《平胡大都督李示》

「有無咁誇呀？」WY聽後說。

清末小刀會在上海起事或作亂，頭目李咸池發布告示：

...... 慨自滿賊篡位以來，禮儀不存，廉恥盡喪。暴斂橫征，野皆狼心狗行之吏；賣官鬻爵，朝盡兔頭獐腦之人。有錢生，無錢死，衙門竟同市肆；朘民膏，剝民脂，官府直如盜賊。而且選舉不公，登庸盡棄，八旗之族滿朝廷，六合之英伏草莽。登第發甲，徒作田舍之翁；納賄捐資，旋登天府之籍。所以政教日衰，風俗頹敗，人心離而國勢難支矣。......

---- 1853年9月7日《平胡大都督李示》

科大衛譯文如下：

... Since the Manchurian bandits capture the throne, propriety has ceased to exist, and all sense of shame has been lost. All over the country, there are officals with the hearts of wolves and the practice of dogs, who are oppressive, and whose demands are arbitary. They sell official posts and titles, and the Imperial Court is thus staffed with people with rabbit heads and deer breasts. The ya-men is like a market: Those who have money may live, and those who do not die. Nomination to official titles is unjust, employment is wasted. Bannermen fill the Imperial Court, and brilliant people from all quarters fall to the wayside. Those who are successful in examinations aim only to cultivate their own estates. Through bribery, they can reach high positions. Consequently, order has declined, and customs degenerate. People's hearts are not together and the country cannot depend itself...

---- David Faure, Secret societies, heretic sects, and peasan rebellions in nineteeth century china.

譯文何等精采。我懷疑外國學生唸通識，上起中國明清史的課來，讀到這篇論文，可能還會不期然以為中國人的告示，向來都是用這種英文寫的呢。

「有無咁誇呀？」WY聽後說。