PRELIMINARY NOTE. The late W. P. Mayers has given in his "Chinese Reader's Manual", pp. 366-390, a very good chronological list of the Emperors of China and of their nien-hao or titles of reign. The same list is found in the Appendix to the "Dictionnaire Français-Latin-Chinois" of the Abbé Paul Perny, pp. 25 - 93 and, besides, in many other authors, but without the Chinese characters added to it. As far as we are aware, an alphabetical list of these designations has never been published; and however useful the abovenamed lists may be, they are not very convenient for reference. Supposing, e.g. that a Chinese student reads in a Chinese author, that such and such a fact occurred in the third year of the period Yung-Kia he will have to peruse the whole list of some 500 and odd Nien-hao in Mayers's tables, till he meets with this name, which occasions an enormous loss of time. In turning up our alphabetical tables, he will find at a glance that the period Yung-Kia commenced in the year A.D. 307, so that the 3rd year corresponds to the year A.D. 309. In referring to Mayers's tables, he will see then that this designation was adopted by the emperor Hwai Ti of the Western dynasty or Tsin-dynasty. The same may be said of the names of the Emperors - the dynastic title or Miao hao. There are so many Kao-tsu'a, Wu-ti's, Wen-ti's, Fei-ti's, that the reader is bewildered to find out which one is meant by his Chinese author, or in European works on China, wherein generally no Chinese characters are added, and wherein the name is only represented by the transcription. Our alphabetical list gives at a glance the desired name or dynastic title, the beginning and duration of the reign of the emperor in question, as also (between brackets) the dynasty to which he belongs. Although we do not presume that our lists have a great scientific value, still we think that Chinese students will find them a convenient and practical guide for ascertaining, at a moments notice, a given name or date.

In The Early Dutch Sinologists Koos Kuiper gives a detailed account of the studies and work of the 24 Dutchmen trained as “interpreters” for the Netherlands Indies before 1900. Most began studying at Leiden University, then went to Amoy to study southern Chinese dialects. Their main functions were translating Dutch law into Chinese, advising the courts on Chinese law and checking Chinese accounts books, later also regulating coolie affairs. Actually their services were not always appreciated and there was not enough work for them; later many pursued other careers in the Indies administration or in scholarship. This study also analyses the three dictionaries they compiled. Based on a wealth of primary sources, it gives a fascinating picture of personal cross-cultural contacts.

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Against the historical background of Chinese translation in the West and the emergence of several prominent European translators of China, this book examines the role of a translator in terms of cross-cultural communication, the image of the foreign culture in the minds of the target audience, and the influence of their translations on the target culture. With the focus on the career and output of the Dutch translator Henri Borel (1869–1933), this study investigates different aspects of the role of translator. The investigation is carried out by analysing texts and probing the achievements and contributions of the translator, underpinned by documents from the National Archives and the Literature Museum in the Hague, the Netherlands. Based on the findings derived from this study, advice is offered to those now involved in the promotion and translation of Chinese culture and literature. It will make an important contribution to the burgeoning history of Chinese translation. This book will be of interest to anyone with an interest or background in the translation history of China, the history of sinology in the West, and the role of translators.