Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1900-07-27
Doesn't Believe That Edicts Have
Been Translated Correctly.
SAYS CHINA is OPPOSED TO WAR
Declares That Ii is UnfriendIy to
the Boxers.
SANGUINE OVER MINISTER'S

Minister wu is very incredulous about the
stories that are coming to this country in
relation to edicts by the Chinese govern
ment. He wants TO see the edict that is
said to be the cause for hostile attitude on
the part of the viceroy of Canton before he
believes that in any way 1t indicates that
the government is favorable to the Boxer
movement
1T must be remembered" said Mr.. WI
to a Star reporter today. that the slightest
change in the translation of Chinese will
give meaning entirely different from what
was intended. A translation that has been
printed of an edict makes it show that the
government should favor war. 1t is impos-
sible that the government should favor war
L suppose 1t might have referred to defen-
sive measures in case of attacks But 1
would like TO see this edict before form
any opinion Of it-that is. want to see the
original in Chinese. and not a translation
of 1t
TranSIatOr's Mistakes Common
Mistakes are very readily made in
translating from Chinese to English There
is no punctuation used in Chinese writing
and for that reason 1t is difficult to see
when one sentence stops and another be-
gins The latter part of one remark when
written in Chinese may be made to appear
as the beginning Of another, vice versa
in which case the entire meaning intended
to be conveyed will be vastly changed
Often you may twist the meaning Of
Chinese writing in various ways. For that
reason the very greatest care should be
used in making a translation of an inn
portant edict."
How Meaning May BE Distorted.
The minister referred to Instances in
which the sense of a sentence in English
might be entirely changed by a misuse of
punctuation. and suggested that the diff
culties Of clear statement in a language
with no punctuation We're extremely great
and such a language should be Translated
only by some one perfectly familiar with it,
THE mistakes that have been made
through a wrong translation of Chinese"
he said. ARE innumerf bic. so that when
hear talk about Chinese proclamations and
letters 1 first want to see the original. I
could satisfy myself only by Judging from
| the wording Of the original document As
IA Chinaman I would know what they mean
| in such a document, whereas some one else
with the very best intentions might be mis-
lead"
Ii UnfriendIy to the Boxers.
When It was suggested that some people
suspect that Ii Hung Chang may be more
Irlendly 10 tne Boxers than generally sup
posed, Mr.. WI said that such a suggestion
was simply absurd. Ii. he said, had fought
the Boxers in the time of Chinese Gordon
and had done so since. and 1t was not
likely that he would turn against the goy-
ernment and become a rebel.
Minister wu Sanguine.
Minister WI was quite elated this morn
ing when informed by press representa-
tive that 1t was reported the surviving
members of the diplomatic corps were be-
ing conducted to Tien Tsin by troops of
Yung-lu. commander-in-chief OF the Chi
nese forces. He said he would not be sur
prised to hear at any time of their arrival
at Tfen Tsin.
Minister Wu said he had received no
news from China in the last twenty-four
hours. He did not expect to visit the State
Department today unless he heard from
his country.