1958-07-26 — Page 5

Page

Let's Take Hongkong's Word

By R. W. Thompson

FLAT-HEAD: Platycephalus indicus according to Herklots and

Lin; Ngau Chanu (Oxtail fish) according to local fishermen. FLIN: An old Pidgin word for friend.

THE CHINA MAIL,

SATURDAY, JULY 26, 1958.

ANOTHER · STORY BY A HONGKONG WRITER

The

Quiet Girl

IT was at first intended that only Lieutenant

Curtis and I were to climb the hill to Castel Mola to keep a luncheon date with my friends the Musumecis. But lounging on the beach after the morning swim Curtis asked to be excused. The walk of the previous afternoon had brought a blister to his heel. He displayed the blister.

her

set

By

C. F. GRAHAM

Insistent that she should come days. The doctor was right-sle with mo to the Musumecta had kept too much to herself. collage, so we left the others Maria was a beautiful giri, searching through Blandano's How did I first meet her?, I ex- visitors books for the signatures plained that, after the

alted 10 year previous of Geering, Smidt, Kesselring, landings

big Musumeci had used his daughter and the rest of the Nazi shots who later were to figure "ny bait. to 'Osh for the tobacc so prominently, in the Nurem- that was unobtainable except.at while we went to fantastic black market prices, checks up burg trials,

She and I had been one of the many

answered our knock.

on' Maria,

.FLOWER HEART: Fickle, wavering, many hearts. Generally said

of lovers sccording to Leland, Fidgin-English Sing-Bong. It is The Wren officer, lying flat, that a reply even to a conven

on her tummy and tracing a tional good-morning required an a direct translation from the Cantonese.F 'Bam. FOKI: Employee, This word often appears in the Hongkong Eng-teometrical design with a fore- effort on her part

Ish-language Press. It is the Cantonese Foh-Kol

inger in the sand, offered to How Doc managed 1 don't FOR WHAT: Common Pidgin for what for? why?

Lccompany me Instead. "I'm know, but when at last we GALOW: Also spelt galaw, gala, cola, Fotow, described by Leland interested, to know what

this off down

the sunbaked Corto es an interjection. It is used to translate part of the word Ex-gle Marin has that I haven't" Umberto, where the loaded celsior in the Pidgin rendering of that song: Topside Kalow. she explained, I assured orange trees flanking the pave

that as far as I could see there ments gave negligible shade, can it be the mild old English grunt, Good Lori?

who had been hooked, "But 00: Used as a future-marker: You to make that thing, do you was nothing. Then the Bight the Quiet Girl was walking · at

mean to do that? (Leland).

Hospital nurse said she would his side, suffering in

how frightfully romanticr Her silence a GODOWN: A warehouse in parts of Asia. It is the Malay rodour come too, and Curtis found that lecture that I gathered was more

valce went climbing the scale, The Wren looked her over and ending on a high-pitched assimilated to go down's Some early writers, according to the the blister was not so painful fatherly than professional. But gave a condescending nod of falsetto.. There was no doubt Oxford Dictionary, assert that their stores were subterranean after all. The parly continued to Doc had a way with him, cad approbation, and Maria asked about It she had had far too which may partly recount for the form the word has assumed snowball until ten of us had twenty minutes later she smiled question with her eyebrows that many glasses of Musumeel's in English. In Hickock's translation of Frederick's Voyale we arranged to muster in the hotel wan, feeling smile it is true, her father put into words when vino. read that "the merchants have ali one house or Magason, lobby after lunch. I sent a and that at my downfall. And i introductions had been effected. which house they call Godon." I repeat without embarrass-100m boy with my apologies to sell, definitely and hard, on my Dove Puffeinle marino? I said meat the lines tákén from the: India' Gazette of 3rd. March, the Signore and to say we posterior.

we said we bed left him with Sho continued her prattle 1701: "Godown usurps the warehouse place, Compound would call during the afternoon. It happened this way. We had nine Dlhere

Whe cafe, with exaggerated Intonation. dicnotes each walled space," .Hobson-Jobson, gives many

left the dust and the loosa fiint Musumee! demanded that I Lights began to twinkle.in, tie variant spellings such or godon, xalonge, fadong, goedown.

chippings of the road spiralling should go We had assembled except for the cone of the hill in favour of them all to his house.

at once and GOLO: Pidgin for gold. Leland says that golo-man is a jeweller,

bring town below. A big yellow mode So I peeped over the horizon the Wren who seemed to have GOOD WIND! GOOD WATER: A most pleasant Pidgin farewell.

and letrack that wriggled went and collected the It is the translation of some such Chinese phrase as Cantonese mislaid the powder she used for steeply towards the walled vil- much to the chagrin of Blandiano, sea, "Isn't it beautiful?" She party, made a shimmering path on the Sun Fung. Sun Skul.

her nose when the doctor ap lape perched on the flattened But Musumeel had GROUND CILET: Leland says this means telegram.

peared, He was dressed for mit. There was a forge where business too:

on eye to exclaimed in eculaey, and ro HAVE GOT: Written ha goi, hab got, etc. It is similar in usage as walking-iweed cap and Jacket, the track began, and the smith

peated "beautiful beautiful Cantonese, you have," meaning there is, there are, or seen in knickerbockers, stockings with was

I had prompted Curtis that

as though having broken something to Leland's example: Hab got one picoes man, one pieceo girles ssh-infled ribbons in the turn whret of a carozzella, that had, tobacco in any form, and

doing

the all the signore wanted was her silence she intended never room inside. Linguists will remember French 11 y a, Spanish downs, brogues, and a walking as is usual with Sietlian carts, ingratiated himself at once by len minutes, young lady. I he to be silent again, Only another hay and Portuguese ha (Macaneno teng) which behave in the stick. He looked to business decorative panels with Roman producing a full in of Navy thought, and I'll be happily rid same way.

like that we stid, yes, he was maidrus in

togas the bluding tobacco. "You smaka da pipe?" of your company. HAIR-TAIL Trichiurus haumela, a fish called Taal Yue, ribbon- welcome to join us.

fish, Nkah Taal, tooth-ribbon, Paak Taal, white ribbon by he extended an invitation to the the

But when strings of which ent deep into he asked, and with an elaborate Suddenly she asked: "Have

most prominent places. tow

the Hongkong shermen according to Herklots and Lin.

presented Quiet Girl as she passed through One of the

ĐẶT HI ever heard CUCHOTH party decided to Musumect's eyes gitated and he in HAKKA; A Chinese people who speak two dipleets of the eastern the lobby a moment later the take a group photograph. "If left

the Cathedral?" I gave section of the Yuel group. They combine agriculturo with nurse, who was suitably

flie TOOM gloating, re-

negative reply and wäfted post it's local colour you want" up- turning a few moments Inshore fshing in the New Territories, "The distribution of tioued to do so,

later for the worst. "Will VON made Hakke-speakers is plotted on a may published at the end of grimace.

a way posted Curtis, "how about the carrying four bottles of

his come The Quiet Giri was at chap

with me"? the Annunt Departmental Report by the District Commissioner

she begged, down the home-made conding

wine, I had's getting lule, objected, least. offensive epithet track?", and he pointed to П New Territories, (1955-6) which contains other interesting

sampled his vino on facts about the Chinese peoples of the district. This name is

coined when it had been found peasant leading a billy-goat.

previous "we have barely time to change visits.

for dinner!" She laid er kand sometimes (and probably wrongly) translated "Guest

Maria set the table on the on my arm. "You must, please. Families."

at this loggia with blue Murano wine re's been such a wonderful day I ought to explain point that I was the acknow- glasses, and we sat there talk that I feel Į must conclude it i

edged, leader of the party, not ing and drinking, and admiring a church!" because I possess any of the the delightful panorama, Below

There was no help for it. red of qualities of icadership on the us were the

we would see them later, and contrary-but by reason of my Taoming, and the bowl of the called back to the others that locality from Grecian amphitheatre with its we made our way to the ancient knowing previous visits, and because it still Imposing corinthian-capped cathedral, The door was open. was assumed that I spoke the columne,

the in- The white-robed girl choristers, lingo, How wrong that assump credible blue of the Mediter chanting in Latin, outnumbered

was girt the congregation, should have been raplan. Isola Dello obvious as I asked the old man with a fringe of white surf. To heads turned we walked a to join the group. But he was the left vine-clad hills climbed little way down the aisle, and as they kneeled I felt a little ashamed, very helpful, suggesting a word higher and higher unal

with cloud-capped To Intrude into this sacred place each time, my limited vocabulary merged:

Mount Etna's majestle bulk, with a tipsy, hysterical girl was let me down.

I noticed he smiled which the Una bella-vistal cadet remarked, that the old man

the

• JACOBY

ON BRIDGE

'Make Adversary. Trump Loser

By OSWALD JACOBY- WHEN declarez, at a suit con-

tlon

was

the.

and beyond

*J

The Quiet

7

One or two

Girl covered

HOKLO: A boat-people dwelling mainly in eastern waters. They use this name themselves, Hoklo "is a Min dialect similar to those spoken in the province of Fukien and in the Chluchow, Hollukfung and Klungehow arens." (H.K. Govt. Annual Departmental Reports, District Commissioner, New Territories, 1955-50, p.3). HONG: This word means row or rank in Cantonese. It was used for factory or double row of stops in the 1720s Recording to Hobson Jobson. Tils excellent dictionary goes on to say that) at Canton a hong was a warehouse or factory belonging to one of the European nations ("Foreign Hongs" "and to those, of the so-called "Hong-Merchants." These were a body of merchants who had the monopoly of trade with foreigners, in return for which privilege they became security for the good behaviour of the foreignera, and for their payment of dues. The guild of these merchants was called "The Hong'. The monupely seems to have been first established about 1728-30 and it was terminated under the Treaty of Nanking in 1842. The thirteen firms of Canton were known as the thirteen tract, has a certain number and the goat each had, a whispy presently the cadet enquired and began a muttered prayer.

her

face with her hands Houga A hon-boat was a kind of Bampar with a small or losing tricks and is also faced grey beard, but you, could tell wooden house in the middle used by foreigners at

Canton, by the prospect of the defense the goat because he wasn't whether I had a bruise. Marla's And then she began to sob, big, The hong of longkong has a different origin. The character getting in a ruff against him he wearing a blue stockinged cap mother wished to know the body-shaking sobs that ut frst. with which it is written in Chinese is often romanised as should endeavor to fix things with tassel. Ther positioned reason for the laughter that she tried hard to smother, But Iteung to indicate the Cantonese pronunciation. The meaning that the ruff, if it does come, will the old man in the centre and greeted the question, and while soon her pent-up grief took con- of this element may be fragrant. On the other hand the lake away one of his losing all that remained was for me to mimed the bleat of the goat end without restraint. Heads turned I tried to explain the cadet trol, and for a while she cried character used may merely represent the sound of a

tricks, not one of his winning back the goat into the plcture. place-name whose meaning is now forgotten; so that Hong- tricks,

It was then that the Quiet butted me. It was then that the again in our direction, and for kong may have as much to do with fragrant harbours as has

This principle is clearly cov- Girl smiled.

Quiet Girl took over my in- Birmingham with salt pig, Belfast with speed or Edinburgh gred by today's hand which fa The old man, thanked

us for effectual role. There was little a moment the choir faltered. with Adam and Eve.

also taken from Watson on the the cigarettes we gave

she spoke Italian him in doubt that HON: A Cantonese-speaking motorist's loan-word from English. play of the hand.

It Is the English horn.

Suddenly the sobbing ceased, the accent he had acquired in like a native. We kept her busy, South is in a heart game and fifty

between and for the rest of the afternoon and the girl Indicated that years spent HOW-FASHION; What for? Why? What is the meaning? according has one spade loser, one club Chicago and New York. He had was seldom silent for more was ready to leave. We tiptoed to Leland who quotes the sentence: How fashion you stop out loser and one trump loser. He is come back home to die, but, he than a moment. But I noticed out of the church and walked -no-late?-

also faced by the prospect of a club ruff since West almost sure said, one couldn't lie in that that there was also an irrepres down the street-in-silence She had sible desire to talk. There could dabbed her lear-wet cheeks ly has alx clubs for his overcali, clean mountain air, so he

explanation-the with a stupid little square

of South makes his contract by changed his mind and instead be only one

vino!

linen, and I offered her my making sure that when, and if, was going to live forever.

The sun had dropped behind handkerchief.

It was rejected the bills when at last we made with a twisted smile. our Way back through the

Presently she hid in a village and picked up the mule-

from voice

127

A British Crossword Puzzle

12

2

3 14

18

20

ACROSS

3 Caught breaking boundar

(3, 3),

8 Birds in some museums (4).

This is where we came in (8).

11 Freed for showing? (B).

13 Good Queen (4).

10 Weapon that takes some get-

-ting over to start with (8).

18 Diminished (8).

19 Homework clearly neods lille

preparation (4).

21 A catastrophic affair (8).

25 Gate-crasher (8),

20 Just think about it (4).

27 Moles take in

sweeti (8)))

donitay-how

13

16

DOWN

1 Drop of water (4).

[24"

2 Fight limited to two (4).

4 Admila It might turn to snow

(4).

Ointment from the Rand

(4).

6 Light ent (5).

7 Mureles (5).

A support of art work (5).

10 Trying affairs? (6).

12 Inviting word (6),

14 16 may need some shitting

· (5)

10 Lukewarm (5).

!

17. Outsize car for him! (5).

10 To be found in binoculars,

for example (D);

20 Give praise (8),

21 Tolls or tribules (4), ..

22 Old and dry (4)

23.Instructed to be tight? (4), 24:They may be both hard and soft (4).

FRIDAY'S CROSSWORD← Aeropti 1. Remblo,

NORTH AA34

Q753

K43

• A53

WEST

AQ 103 ♥A

• Q72

4QJ 10982

EAST.

AJO52 942

• J 10980 40

SOUTH (D)

5

K78

KJ 1986

K4 A75

No one vulnerable

South

1

1

4

West Norih

3

Pass

Pass Pass Pars

Opening lead Q

the

ROLEX

she

Good

NEW!

writing

you an

The incident set the mood for afternoon, and it was a slightly hilarious party that track again, I was alone and low, level entered the gateway of what at in the lead when the Quiet Girl which all the hysteria had eno time had been a Sicilian joined me. But she was no gone: "1. owe baron's strongholt, and crossed longer silent, and soon I was apology....and the souare towards the Cafe San feeling embarrassed

by her Giorgio, where the padrone hysterical babbling. It had been planation. Blandano stood rubbing his a wonderful afternoon, one that bands. The Wren was still she would remember sil her

East does'ruf a club it will bej?

a losing club, not a winning one;]

South Just wing the first club In dummy and leads trump. West is in with the sec and leads a second club. South follows in dummy and now It East rulls. South sharply plays a low club from his own hand and East' will have ruffed Souths losing club trick.

Watson's book does not cover bidding and many pairs would arrive at three no-trump, with the North-South cards. In that case, four odd would be a,lay: down and there would be story.

V+CARD Sense♣♣

FID

Q-The bidding has been East Bouth West North

Pai Pass Doubla

Pass 2 NOT

1

Poss 2❤

FORE

?

Yod, Bouth, hold:

4JIS VESTES) +A28."497.

What do you do? gesag AB ihren na-trump, Xater hand la wolf suffell to no-trump.

TODAY'S QUESTION The bidding has been KANT Boulk West · North 10. Pass Pas Double

Sedan,

Pasi

7 Boundary 8 Molar, Poe-t, 11 Inertia, 18 Preface, 10 Wid ned; 18 Asplo. 19. 18eadline, 20. Enger, 21. Eleven. Down: 1 Nub up, 2 Banns, 8. Finalib, 'Styihle, & Dog-latin, 6 Nutria/ 10 Swoop... ing, 12 Now-gate 10 Praise, 16 Author, 10 Delve, 17 Sheen,

You, Bouth, hold: SAQII VA311 631 AKES-

What do you do?

Answer Monday

WEEKEND Friell

PRIME MINISTER| POPULARITY POLL

"I balieva I might win a General Election this year

could keep some of you gentlemen in the

4... background."

s de Dance &

Palais

COLOURED PERSONS

ADMITTED

NO

T

you want to stay on the staff, hero, Blogs, (will not ga sunbathing on your,ddy offl

an

I've been thinking all the afternoon what a lovely place this ¡would - have been for a ¡ honeymoon.” There was a pause. "His plane crashed ten days ago,"

·

I met many of the party again after our leave ended. Yours later I met the nurse in Kow- loon, when she was stationed at the Peak Naval Hospital. But I never saw the Quiet Girl egain.

Oh, yes It's a true story.

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