New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1898-07-03
Hooh> ~ EEnNH Nr>Eru


From The London Hdy Ne~s
~ Tins quart, volume o., list q ei....t ...tt-
.0.4,~ of works boz 3D." I..hrtr, 80 81. British
Museum receives In Important addition !; IS
ino LARGEST amt fullest caf"I. 800. 80 J.rtn''-
I..i. and u uu.'rllt ct D. pr.lt.t .u Europe.
tlt must mace Du.t t- compiler NJ >'nuA
Tl- collection. f, .'.,h u furnishes d reads
t.s. has a..n ht.a-ht together during mAp>
tt.f-. AID under various 'i''uu- ftnD'r. li-
r.ti.us nlf f.rm.I nr b"t"r. Japan -Iin"i
tn prominent position which 81" goo" oc'u-
Ii,- Iu.ous ih. nations Z the Ear East ~ u.s.
shown h2 the ft.t thai considerable NUN
hrr u ih- N'fh. Hri'nt - ~" S."tn- CT
fDui4u. HIrI.lsu and Eiuksian Libraries IT,.
first collection II auf sH" or no 30 'n." '
ever. "Is that purchased from Herr Si"hod
thlit y.ats ago Soon afirr~ard the Museum
a. .ur-d tho books ir.nt"i at carly peil.i- Ir
Japan and Co''a coll ct'i b} ST T. VI Sat'".
who aner"afd presented number - oth'i
works ~ the same character further larg"
acquisition WAS the Anderson collection. pun
chased in 1871
~ present 80 Museum poss'-.'- upward =
1V" thousand separate Japanese works. which
AZ" hcrr 'tta gu'd alphabetically. as ~vll "a TO
SOME extent under classified headlines. Ii
hrariaus ~ England who 81 al h1u. At ease
cataloruinc works whose title pag"s ar" fnr
thu most part in Roman characters might well
symIathiz, VIth the p'fpicNliics ~ MI Doug
las. as described IN Ms preface. Their" Is al
ways difficulty In transli'cra'ing Oriental
words and names but this difficulty Is vastly
syetcIn of writing adopted In Japan. A. a ruiz.
titles ard authors names are given in Chime"
characters. but In" Japanos" attach To- "ach
written character thr-" or NOR" sounds.
Mt Douglas tells - story Illustrating ia" en-
hairassuu.nts which may arise from this cause.
one Il The best japanese scholars among us
WAS lately DESTROYS - identifying tn" original
81 4 Japanese translation ~ an English novel
"W"ll. at @ll events" he said. holding the
v"lum" in his hand. the first scene opens at
Mapping"
when the discovery II the original proved
that this locality had no plac" on tn" page hc
pointed out with perfect accuracy that IN"
characters which ne had read wrapping" might
also mean, "ro resume the thread Of my dis
course"
The same difficulty arises with regard to
proper names. Authors can pract cally call
themselves 10y any name they please within
the Wid" range .: the adopted system. and pro
nouncc it, as Mr.. Weller said. very much "ac-
cordin' 10 their taste and fancy" So acut'ly.
Vs.. are told. Is this difficulty felt 10y In" Jap
ancsc themselves. that when the first Iarlia-
incnt was established at Toxic il was enacted
that the names Of members should b" pro-
nounccd in conformity with the Chinese pro-
nunciaiion in vogue in Japan We have not
been able to find in the catalogue the translated
English work II fiction referred to in Mr.. Doug
lass story. We have TRANSACTIONS Of Professor
Max Mdllcr's works. and even of tn" lat" Pro-
f.ssDr Fawcctt's political Economy" but Eng
lish bellies -lcitrcs appear To- be scarcely repre-
srntcd. and We have In this collection. at least.
lighted upon no attempt To make Scott. Thack
cray or Dickens known to the japanese
reader.