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A Chinese Chrestomathy
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closed. Motives similar to those which brought Dr. Morrison to China, have led to the East almost all those who are now engaged in studying this language. The number of these students, as has been cnumerated, is by no means equal to the exigencies of the case. The cause of revealed truth has claims on Christendom for a multi- tude of able and learned men, who, making themselves masters of this language, as the country becomes accessible, shall make known to its inhabitants the glad tidings of salvation and all the benefits of modern science.
The principal works now extant designed to aid the student in the study of the language, were enumerated in former volumes. See vol. III. p. 11., and vol. VII. p. 113. Several new ones may now be add- ed to that list, and among them is the Chrestomathy.
As its title indicates, the Chrestomathy is designed to furnish a series of easy lessons, comprising simple instruction, or that which is plain and useful. Its object is threefold: to aid foreigners in learning the Chinese, to assist native youth in acquiring the English tongue, and to show how far this language can be acquired and express- ed through the medium of the Roman letters. Throughout the work, the English, the Chinese characters, and their sounds occupy three parallel columns on each page. The Chinese, in the middle column, is written in the local dialect, excepting only the extracts from the classics and other standard works, law phrases, with forms of edicts, &c., making in all, perhaps one quarter of the whole work. The English, in the column on the left is a translation of the Chinese; and the sounds, or the Romanized Chinese, fill the column on the sight. A few notes and explanations, designed to illustrate the text, are sup- plied at the bottom of each page. The following is a specimen of the inode of arrangement: chap. III. sec. 1.
1. Pray sit down, (says
the host, and the guest
responds)
Pray sit down.
2. What is your honor-
name?
My humble surname is Lau.
請坐
"T's'ing tsó'.
"Ts'ing tsó'.
尊姓呀
Tsün sing' á'?
小姓劉
'Síú sing',Lau.
The body of the work is preceded by an introduction, in which the orthography adopted (substantially that of sir William Jones), the tones, &c., are explained; some cursory remarks on Chinese gram- mar, literature, &c., are added; to which is joined a list of Chinese books, 165 in number, selected from the imperial catalogue The
YOL. XI
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