辜鸿铭著《张文襄幕府纪闻》有题为“不解”一则云：

An Anecdote from Ku Hung-ming’s “Hearsay Accounts at the Secretariat of Chang Tsu-tung.”



昔年陈立秋侍郎兰彬，出使美国，有随员徐某，夙不解西文。一日，持西报展览颇入神。

Many year ago, a Mr. Hsu was in the suite of Chen Lan-ping, who had been a vice minister at home and was then sent on a mission to the USA. Though quite ignorant of English, Mr. Hsu was seen one day holding in his hand an English newspaper, and reading it with absorbing interest.

使馆译员见之，讶然曰：“君何时谙识西文乎？”

The interpreters of the Legation who had witnessed the scene asked him in surprise: “When did you learn English?”

徐曰：“我固不谙。”

“I have not yet learned it,” the other replied.

译员曰：“君既不谙西文，阅此奚为？”

With great astonishment, the interpreters went on: “Since you don’t know English, why on earth should you read the paper?”

徐答曰：“余以为阅西文固不解，阅诸君之翻译文亦不解。同一不解，固不如阅西文之为愈也。”

“I cannot understand English,” Mr. Hsu answered quietly, “nor can I understand your translation. So I think it’s better to read the original than to read the translation of yours, because both are Greek to me.”

至今传为笑柄。

This has been told as a laughing-stock since then.