Harrisburg telegraph. [volume] (Harrisburg, Pa.) 1879-1948, 1915-08-27
Chinese Students in America
a Factor in Missions at Home
Their Part in Controversy Between the Native Church
and the Missionaries; Criticism of Bible Revision

(By the Religious Ramblerl

Their are fourteen hundred Chinese
students at present in the United
States. of whom large proportion are
Christians: and they have a curious
and by no means unimportant relation
to the missionary enterprise in their
native land These students are feel
ing and expressing. in an increasing
degree, their responsibility for China S
future, religious as well as political.
They are organized in this country
as the Chinese Students Alliance
and as the Chinese Students Chris
tian Association" The former is en-
gagged in various forms of service for
the homeland and the latter does
really noteworthy work for Chinese
along Christian lines. both in this
country and across the Pacific. The
students maintain their own maga-
zine in this country. the Lieu Mel Using
Men.
Chinese Question Missionary Trans
lation
The keen interest which the stu
dents take in the affairs of the Church
in China, as we'll as in the republic,
Is shown by the magazines comments
upon the controversy which has arisen
over the new revision of the Bible in
the Mandarin dialect. The Chinese
pastors. who are organized into an
association the name of which when
translated Is The Christian Volunteer
Army have published a criticism of
the work of the tranSlators. who are a
board of eminent foreign missionaries.
representing various denominations.
Each of these translators is assisted
by native scribe, or teacher The
pastors say that the native church and
ministry have been ignored i'm the
translation and that these "hirelings," :"
who often know only the letter of the
text and not its spirit, have had an
undue Importance in this work so
vital to the future of the cause of
Christianity in China.
The situation sizes up in about this
way to the Chinese students in Amer
lea. as expressed in their magazine:
We have, on the one hand, a ma
tive literati,' who knows Chinese, but
chiefly its morbid and old style, whose
interest is the pay he gets, whose gem
tlemanly courtesy and ignorant indif-
ference combined make him a splen-
did clerk, working merely as a tool.
ON the other hand, We have some
men whose Chinese is by no means
inferior to those 'literati' (as is shown
in their published writings). but whose
interest goes beyond the pay. who re-
gard the Scriptures are the Holy Writ
and the foundation of what is most
sacred to them, who regard the
Church as their own and the Bible as
the authority of their own Church.
They see the possible misinterpreta-
tion of certain phrases and certain
wording and unhesitatingly raise pro-
test against any points that are SEEM
ingly correct but could be better. The
are unwilling to let anything pass
until they see the justification for it.
The Bible is the Book from which
they preach and the source of their in
spiration. They certainly have the
right to have share in its trans
lation.
Now. both these classes do not
know any Hebrew or Greek Which
should be chosen as the co-worker in
translating the Bible? Is it fair to set
tslr TO be satisfied with the former
help?"
Chinese Scholars for China's Bible
The -mindedness of the Chinese
students in American colleges is shown
by the admonition to the pastors at
home-and. avowedly, these articles
are written for consumption in China:
To our pastors may we suggest
that il missionaries appear to be un-
sympathetic, or having too much air
Ito use the Chinese eNpression). it is
safer always to give them the benefit
Of the doubt 1t is their heads and
not their hearts that err. Moreover.
tho statements made in Chinese in the
name of the missionaries are often the
work of some native helper Mis-
siona ries are\ at the mercy of their
inability of expressing themselves in
written Chinese. One who reads the
article written by the missionaries in
English on these questions will not be
slow to realize the difference. We
must not forget our own limitations.
We are not yet equipped to do indie
pendent work.
Finally. let us remember that the