Protestant Bible Translation and Mandarin as the National Language of China

427 Pages·2017·7.444 MB·

by  George Kam Wah Mak

i
Protestant Bible Translation and Mandarin as the National Language of China
© Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, 2017 | doi 10.1163/9789004316300_001
ii
Sinica Leidensia
Edited by
Barend J. ter Haar
Maghiel van Crevel
In co-operation with
P.K. Bol, D.R. Knechtges, E.S. Rawski,
W.L. Idema, H.T. Zurndorfer
VOLUME 131
The titles published in this series are listed at brill.com/sinl
iii
Protestant Bible Translation
and Mandarin as the National
Language of China
By
George Kam Wah Mak
LEIDEN | BOSTON
iv
Cover illustration: Title page, Chuang shi ji: Guoyu hehe yiben, fu biao zhuyin zimu 創世記：國語和合
譯本、附標注音字母 [Genesis, Mandarin Union Version, printed in Chinese characters and the
National Phonetic Alphabet] (Shanghai: British and Foreign Bible Society and American Bible Society,
1934). Reproduced by permission of the British and Foreign Bible Society’s Library (Bible Society’s
Library), Cambridge University Library.
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Mak, George Kam Wah, author.
Title: Protestant Bible translation and Mandarin as the national language of
China / by George Kam Wah Mak.
Description: Leiden ; Boston : Brill, 2017. | Series: Sinica Leidensia, ISSN
0169-9563 ; VOLUME 131 | Includes bibliographical references and index.
Identifiers: LCCN 2016016312 (print) | LCCN 2016019422 (ebook) | ISBN
9789004316270 (hardback : alk. paper) | ISBN 9789004316300 (E-book)
Subjects: LCSH: Bible--Translating--China--History. | Bible. Chinese. He he
ben--History. | Chinese language--Standardization--History.
Classification: LCC BS315.C59 M36 2016 (print) | LCC BS315.C59 (ebook) | DDC
220.5/951109--dc23
LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2016016312
Typeface for the Latin, Greek, and Cyrillic scripts: “Brill”. See and download: brill.com/brill-typeface.
issn 0169-9563
isbn 978-90-04-31627-0 (hardback)
isbn 978-90-04-31630-0 (e-book)
Copyright 2017 by Koninklijke Brill nv, Leiden, The Netherlands.
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ContentCsontents v
Contents
Acknowledgments vii
List of Figures and Tables xi
List of Abbreviations xiii
Conventions xiv
Introduction 1
1 The Emergence of the Mandarin Protestant Bible and the Idea of
Tongxing Mandarin in Chinese Protestant Bible Translation 32
Mandarin: The Lingua Franca of the Officials or the Common
Language? 33
Was There a Standard Mandarin? 38
The Emergence of the Mandarin Protestant Bible 47
Towards a Tongxing Mandarin: A Prelude to Mandarin as the National
Language of China 59
2 Institutional Patronage and the Mandarin Bible as the Tongxing Bible in
China 79
The British and Foreign Bible Society (BFBS) 79
The BFBS in China 83
How did the BFBS Promote Mandarin Bible Translation and
Circulation? 97
Financial Sponsorship 97
Honorary Roll 101
Colportage System 107
The BFBS’s Ideological Control over Mandarin Bible Translation 128
Case 1 The Greek Text of the Mandarin Union Version 133
Case 2 The ‘Without Note or Comment’ Principle and the BFBS’s
Translational Helps for the Mandarin Bible 145
3 The Use of the Mandarin Bible and the Promotion of Mandarin as
Guoyu 162
The Mandarin Bible, the Building of a Biblical and Literate Chinese
Church, and the Promotion of Mandarin as Guoyu 163
How did the Mandarin Bible as a Text Promote the Use of Mandarin as
Guoyu? 187
In Church-related Settings 187
Outside the Church 199
vi Contents
4 Biblical Mandarin and Modern Chinese Lexicon 231
Fandui 反對 234
Shijie 世界 241
Xiaoxi 消息 249
Yijian 意見 250
Ziyou 自由 252
5 Biblical Mandarin and Modern Chinese Grammar 258
The Transposition of the yinwei 因為 Subordinate Clause 259
Contents
CALLCI niioocsstknnttr onvtooeedoffnn uwFAttcilsbiget obiudonrrgnvseem  vsi eaax1nntiitvdos  nTas vbiliexsi iixiTBTBRArhiie bbNasenlleo eiUasct lSearsaco leto hMc ionn iMef agt tt nheithehdetesh eaP oaM rBrindiniamodb nal latoednhrg adyieynr tS iMtanhoon eau BTd nrDio cbdSneelcavegsore xiUaplninoesn Bpde gdm i tb通 h2ieln7een行 TaPt shro otiMfshm M aBeon ooTtdodiooakennr rgin nox 3 fCin 0Mhg1i7a nBneidbseale r iinn2 a4Csh giunoa yu 1i8n Republican China 21 TTThhheee EIEnxxcppraaennasddieenddg UUUssseeess o oofff ‘ ytzhia 一ei 在b’e a i s被 2a7 MP9aasrskievre oCfo Innsdteruficntiitoenn ess2 63275
CT hhea pEtmere 1rgence of the MandariMWTTnoh aawPens ra EdTormahtdereseis rnartega: TeTanon htSn ceBtgea iL xnboiidnlfne agtg hrau dMnea MdM aF ntraahadnnenadd rcIaaidanrrie i:onn aAf? Po  tPhrfro eT3et 8oOleunsfdtfgaiexcn ititano lB gsMi oMbarlne at ndhader4 aCi7rnoi nam sim nth oCenh N iLnaatenisogenu Paalrg oLet?ae nsgta3u3nagt eB oibf lCe hTirnaan sla5t9ion 32
CI nhsatipttuetri o2nal Patronage and theTTHFHC ihhoMoonleenwapa oBBno ndrrFcrdatiiiBdataraiSyg lrst ihSeihRnn p eSoa oB CylnBlnsi hdFbtsei BolnFm1erS0oa s a 1Pr hesri ipo1tg80h mn37e oB 9Tti7eob nlMeg aSxnoindcgiae rBtiyni b (BBleiFb iBlneS )CT hrai7nn9sal ati7o9n and Circulation?  97 Conclusion 295
CT CB CB hiihhhbbeaaall pppiiUcctttaaseeeellrrr MMo345faa tnnhddeaa Mrriinnan aadnnaddr iMMn ooBddibeerrlennTCCTHIOFSXYZTTTT anCCahhhhhhhiiaaiunoyja hhniCssieeeeeetwdojaoeesiid ihTBMEIEu nnei xn t12nuddur F xx hiee 世 自aaecii 意rBppT消ss deT nrn反cteeSaa he h界h由hPsdt見 ’nnase息LGhpee-ra對 sddr eI oeoG r rC‘ie deeWxi n asmrMlhn ddeiiameg2t2cui o2 oe Btita2UU45oUro52mlehktn4io21cn3ssi0dn bosT9hodgeea4e  u leSi onassre ctxo e rf, ooa otN2 itftt1 nfftl 3hof9ho‘ i2yC tz1fn9eMBte5h iaeot g 8iBe一hy ibanos uie在nb lrtne i’r Med Clw oadia 1ao slae8s被i r mnoi n7aia2 nv因g dm 7 MTeP a9oaerae為rafs xnsMi r ansGttk i ’ aSPBe vuUPnurreiorn obdb oyiCimnlaofuoio ccrrI noinidannpt lsiVdel n1taBee 6erta nirua2fhtbisdcneneil t eod LiCiUt on iTetltsnha nreeaue re n oas1sBet3fss2Fe  l 3M6aB C3tSai22h’osn57i nT5n9d reaasrnei1n2 sC l8aahstu iGorncuhaol,y aHun?ed lp tsh1 f8eo7 rP trhoem Moatinodna orfin M Baibnldea ri1n4 5as Guoyu 163 ABIGnipebdnpleieexorn gaodrlf ia IxBpn ihdbyel3 ix0c 7a3l5 3V19e7rses 389
CAABIGnioppebdnpnpleeiceexonlrn ugaoddrslfi iai xIxoBpn ni hdb yel 3ixc20 a993l5 53V19e7rses 389 307
AcknowAlcekdgnmowenltesdgments vii
Acknowledgments
I am indebted to many for their support and assistance in the preparation and
completion of this book, a revised and expanded version of my doctoral dis-
sertation which I defended at the University of Cambridge in May 2011. First of
all, I would like to express my deepest gratitude to my Doktorvater, Professor
Hans van de Ven, and my Doktormutter, Dr Susan Daruvala, for their help, en-
couragement and guidance. They have shown a consistent interest in my re-
search on the history of Chinese Bible translation since I began my doctoral
studies at Cambridge. Their generosity and rigour inspired me to attempt my
own; Their unfailing support is instrumental in the completion of this book.
I also wish to thank Professor Timothy H. Barrett and Professor Barend ter
Haar, my doctoral examiners, for their constructive criticism of my work. Not a
few of their suggestions have been incorporated into this book.
My grateful thanks are extended to Professor Robert Gordon and Professor
Takamitsu Muraoka, whose patience and kindness are indispensable to my
better understanding of biblical Hebrew. Through his Aramaic course, the Rev-
erend Brian Mastin helped me refresh my biblical Aramaic as well as introduc-
ing me to the Aramaic language of the Genesis Apocryphon. Dr Peter Head’s
course on advanced New Testament Greek offered me a good opportunity to
extend my knowledge of biblical Greek and New Testament textual criticism.
Also, my heartfelt appreciation goes to Professor Tung Yuan-fang, Professor
Roel Sterckx, Dr Adam Yuet Chau and Professor Ying Fuk Tsang for their en-
couragement in the course of my research for this book.
Peter Meadows (now deceased), Rosemary Mathew (now retired) and Dr
Onesimus Ngundu of the British and Foreign Bible Society’s Library (Bible So-
ciety’s Library) at Cambridge University Library deserve my special thanks.
Peter and Rosemary provided invaluable help in my research as early as the
summer of 2006, when I first visited the Bible Society’s Library to consult the
archival materials held there. For many years, I benefited greatly from their
professionalism. I am saddened that Peter passed away shortly before Good
Friday 2015, which means he will never be able to read this book. Onesimus not
only gave me dedicated assistance in finding relevant materials, he lent me
moral support when I made slow progress on this book.
Moreover, particular thanks are due to John Binnington, former Senior In-
formation Co-ordinator of the Scottish Bible Society (formerly known as the
National Bible Society of Scotland), and Kristin Hellmann, former Manager of
Library Services of the American Bible Society. Without their help I would not
have been able to gain access to the archival materials relating to Bible work in
viii Acknowledgments
late Qing and Republican China held by these Bible societies. I must also thank
the staff of the following institutions for facilitating the collection of primary
sources: The School of Oriental and African Studies (SOAS) Library of the Uni-
versity of London, the Burke Library at Union Theological Seminary, Columbia
University in the City of New York, the Shanghai Municipal Archives, Hong
Kong Baptist University Library, Stanford University Libraries, the National
Library of China and the University Library System of The Chinese University
of Hong Kong. Besides, I would like to acknowledge with gratitude the consis-
tent helpfulness and extraordinary patience of Patricia Radder and Thalien
Colenbrander of Brill Academic Publishers, and the conscientious efforts of
Lai Hei Chun and Fong Pik Hang, my research assistants who worked meticu-
lously on the bibliography and helped out with the indexes.
During my research stay in Shanghai from May to June 2009, the kindness
and hospitality of Yen Chi Nong and his daughter Karen saved me a lot of trou-
ble. I am much obliged to Professor Theodore Huters and Professor Yuan Jin,
both of whom offered me practical help and guidance not only when I was in
Shanghai but also after I left the city. Dr Chen Minghua, who was then a doc-
toral student at Fudan University, was generous to me, for he helped me make
copies of the Chinese materials in the Shanghai Municipal Archives which I
found useful after leaving Shanghai. Being one of the student associates in the
Nida School of Translation Studies 2009 is an unforgettable experience for me.
I am indebted to Professor Theo Hermans, Professor Christiane Nord, Dr Bryan
Harmelink, Dr Robert Hodgson and Dr Philip Noss for their valuable com-
ments on my work presented at the Nida School, which constitutes part of the
second chapter of this book.
I am especially thankful to the following friends, who have provided me
care, encouragement and company in the course of my research for this book:
Victor M.F. Cho helped me weather some difficult periods in my life. Dr Simon
C.C. Cheung not only shared with me his knowledge of the Old Tes tament and
biblical languages, he also mentored me concerning my religious life during
my doctoral studies at Cambridge. Whenever we met, Dr Isaac C.H. Fung, an
epidemiologist who has a great passion for and profound knowledge of the
Anglican Church in China, enjoyably discussed with me the history of Chinese
Protestantism. Also, many other friends gave me support, humour and distrac-
tions, all of which have made my research journey pleasurable. They include
but are not limited to the following: Charlotte de Blois, Dr Daniel K.T. Choi, Dr
John H. Feng, Dr Joseph Hong, Dr Kwok Wai Luen, Dr Kwong Chi Man, Dr John
T.P. Lai, Anthony and Mary Lau, Professor Lee Ken-fang, Dr Li Chen, Dr Li
Chun, Alice Lu, Dr Mai Ziyin, Dr Jonathan Mak, Ghassan Moazzin, Joseph
Y.W. Pang, Kiyo K.L. Pang, Park Dae-In, Dr Shu Sheng-chi, Kenneth K.F. Wong
Acknowledgments ix
(now deceased), Dr Karen Xu, Xu Mengyao, Dr Yin Zhiguang and Dr Faye
Dorcas Yung.
Financial support for my research described in this book came from a num-
ber of sources over the years. The Cambridge Overseas Trust (now the Cam-
bridge Commonwealth, European and International Trust) awarded me the
Prince Philip Graduate Exhibition (2007-2010) and additional funding for my
research stay in Shanghai and participation in the International Meeting of the
Society of Biblical Literature in 2009. Thanks to Liao Hongjia Graduate Student
Conference Bursaries of the Department of East Asian Studies at the Univer-
sity of Cambridge (2008-2010) and the Research Grants of Homerton College
(2007-2010), I was able to attend several other academically fruitful conferenc-
es, at which I presented some preliminary findings of my research and received
constructive feedback. The Universities’ China Committee in London awarded
me grants (2008-2009) for the same purpose and to partially cover expenses
related to my research stay in Shanghai. The General Research Fund of the
Research Grants Council of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region,
China (Project no. HKBU 12405414) and the Faculty Research Grant of Hong
Kong Baptist University (Project no. FRG2/14-15/008) provided me with fund-
ing for my overseas archival research for the second chapter of this book.
My sincere gratitude goes to the Bible Society’s Library at Cambridge Uni-
versity Library, the American Bible Society and the Scottish Bible Society for
permission to use their archival materials and publish images of these materi-
als. Permission is also kindly given by the Bible Society’s Library at Cambridge
University Library, Hong Kong Bible Society and United Bible Societies China
Partnership to publish images of their Chinese Bibles. Parts of this book have
appeared in other publications. I am grateful to the following publishers and
copyright holders for granting me permission to use material from my previous
publications:
1. An earlier version of the section “Towards a Tongxing Mandarin: A Pre-
lude to Mandarin as the National Language of China” of the first chapter
of this book was published in Chinese as “Shengjing fanyi zhong de
tongxing Guanhua gainian: Guanhua zuowei Zhongguo guojia yuyan de
qianzou 聖經翻譯中的通行官話概念—官話作為中國國家語言的前奏,”
in Zi Shangdi shuo Hanyu yilai: Heheben Shengjing jiushi nian 自上帝說漢
語以來—《和合本》聖經九十年, ed. Xie Pinran 謝品然 (Philip P. Chia)
and Zeng Qingbao 曾慶豹 (Chin Ken-pa) (Hong Kong: Centre for Ad -
vanced Biblical Studies and Application, 2010), 21-35. Used by Permission
of the Centre for Advanced Biblical Studies and Application.
x Acknowledgments
2. “The Colportage of the Protestant Bible in Late Qing China: The Example
of the British and Foreign Bible Society,” in Religious Publishing and Print
Culture in Modern China, 1800-2012, ed. Philip Clart and Gregory Adam
Scott (Boston and Berlin: De Gruyter, 2015), 17-49. Used by Permission of
De Gruyter.
3. “Laissez-faire or Active Intervention? The Nature of the British and For-
eign Bible Society’s Patronage of the Translation of the Chinese Union
Versions,” Journal of the Royal Asiatic Society 20, no. 2 (2010): 167-190.
© Royal Asiatic So ciety, Published in Partnership with Cambridge Uni-
versity Press. Used with Permission.
4. “To Add or not to Add? The British and Foreign Bible Society’s Defence of
the ‘Without Note or Comment’ Principle in Late Qing China,” Journal of
the Royal Asiatic Society 25, no. 2 (2015): 329-354. © Royal Asiatic Society,
Published in Partnership with Cambridge University Press. Used with
Permission.
5. “The Belated Formation of the China Bible House (1937): Nationalism
and the Indigenization of Protestantism in Republican China,” Bulletin of
the School of Oriental and African Studies 78, no. 3 (2015): 515-535. © SOAS,
University of London, Published by Cambridge University Press. Used
with Permission.
Finally, I am devotedly grateful to my parents, Wong Chan Oi and Mak Yuk
Ming, and my sister, Michelle Y.N. Mak. This book would not have come into
existence without their self-sacrifice and heartfelt encouragement. My pater-
nal grandfather, Mak Ying Ki, and my maternal grandfather, Wong Hung Wong,
for both of whom I have great respect, always had their children and grandchil-
dren in mind. I wish they were here to share with me the joy of completing this
book, but they have passed away. To my parents, sister and late grandfathers, I
dedicate this book.