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发表于 2010-10-14 23:11:23
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Canton Canton指广州的依据
在较为权威的《The Oxford English Dictionary》里,Canton是这样解释的:sb. The name of the city in southern China。
下面一段话摘自一本出版于1889年John Glasgow Kerr所写的英文广州旅游向导(Canton Guide, by Kerr, John Glasgow, 1824-1901),涉及了当时外国人对“广州”、“广东”、“广州府”的表达。The City of Canton is situated on Pearl River, 90 miles from Hongkong, On Lat 23 degrees 7 minutes N., and Long. 113 degrees 14 1/2 minutes E. It is the Capital of Kwong-tung Province, and contains about 1,000,000 inhabitants. It is the residence of the Viceroy of the two Kwong Provinces, and of high military and civil officals of the Province. It is also the seat of the officers of the Kwong Chau Department, and as the City is built in two Districts or Counties, it contains the Offices of two District Magistrates.
文中提及“广州”用“Canton”,“广东省”用“Kwong-tung Province”,“广州府”用“Kwong Chau Department”,“两广总督”用“Viceroy of the two Kwong Provinces”,而渠所指的“two Districts or Counties”则是“南海与番禺”。由此可见,当时对地域管辖的层次和地名的区别还是比较明确的。
“Canton”音似于“广东”,但在汉语拼音使用之前,“广东”的英文表达是如文中的“Kwongtung”或者“Kwangtung”(后种表达较迟一点出现)。就像今日在香港营业的“广东省银行”其英文名称就是“The Kwangtung Provincal Bank”;而九广铁路(KCR),即运营从九龙到广州的铁路在香港境内段的公司,其英文名称则是“Kowloon-Canton Railway”。在广州的“广州大厦”一英文名称亦作“Hotel Canton”。外国出版的地图上或者中国出版的英文版地图上,Guangzhou旁边常常都会加个括号里面写着Canton。
至于Cantonese从英文词根构成就可看出,当所指为一种语言时,是指The dialect of Canton,即“广州的方言”,只不过广府人都使用这种方言罢了。 |
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