A Hakka writer in Taiwan

[CHUNG Yoon-Ngan <chungyn@mozart.collective.com.au>]

   A Hakka writer in Taiwan

  On page five in a Taiwanese newspaper called Central Daily News (Zhong  
Yang Ri4 Bao4) dated 15th June 1998 there is an article by Zhang Fang4 
about a novel written by a Hakka author whose name is Zeng Shu-Zhen.
The book is entitled "Tong4 Xi Qiu Shan4" (my translation: Sadly
Agonizing Over The Lost Of A Summer Fan).

  Zeng Shu-Zhen is a Hakka woman who was born and grew up in a Hakka 
village near the Hakka city of Miao2 Li4 which is about eighty 
kilometers south of Taipei, the capital of Taiwan. Her book is full of 
Hakka nursery rhymes and ancient Hakka language, according to Zhang 
Fang4. She also described the industrious, virtuous and ethical 
morality of village Hakka women.       

Some of her Hakka language (in pinyin by me):

By Zeng Shu-Zhen                   my lousy translation
----------------                   ----------------------

Yi Zhang Tai2,                      A table,
Si4 Si4 Fang Fang Yi Zhang Tai2,    A square table,
Nian2 Nian2 Du4 Shu An3 Ye3 Lai2.   Yearly I used it for studying.

Nin2 Du4 San Nian2 Bu4 Shi2 Zi4,    You after studying for three years 
                                    knew not a character.
Wo3 Du4 San Nian2 Jin4 Xiu4 Cai2.   I after studying for three years
                                    became a scholar. 


Xian Sheng Jiao4 Wo3 Ren2 Zhi Chu,  Teacher taught me human beings in the 
                                    beginning were,  
An3 Jiao4 Xian Sheng Da3 Shan Zhu,  I taught teacher how to hunt wild pig,
Shan Zhu Piao Guo4 He2,             The wild pig crossed the river,
Die Dao4 Xian Sheng Bei4 Tuo2 Tuo2. Teacher felt down with a sore back. 


Hope I can get that book from a Chinese bookshop in China town.

CHUNG Yoon-Ngan.