have already alluded that in most instances it has been followed by writers of books for begin- ners. Mr. Ross also has framed his recently published Mandarin Primer on the same principle. Dr. Burdou howover, as the re- sult of his extended experience of Chinese, during more than twenty years past, pre- sents us with a Primer of 50 pages to be committed to memory, in which no sentences
"In seek-
and no grammatical rules whatever are given. We have here, it appears, a return to the exploded educational systema of the last century, which demanded that the pupil's memory should first be surcharged with categories, before any attempt was allowed at combining words into sentences. ing," says Dr. Burdon, "to acquire the language, commit much to memory. Learn off by heart the Radicals, their number, form, and meaning; the numeratives with their examples, the groups of words, &e."--- the o., standing, we opine, for either the weights and measures, or the so-called list of Canton equivalents for mun-li expressious with which he concludes. How opposite this to the advice of Dr. Bridgman, "Special care should be taken not to overburden the mind. By attempting to compass too much at once, the memory is weakened, the intel- lectual faculties are fatigued, debility and disgust ensue," &c.,-a good description of the result to be expected in the case of any one attempting implicitly to follow Dr. Bur- don's directions.
I can hardly conceive a work more cal. eulated to depress and daunt the would-be student than the endeavour to charge his memory with these disconnested lists. He might as well begin in the Chinese manner with the Three-character Classic. If it is what its name imports this Primer is a book to be mastered before any other, a book that shall initiate the learner into the elementary construction of the language. But I vex- ture to say that after painfully committing it to memory any one would be as far from talking Cantonese as ever he was. In fact he would still require an introduction to Chinese. Just as some of our natural philo- sophers, finding great difficulty in realizing the conception of a first-man fully matured at big creation, seek about for traces of pre- udamite man, so will intending students of Chinese on looking into this primer cast an anxious eye around for some preliminary primer or book before the first! The fact that the work opeus with the Radicals
A CHINESE PRIMER.
presupposes a previous acquaintance with characters, or is based on the misconception that radicals are to the Chinese, what alpha- bets are to Indo-European languages. A man may write and read much Chinese correctly without knowing anything of radi- cals as ench, and the acquisition of these may fairly be deferred until several hun- dred common characters are known and the classification of a Tonie Dictionary is found insufficient for the student's wants. A few days' practice in classifying characters with which one is already familiar will do more to fix the radicals upon the mind than months of laborious effort to learn them by rote. But what shall I say of the mistakes, which disfigure this new list in a work intended for beginners? Dr. Burdon in- forms us that his work is "little more than a compilation," hut that "little mora "in- clades, }
the deviations from presume, existing authorities which he here introduces -deviations which result in grave inaccu- Facies,
Informed at starting that "Those rudicais marked Care ONLY used in combination," we proceed to glance through the list and ând 21:52; ; 9; 89; and 179, so marked; the fact heing that they are all used, and some very fre- quently in the Classics, as a reference to Kanghi or Dr. Legge's Indices will at once show. On the other hand Nos. 13; 122
141, which are only used in com- bination, lack the mark which should point this out. For No. 166 a wrong character is given thus, pin to separate, whereas this character is 'toi to pluck, or take by the hand, and has the right cha- racter for its radical. The meaning of 154
is given as pearls, whereas it should be either cowries or, as a radical, precious: 80 is rendered to imitate, the radical mean- ing being blending, and 192 is trans- lated sacrificial herbs, but should either be Fragrant herbs or herb favoured spirits" (See Dr. Eitel's Dictionary or Dr. Legge's Shoo). Lastly No. 120 should have mik
49 167
for its sound and not Sr. I am the more surprised at those errore as Dr. Burdon seems to have taken advantage of some cor- rections which Dr. Williams has introduced into the list of Radicals in his Syllabic Dictionary, e.g. No. 178 Wei, correctly rendered leather or soft leather. Why again should Kanghi's first definition of
113 be persistently overlooked and the second sound only given when the frequent use of this radical in eorubínation so clearly requires, that we give it its true value as Spirits of the Earth, instead of She2 to admonish or as Dr. Williams corrects an
omen.
The forms and are always used in combination for Nos. 162 and 163 or 170 respectively, not merely generally. These things may appear trifling in the eyes of some, but students will not think me hypercritical in pointing out these oversights in a work intended for beginners, in which accuracy is of prime necessity. Perhaps Dr. Burdon thinks with Martial--
Turpe cet dificiles habere nugas Et stultus labor est ineptiorum. However that may be, I am sure most readers will agree with me that it is no trifling mat- ter to be put on the wrong scent by one who ought to be an authority in these matters; and I may dismiss the radicals with a re- miniscence of a Sinologist in high position, whose temper was occasionally ruffled by the difficulties attending their use even after long acquaintance. A new comer presented himself as having just arrived from Eng- land and was asked, "Have you done anything yet towards learning Chinese P** "Not much," was the reply; "excepting trying to learn the radicals." "Very good! do you know their use ?" "I can't say that I quite understand it yet." "I will show you, you see this character," said the great He ran his finger down a page of Chinese, and passing over one or two as be- ing too simple, stopped at a complicated mass of strokes, "Well I want to find this in the dictionary, so I look at it and see that the radical is such and such and count its
mau.