● 陈晴山 Chen Qing-shan
 译／陈敏良 陈敏华Trans. by Peter Chen, Michael Tan

良儿知悉：
My son Liang, be informed:

  　收到三月一日你寄来的信，我们看了都明白了，前信你说矿工学
校，我们误会了，所以寄信去问你，因为“矿工”两字，照中国文的
意义，只是一个词，那就是说“采矿的工人”，因此我怀疑，为什么
采矿的工人也需要学习会计呢？因此我就猜测到“附设”上去。现在
我明白了，你那间学校，若照中国文意译起来，应该是“实业学校”
或“职业学校”，按其性质，应该是高级的职业学校。这些倒没有什
么问题，我们明白了就是。

　　Received your letter of 1 March. We have read your 
letter and it's all very clear now. Your earlier letter 
referred to the institution as 矿 工 学 校 kuang gong xue 
xiao (School of Mines) which led us to the misunderstanding 
of its meaning; that was why we wrote to ask you. In 
Chinese, the two words 矿 工 kuang-gong form a phrase which
means 采 矿 的 工 人 cai kuang de gong ren (workers who 
work in a mine), which puzzled me why mine workers should 
need to study Accountancy. This made me speculate that it 
was some adjunct course of study or department. I now 
understand; according to Chinese expression, your 
institution would be called 实 业 学 校 shi ye xue xiao 
(vocational institution) or 职 业 学 校 zhi ye xue xiao 
(professional institution). From the description of its 
nature, it would be known as 高 级 职 业 学 校 gao ji zhi 
ye xue xiao (higher professional institution). These are 
however not important, so long as we understand what it 
means.

　　你的来信，一共写了五张，说了那么多话，都能达意，却也难得
，字句都通顺，错字也很少，文法并不错误，“不妨”的“妨”，写
得对，正当作“女”旁，我的学生，多误写为“防”，那就不行了。
“决对”应该作“绝对”，你写的是“决”字，那是错了。此两字不
但音同，义亦相通，因此高中生常写错，比方“决不可用”与“绝不
可用”此“决”与“绝”都可相通，若“绝对不可用”，则不能写作
“决对不可用”，因为“决对”两字连起来不成为一个词，这一点常
识必须知道，又“须”与“需”两字固可相通，但习惯上“需要”不
写作“须要”，而“须知”亦不写作“需知”。“习惯”在文字上是
具有重要性的，我想英文亦是如此。

　　You have written 5 letters altogether and said a great 
deal. You are able to convey all that you want to say, 
which is not an easy thing to do. The flow of the language 
is smooth, there are very few words wrongly written and the 
grammar is correct. In the expression 不 妨 bu fang (there
is no harm) the use of the word 妨 is correct. It correctly
uses the radical 女) nu (female). Many of my students 
incorrectly use the word 防 fang (to guard against) which 
is wrong. The expression 绝 对 jue dui (intended meaning 
is "absolutely") should be written as 绝 对 jue dui (meaning
"absolutely"). You used the word 决 jue (meaning "decide" 
or "decidedly") which is wrong. These two words both 
pronounced as jue (决 in the sense of "decidedly" and 绝 
meaning "to discontinue or break off") are not only similar 
in sound, but are also similar in meaning and are sometimes 
interchangeable. Hence, even Senior Middle School students 
frequently use the wrong word. For example in the two 
expressions, 绝 不 可 用 jue bu ke yong (meaning "absolutely
should not be used") and 决 不 可 用 jue bu ke yong, the two
words 绝 and 决 are interchangeable. But the expression 绝 
对 不 可 用 jue dui bu ke yong should not be written as 决
对 不 可 用, because the two words 绝 对 jue dui even when 
used together does not form a phrase. You should be aware of
this general knowledge. Again, the words 须 xu (ought to)
and 需 xu (need) were originally interchangeable. But it is
now customary to to write 需 要 xu yao (meaning "a need" or
"to need") and not 须 要 , although one should write 须 知 
xu zhi (meaning "ought to know") and not 需 知. Customary 
usage is important in language and I believe it would be the
same in the English language.

　　以上是汝父说的，以下是你妈的话：

　　The foregoing are what your father wish to say. What 
follow are your mother's message:


　　1.阿姆的信，妈已代你起稿，附寄与你，你自己可以加减后写正。

　　2.妈向阿姆报告你有去礼拜堂，她很喜欢，她说，你每礼拜都要
去拜上帝。

　　3.洁莹相片，俟敏华得暇代摄后寄去。

　　4.敏华开始学驾驶电车，教师系均元的朋友，学费一百六十元，
包出礼伸（编按：礼伸为执照的音译）。

　　5.你的护照，如需要在马来亚更换正式的，可挂号寄回来，当即
代办。

　　6.妈有信与美育，叫她替你织手套寄去。

　　7.你来信说要长袖的背心，此系错误，中国话“背心”的含义，
就是无袖的衣服，若有了袖，无论长袖、短袖，皆不得名为“背心”
，但无论怎样，妈已明白你的意思了。今天特地出去买了一件长袖开
领的羊毛衣，价十四元，甚轻，明日凑书籍计足三磅付邮寄去。因邮
局包裹，三磅起码费二元二角，单寄一件衣，颇不合算。（此件已于
三月十一日寄邮）

　　8.你说要制长裤二条，妈已选择三种布料，分(A)(B)(C)先寄给
你看，你喜欢哪一种，只须回信告我(A)(B)或(C)便可，布样不必寄
回来。

　　9.文山来云，他明天要往墨尔本，系搭三月十四号的飞机，妈已
将你的通讯处抄给他了。

　　10.你的房东或女友如有对于女服有研究的，可托代寻合于马来
气候的fashions，买数本寄回，如合用，当寄钱去买来卖。


　　1. Your mother has drafted the enclosed letter for you 
to send to your godmother. You may wish to add or delete and
thereafter rewrite it properly.

　　2. Mother has written to godmother to tell her that you 
are attending church. Your godmother is very pleased and 
asks you to go to church every Sunday.

　　3. When Min-hwa is free, he will take pictures of 
Jie-ying to send them to you.

　　4. Min-hwa has started to learn how to drive. The 
instructor is a friend of (brother-in-law) Jun-yuan; the 
course fee is $160, with guarantee of the issue of a driving
license.

　　5. If you need to change your temporary passport to a 
permanent one in Malaya, you can send it back by Registered 
post for us to process.

　　6. Mother has written to (your sister in China) Mei Yu (
美 育) to ask her to knit a pair of gloves for you.

　　7. You letter said that you would like a "long sleeved 
vest" (长 袖 的 背 心) which is an erroneous expression. 
In Chinese, the term 背 心 bei xin (vest) already connotes 
that it's a sleeveless garment. If it has sleeves, it will 
no longer be called a vest, irrespective of whether the 
sleeves are long or short. But whatever, mother understands
what you mean. Today she specially went out to buy a long 
sleeve collarless woollen garment which cost $14; it's 
rather light in weight. Tomorrow, she will post it together 
with the books which will make up to a total weight of 3 
pounds. Parcel postage rate starts with a minimum weight of
3 pounds for $2.20. To send just the vest alone would not 
have been worthwhile. (This was sent out by post on 11 
March)

　　8. You said you want two pairs of trousers. Mother has 
chosen 3 types of material labelled (A) (B) (C). She sends 
you samples of these material; all you need do is to 
indicate which material you prefer, whether (A), (B) or (C).
You need not send the samples back.

　　9. (Your friend) Wen-shan came to tell us that he will 
be leaving for Melbourne tomorrow. He will be embarking on 
the plane on 14 March. Mother has given him your address.

　　10. If Your landlady or any of your lady friends are 
familiar with ladies fashion, can you ask them to look for 
fashion books which are suitable for the tropical climate 
like that of Malaya. If appropriate, several copies can be 
bought for resale.


1958年三月八日父字
8 March 1958，Written by father


A Birthday Present
生日礼物


良儿知悉：
My son Liang, be informed:

　　两天前，收到你三月卅日寄来的信，内附叻币五元，相片三张，
信上还说邮汇六元八角，一共有十一元八角，你妈很高兴，她打算去
剪一件衣料，准备在本月廿八号（旧历三月初十日）生日那一天穿的
。她此刻虽然还不需要你的钱买衣料，但她很喜欢，比自己的钱买的
，或者是我买给她的还要高兴，为的是你能记着她的生日，而且能够
用自己劳力所得的钱买给她一份的礼物，不过她再三嘱咐，你把月中
余剩的钱存积起来，虽然不错，但自己的身体健康方面，不可疏忽，
应该吃什么补品，就要买吃，不可太俭。身体健康，才有充分的精神
学习、工作，将来学成之后，是不怕没有钱的。

　　Received your letter of 30 March two days ago, together 
with $5 and three photographs. Your letter also said there 
is a postal order for $6.80, totalling $11.80. Your mother 
is so very happy and plans to buy clothing material for a 
suit which she will wear on her birthday on the 28th of this
month (Lunar Calendar 10th day of the 3rd month). Although 
she does not as yet need your money for her dress, she is 
extremely happy, as she values your gift even more than if 
she had bought the dress herself, or even if I had bought it
for her. This is because you remember her birthday; 
moreover you have bought this gift for her with money which 
you have earned by the sweat of your own labour. But she 
exhorts you repeatedly that, although it is a good thing to 
be able to save whatever surplus money you can each month, 
you should never skimp on taking care of your own health. 
You should spend on whatever nutrition supplement that you 
require and should not thrift over these. Your physical 
health is important, for only then can you have the mental 
health and capacity to study and to work. When you complete
your studies successfully, you need not worry about not 
having money. 

　　她希望你在留学期间，每星期能给她一张信，没有话说也好，随
便写几个字，这回好几天没有信来，她天天惦记着，前几天听李柏文
说他的孩子有信说已和你会面了，她很喜欢，前后寄去两批物件，前
一批是三件运动衣、二条短裤，还有鞋、袜、口琴各一件，后一批四
月四号才寄，系三条长裤，你收到后回信中须写明收到的日期。你的
中文信越写越通顺了，错字也少，内有一个“祷”字，大概是“寿”
字吧，多了一个“衤”旁，便是“祈祷”。

　　It is your mother's hope that while you are studying 
overseas, you can write to her once a week; even if there is
nothing to say, you can just scribble a few words. In these
few days, she has not heard from you and she worries about 
you every day. A few days ago, she heard Li Bo-wen say that
his son has written to say that he had met you. She was very
happy. The last two postal parcels that were sent to you 
comprised three sports shirt, two pairs of shorts, a pair of
shoes, socks and a harmonica. The latest parcel was sent on
4 April and comprised three pairs of trousers. When you 
receive them, you should note down the date of receipt in 
your reply. Your letters in Chinese have become more and 
more fluent; there are also fewer incorrect words. In your 
letter there is the word 祷 dao (supplicate), perhaps you 
meant 寿 shou (longetivity), if you add the 衤 shi radical, 
it becomes 祈祷 qi dao (to pray).

1958四月七日父
7 April 1958，Written by father


　　又嘱：你若写信与敏华，可写浅白的英文信，叫他回信也写英文
，如此方有练习的机会。

　　Postscript: When you write to Min-hwa, you can use 
simple English and ask him to reply in English; then only 
does he have the opportunity to practise (English). 



关于作者和这些信件……

　　本文作者陈晴山为已故马华作家，活跃于二十年代。《荔子情》
专栏隔周三刊载他的旧作，由其子陈敏良、陈敏华两兄弟翻译成英文。

　　This article was written by a late Malayan Chinese 
writer, Chen Qing-shan who was active in the 1920s. This 
column appears every other Wednesday, featuring his works 
which are translated into English by his sons, Peter Chen 
and Michael Tan. 

　　1958年2月至1960年1月，陈晴山总共写了大约20封信给到澳洲读
书的长子陈敏良。陈敏良选了其中7封在本报陆续发表，选择准则是
它们都反映了其父“为师”的一面。每一封选刊的信件都能让人学到
些东西，信件的语调是循循善诱且极具鼓励性。本期选刊第二、第三
封家书。

　　Altogether, Chen Qing-shan wrote Peter Chen 20 letters 
between February 1958 and January 1960. Peter Chen left home
for studies in Australia in February 1958. He has selected 7
of these letters for publication. They were selected because
they all portray the "teacher" in his father. A lesson or 
lessons could be drawn from each of the letters selected. 
The tone of the letters is always patient, often 
encouraging. The second and the third letters are printed 
today.