The 1900 Plague of San Francisco: Perspective from the Chinese Community/ 1900年的“瘟疫”与旧金山唐人街

本人对此消息的英译

The Monkey Is Dead

Yesterday[1]some Western newspaper[2]reported that the suspicion—a coming plague voiced by that doctor—is now “dead” and has returned to the “Neverland” without a trace. The previously infected monkey was still healthy. Alas! The life and death of the monkey is critical to the reputation of the Chinatown. Isn’t it a serious situation? If the monkey knew that its being alive could remove the panic of the whole Chinatown, the money would be very happy when thinking about it. Of course the Chinese were also happy to know the news.[3]Was the news in Western newspapers a blessing for the monkey, or for the Chinatown? It was happy news for the Chinese population, but a bad one for that doctor. Unexpectedly, this morning a Western newspaper reports that the monkey is dead. The news also indicates that the reason for its demise is starvation, not disease. Well, poor monkey, you are unlucky to fall into hands of such a doctor!

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[1]March 13, 1990.

[2]Means American newspapers, since Americans are “Westerners” to the Chinese.

[3] The monkey is alive and healthy.

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(Zhongxi ribao, March 14, 1900, issue 23, Item # 18

Controversy concerning the death of a monkey; uncertainties surrounding the diagnosis)

© by Dun Wang (王敦). All rights reserved. 著作权拥有者：Dun Wang (王敦)。