Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1930-10-19
BY REX COLLIER.

Although his associates declare he is
called upon to translate some 80 Ian
guages in his role of principal trans
lator of the State Department, Wilfred
Stevens insists he does not know an
absurd array of tongues" and he doubts
that any man "can expect to acquire
perfection in more than one language
in the space Of q lifetime"
Mr.. Stevens is of a very modest dis
position, and when newspapers all over
the land recently disclosed to the world
his remarkable achievements as lin
gust he rose in protest. The Star re-
ceived letter from him yesterday re-
QueSting a correction of the erroneous
impression" created by the publicity,
so q reporter sought Mr. Stevens out
for further enlightenment.
The translator, a man OF striking
appearance, was located on the fifth
floor Of the State, War and Navy Build
ing, seated at a typewriter beside q
desk filled with documents in strange
lettering and dictionaries in many
languages Mr.. Stevens Is in his fifty
sixth year.
The reporter had with him Mr..
Stevens letter, which said the list of
languages which he was credited with
knowing must have been copied from
a cyclopedia unless 1t was furnished
by some Of my overzealous friends"
Denies Being Mental Prodigy.
"It is true" the letter went on, "that
as a tranlator in the State Department
found it necessary to study many LAM
guages In order to perform the work as
signed to me, and some smattering Of
each has naturally adhered to my cere-
bral tissue. But to infer from this that
know all these languages Is illogical,
and have never made any such claim,
much less did ! authorize any reporter
to proclaim such nonsense abroad and
thus represent me as a mental prodigy,
when in reality I am rather dull in
mind
IF I may be permitted to express my
own opinion on this subject, will say
that no person can expect to acquire
perfection in more than one language
within the span of q lifetime, or any
degree of thoroughness in more than
two. There are doubtless hundreds of
men right in this country who have
studied q greater or less number of the
wonderful forms of speech that char
acterize the races Of mankind, and that
Is all have done or care to pass as
having done.
Let none of my fellow students in
this noble domain imagine for q min
ute that am a monopolist. Many of
them are, perhaps, far better lingllists
than myself, though they are lucky
enough to avoid notoriety. expect to
remain learner, even in my mother
tongue, to the end of my days"
The reporter displayed the letter to
its author and said: "Mr: Stevens do
you mean to say you don't know 80 Ian
guageS, after alp"
"Of course I don't" the translator
said alphabetically 81 don't even know
English as well as I would like to.
Where did the newspapers get all that
rot?"
Says Stevens Is Too Modest.
A colleague of Mr.. Stevens volun-
teered an answer.
81 gave that information to the press"
the associate announced. "And Ill
stand back of It. Mr.. Stevens is just
too modest about his accomplishments.
Why, just before you came into the
room he was chatting with q visitor in
Arabic. He knows Chinese and Japa-
nese and French and Polish and sew
eral other languages better than some
scholars to. whom those tongues are
native. He"
Nonsense, don't you believe what he
says" Stevens broken in impatiently.
why" continued the co-translator
WIFI ISI1GWS0 FlkUIy N1I. 0tSNSLlS HAS
written q Chinese dictionary. I know
personally he has translated of1cial
documents in more than 80 languages
that have come to this ofiice."
Studying Languages His Hobby.
wait minute" Stevens interrupted
"Translating a language is a lot diff
ferent from knowing it. I admit l
used to study quite number of the
languages and was rather familiar with
them, but I'm all out, Of practice now
like to study languages. They are
hobby with me. would have to do
lot of brushing up to be able to trans
late some of them today. It's easy to
get out of practice"
The reporter was getting bewildered.
Then you have translated as many
as so languages, Mr. Stevens?" he asked
well, not for publication. I only
agreed to translate six or eight when
came back to the department. recently,
but I told them would help them out
on any others If could. would ruin
my health II tried to refresh my mind
on lot of languages used to dabble
with"
- The reporter took q new tack. If
Languages were this mans hobby, he