letters-第11节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



By　the　time　these　lines　reach　you　the　Acts　of　the　Apostles　（the　　Lord　willing）　will　have　passed　through　the　press。　　Next　week　I　hope　　to　write　to　the　Revd。　J。　Jowett。

I　remain；　etc。；

G。　BORROW。

P。S。　…　I　believe　that　the　seven　shillings　may　be　accounted　for　in　　this　manner。　　I　charged　seven　POUNDS　for　my　passage　to　Hamburg；　　whereas　I　paid　seven　GUINEAS。



LETTER：　20th　February；　1835



To　the　Rev。　J。　Jowett　（ENDORSED：　recd。　　March　23；　1835）　ST。　PETERSBURG；　FEBRY。　20　＇old　style＇；　1835。

REVD。　AND　DEAR　SIR；　…　I　take　advantage　of　the　period　of　the　Russian　　Carnival；　during　which　all　business　is　at　a　stand…still；　to　　transmit　to　you　some　account　of　the　manner　in　which　I　have　been　　engaged；　since　the　time　when　I　last　addressed　myself　to　you。　　True　　it　is；　that　I　have　not　much　to　communicate；　for　the　history　of　one　　day　is　that　of　a　week；　and　a　month；　and　when　I　state　that　the　　printing　of　the　Mandchou　New　Testament　is　advancing　rapidly　to　a　　conclusion；　I　shall　have　stated　all　I　can　of　much　importance；　but　　as　you　and　our　excellent　friends　at　home　have　a　right　to　demand　　particulars；　I　will　endeavour　to　be　as　particular　as　lies　within　my　　power。

About　a　month　since　I　placed　in　the　hands　of　Baron　Schilling　bound　　copies　of　the　first　four　parts　of　the　Testament；　the　Gospels；　he　　having　kindly　promised　to　cause　them　to　be　conveyed　to　London　by　　one　of　the　couriers　belonging　to　the　Foreign　Department；　to　which　　the　Baron　is　attached。　　I　have　reason　to　believe；　however；　that　you　　have　not　received　them　yet；　as　I　have　been　informed　that　they　　remained　in　Petersburg　some　weeks　after　they　had　been　deposited　in　　the　Foreign　Office；　but　in　this　respect　I　am　not　culpable；　and　　having　no　direct　means　of　sending　packets　to　London；　I　am　glad　to　　embrace　any　which　may　come　in　my　way；　especially　those　not　attended　　with　expense　to　the　Society。　　In　the　mean　time；　I　wish　to　inform　　you　that　I　am　at　present　occupied　on　the　last　sheets　of　the　fifth　　volume　of　the　Testament；　namely；　the　Acts　of　the　Apostles；　in　　getting　which　through　the　press　I　have　experienced　much　difficulty；　　partly　from　the　illness　of　my　compositors；　and　partly　from　the　　manner　in　which　the　translation　was　originally　executed；　which　has　　rendered　much　modification　highly　necessary。

How　I　have　been　enabled　to　maintain　terms　of　friendship　and　　familiarity　with　Mr。　Lipoftsoff；　and　yet　fulfil　the　part　which　　those　who　employ　me　expect　me　to　fulfil；　I　am　much　at　a　loss　to　　conjecture；　and　yet　such　is　really　the　case。　　It　is　at　all　times　　dangerous　to　find　fault　with　the　style　and　composition　of　authors　　and　translators；　even　when　they　come　to　your　door　to　ask　for　your　　advice　and　assistance。　　You　may　easily　conceive　then；　that　my　　situation　has　been　one　of　treble　peril。　　Mr。　L。　is　the　Censor　of　　his　own　work；　and　against　the　Censor's　fiat　in　Russia　there　is　no　　appeal；　he　is　moreover　a　gentleman　whom　the　slightest　contradiction　　never　fails　to　incense　to　a　most　incredible　degree；　and　being　a　　strict　member　of　the　Greek　Sclavonian　Church；　imagines　that　the　　revealed　word　and　will　of　the　Supreme　are　only　to　be　found　in　the　　Sclavonian　Scriptures；　from　which　he　made　his　Mandchou　version。　　　Yet　whenever　anything　has　displeased　me　in　his　translation；　I　have　　frankly　told　him　my　opinion；　and　in　almost　every　instance　（and　the　　instances　have　been　innumerable：　　for　in　translations　of　the　sacred　　writings　omissions　and　additions　must　ever　be　avoided）　he　has　　suffered　himself　to　be　persuaded　to　remodel　what　he　originally　　concluded　to　be　perfect；　and　which　perhaps　he　still　does。　　So　that　　in　what　has　been　hitherto　printed　of　the　Testament；　there　is　　little；　if　any　thing；　with　which　any　one　but　a　professed　caviller　　can　find　fault。

I　confess　that　in　one　instance　I　have　not　been　able　to　carry　my　　point；　though　I　assure　you　that　I　did　not　yield　until　I　found　that　　it　was　absolutely　of　no　avail　to　offer　any　further　opposition。　　For　　although　I　was　convinced　that　Mr。　L。　was　wrong；　and　I　think　when　I　　state　the　particulars　that　you　will　be　of　my　opinion；　he　had　on　his　　side　the　Chinese　scholars　of　St。　Petersburg；　Baron　Schilling　　amongst　the　rest；　and　moreover　being　Censor　he　could　have　　prohibited　the　work　from　proceeding　if　I　had　been　too　obstinate。　　I　　will　tell　you　the　ground　of　dispute；　for　why　should　I　conceal　it？　　　Mr。　L。；　amongst　what　he　called　his　improvements　of　the　translation；　　thought　proper；　when　the　Father　Almighty　is　addressed；　to　erase　the　　personal　and　possessive　pronouns　THOU　OR　THINE；　as　often　as　they　　occur；　and　in　their　stead　to　make　use　of　the　noun　as　the　case　may　　require。　　For　example；　'O　Father；　thou　art　merciful。'　he　would　　render；　'O　Father！　the　Father　is　merciful'；　'Our　Father　which　art　　in　heaven；　hallowed　be　thy　name；'　by　'Our　。　。　。　may　the　name　of　the　　Father　be　made　holy；　may　the　kingdom　of　the　Father　come；　may　the　　will　of　the　Father　be　done　on　earth；'　etc。　　I　of　course　objected　to　　this；　and　enquired　what　reason　he　had　for　having　recourse　to　so　　much　tautology。　　He　replied　that　he　had　the　best　of　reasons；　for　　that　amongst　the　Chinese　and　Tartars　none　but　the　dregs　of　society　　were　ever　addressed　in　the　second　person；　and　that　it　would　be　most　　uncouth　and　indecent　to　speak　to　the　Almighty　as　if　He　were　a　　servant　or　a　slave。　　I　told　him　that　Christians；　when　they　address　　their　Creator；　do　not　address　Him　as　if　He　were　a　great　gentleman　　or　illustrious　personage；　but　rather　as　children　their　father；　with　　a　mixture　of　reverence　and　love；　and　that　this　mixture　of　reverence　　and　love　was　one　of　the　most　characteristic　traits　of　Christianity。　　　But　he　said　that　in　China　children　never　address　their　parent　in　　this　manner；　and　that　it　was　contrary　to　all　received　usage；　and　　that　in　speaking　to　a　parent　the　children　observe　the　same　　respectful　formula　of　phraseology　as　in　addressing　an　Emperor　or　　Viceroy。　　I　then　observed　that　our　object　in　sending　the　Bible　into　　China　was　not　to　encourage　the　Chinese　in　any　of　their　customs　or　　observances；　but　rather　to　wean　them　from　them；　and　that　however　　startling　any　expression　in　the　Bible　might　prove　to　them　at　first；　　it　was　our　hope　and　trust　that　it　would　eventually　cease　to　be　　disagreeable　and　extraordinary；　and　that　the　Chinese　were　at　　present　in　a　state　which　required　stirring　and　powerful　medicine；　　medicine　which　must　necessarily　be　disagreeable　to　the　palate　to　　prove　beneficial　in　another　quarter。　　However；　he　said　that　I　　talked　'PUSTOTA'　（emptiness　or　nonsense）；　and　as　he　was　not　to　be　　moved；　I　was　compelled　to　acquiesce　with　his　dictum。　　This　occurred　　some　months　since；　and　I　rejoice　to　see　in　the　last　letter　with　　which　you　favoured　me　a　fortuitous　corroboration　of　my　views　on　　this　subject。　　I　allude　to　that　part　of　your　letter　where　you　state　　that　you　do　not　desire　the　Chinese　to　consider　the　Bible　the　work　　of　a　Chinese；　etc。　　Nor　do　I；　and　throughout　the　progress　of　the　　work　I　have　collated　every　sheet　with　the　Greek　Testament；　and　　whenever　I　have　found　anything　still　adhering　to　the　translation　　which　struck　me　as　not　being　faithful　to　the　original；　I　have　　invariably　modified　it；　so　that；　with　the　exception　of　the　one　　instance　above　mentioned；　I　can　safely　assert　that　the　Word　of　God　　has　been　rendered　into　Mandchou　as　nearly　and　closely　as　the　idiom　　of　a　very　singular　language　would　permit。

I　have　now　received　and　paid　for；　as　you　will　perceive　by　my　　accompts；　495　reams　of　paper；　which　will　be　barely　sufficient　for　　the　work；　which　will　consist　of　eight　parts；　instead　of　seven；　as　　we　at　first　supposed。　　I　take　the　liberty　of　requesting　that　when　　the　books　arrive　you　will　examine　the　texture　of　the　paper　on　which　　they　are　printed。　　Mr。　L。　is　exceedingly　pleased　with　it；　and　says　　that　it　is　superior　to　the　paper　of　the　first　edition　of　St。　　Matthew　by　at　least　ten　roubles　per　ream；　and　that　it　is　calculated　　to　endure　for　200　years。　　It　certainly　does　possess　uncommon　　strength　and　consistency；　notwithstanding　its　tenuity；　and　the　　difficulty　of　tearing　it　is　remarkable。　　By　my　direction　it　　received　a　slight　tinge　of　yellow；　as　no　books　are　printed　in　China　　upon　paper　entirely　colourless。　　I　must　be　permitted　to　say　that　　the　manner　in　which　the　book…binder；　Mr。　Lauffert；　is　performing　　his　task　is　above　all　praise；　but　he　has　been　accustomed　for　many　　years　to　this　kind　of　work；　the　greatest　part　of　Baron　Schilling's　　immense　collection　of　Chinese　works　having　been　bound　by　him。　　We　　may　esteem　ourselves　very　fortunate　in　having　met　with　a　person　so　　competent　to　the　task；　and　whose　terms　are　so　remarkably　　reasonable。　　Any　other　book…binder　in　St。　Petersburg　would　have　　refused　double　the　price　at　which　he　has　executed　this　important　　part　of　the　work；　and　had　they　undertaken　the　affair；　would　　probably　have　executed　it　in　a　manner　which　would　have　exposed　the　　book　to　the　scorn　and　laughter　of　the　people　for　whom　it　is　　intended。

A　few　months　since　I　saw　Mr。　Glen；　the　missionary　from　Astracan；　as　　he　passed　through　St。　Petersburg　on　his　return　to　England。　　He　is　a　　very　learned　man；　but　of　very　simple　and　unassuming　manners。　　The　　doom　which　had　been　pronounced　upon　his　translation　seems　to　have　　deeply　affected　him；　but　he　appears　to　me　to　labour　under　a　very　　g