اتی
THE CHINA REVIEW.
without greatly caring what the educated native thinks on the matter. If mission- aries wait to use methods which seem suit- able till educated Chinese are other thxa very much opposed" to them, they will have to lay in a large stock of patience.
The specimens which Dr. Burdon gives of what he calls Cantonese colloquial equiva- lents for man li and Mandarin phrases, which are to be used in the mechanical man- ner he advocates so strongly, do not inspire one with much faith in him as an autho- rity on the subject-the conjunction “and” is twice translated by, which can only be properly used when "and" means "together with.” "Mutually" is twice renderui, which means the multi- tude, is the recognised solloquial equi- valent; for "Kingdom" is given, which would be quite unintelligible in ordinary conversation, as any one can speedily discover, For to bind (as a girdle)”束 one should say and "that is instead of should be
For "to have leprosy" which should be rendered 發瘋or發痲瘋 Dr. Burdon gives 生懶 an expression used of
an eruption of small pustules, a kind of itch discase. "Caused him to have spasms" is
rightly 縮攣一陣好似抽筋 the expression given 插埋一匹 "move this away." "To be cast into prison"
means
dis 被監禁 理 not sinaply收監: "to be sick " is 有病 not 生病 which means "to be taken ill," whilst for "he straitly eharged him ” either 懇切囑咐or would be an improvement
op
仔細叮囑. Bishop Burdon in these
pages has given good proof that two years study of Cantonese, with twenty years of Chinese scholarship to boot, will not enable anyone to say with authority what really constitutes good vernacular. As there is no royal, so is there no episcopal road to Chi- nese. The acquisition of a dialect requires as nice and accurate study and as much concentrated labour as the highest man .
The best fate that could possibly befall. Dr. Burdon's Primer would be its relegation to the limbo of literary oblivion. Best for the author's fame and for the peace of mind of future students of Chinese. It is a compilation, and to this fact some of the errors may be owing, but as D'Israeli says, "Abridgers, Compilers and Translators are now alike regarded with contempt; yet to form their works with skill requires an exertion of judgement, and frequently of taste, of which their contemners appear to have no due conception. Such literary labours it is thought the learned will not be found to want; and the learned can- not discern their value; still if undertaken at all they should result in works which the learned may with confidence place in the hands of those whose feet stand where theirs were once planted, at the foot of the eminence which leads to knowledge if not to fame."
A thoroughly satisfactory Primer of the Chinese Language is yet a desideratum. Should such appear it would meet with a hearty welcome; meanwhile let Primer writers lay to heart the sage remark
of Meucius 博學而詳說之將 反說約也
S.
THE LAW OF INHERITANCE.
55
THE LAW OF INHERITANCE.
(Continued from Vol. V., page 251.)
DECISION OF CHANG MEI YEN. Recovery of Debts---Guarantee.
The prostitute Chang Yu appears to have borrowed Tls. 24 from Yang Mei-yu, aud although a number of years have elapsed has not paid it.
Being touch pressed to make payment, one Chu Sheng-ming, a dissolute fellow, who had some acquaintance and connection with her, took pity on her and made himself responsible in her place.
We know the proverb, "A thousand taels of gold for a smile;" but he should have con- sidered his ability first, and cannot claim that he meant nothing when he acknow- ledged his responsibility. As a deed appears to have been drawn up at Sheng-ming's request, the creditor is quite right in bring. ing his claim against him, nor is be to be pitied, for, if Miss Ya turns virtuous, she will probably recompense him hereafter, while, if she remains as she is, he will not have lost his money without getting some pleasure for it.
He acted of his own free will without com- pulsion, and the matter is moreover too vile to be brought into Court; having acknow- ledged the debt for bis pleasure, he repents -now he has satisfied himself; let him be flogged for his dirtiness and stupidity.
NOTE. The course taken by the Magis- trato is worthy of remark in that it differs from what would probably be followed by European Courts. Instead of punishing the
immorality of the parties by a refusal to entertain the case, the Magistrate decides the questions before him, and takes distinct notice of the immorality by punishing the offending party for his specific misconduct.
If the obligation of a debt be transferred by deed to a third party, the action must be brought against him, and if it appear that he was a voluntarily consenting party he cannot plead the immoral nature of the con- sideration received.
DECISION OF SHAO SIN YEN, SUB-PREFECT OF YO-CHOV. Recovery of Debts.
In this ease before me, Yen Chêng-chien and Yen Chu-shan appear to he brothers, and Lei Lien to be Chu shan's father-in-law, Chu-shan appears to have gone to Kiang- hsi to trade, to have borrowed Tis. 200 odd of the head of the family, to have lost it all and died.
His partner Yiu-tsê-sheng thereon made a row, with monkey tricks and mocking-bird talk, and tried to make out that Chêng-chien was equally fiable with his brother.
Cheng-chien naturally declined to acknow- ledge his liability, asserting that his brother's ways differing widely from his--the one being a merchant, the other a student-they had long before divided the family property.
On this first Chu-shan's clothes and slave- girls were put against the debt, then his landed property, and being all insufficient. Lei Lien neglecting to advise his daughter
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