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.
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