There’s a great interview with YR Chao up on the USC library site. It’s part of their China Scholars Series and is called Chinese linguist, phonologist, composer and author, Yuen Ren Chao. All in all it’s about 240 pages or more, which includes the index, all hyperlinked together, which is nice.
Here’s a quick sample:
Later, when you were making decisions about which course of academics to follow–and of course you talked about these things with fellow-students–I wonder to what degree questions of national obligation entered into your decision making.
Chao
I think very little. We thought that with so many of us, probably our different interests would cover most of the needs. [Laughter] As for myself, I was just self-centered; I just followed the interests I had.
Schneider
What about your interest in language?
Chao
That started very early because of the early language experience I had. My people came from what we call the South, which means the Kiangsu, Chekiang region–the Wu dialect region. My grandfather spoke Mandarin very poorly, and so did my father. I think my mother was the only one who spoke a fairly good Mandarin. At home, we children always spoke Mandarin.
Then, as soon as we started to learn to read and write, we were taught the Changchow pronunciation in the Wu dialect, so that at one time I could only speak in the northern dialect and read in the southern. Moving about, even within what’s now called Hopeh province, we were exposed to various kinds of accents. When we went back to Changchow later, we were exposed to even more varieties of dialect. That’s how I got interested in all these different matters of pronunciation and matters of vocabulary among different dialects.
I’m slightly biased, what with his excellent work on the Changzhou dialect and Chinese linguistics in general. That said, if you’re interested in the history of language reform in China or Chinese linguistics in general, I recommend the read. There’s a bit on Gwoyeu Romatzyh, Chao’s attempt at a Romanisation system and more on his own dialect studies.
So take a look if you’ve got the time. The things you find when killing time on library sites.
Gotta love this from the legal boilerplate: “The legal agreement with Yuen Ren Chao requires that he be notified of the request and allowed thirty days in which to respond.” Since he died in 1982, I don’t think thirty days will be enough.
His wife Yang Buwei 楊步偉 is credited with introducing the English term “stir-fry” in a cookbook entitled How to Cook and Eat in Chinese. I especially like the idea of “eating in Chinese”.
I actually didn’t even read that until now. Considering permission would never be able to be granted within their own requirements, well…
Well, no. It doesn’t grant him a veto, it just means a 30-day delay during which he doesn’t answer.
I’m told that at formal musters of the Army of the Philippines, the name of Douglas McArthur is called, and someone replies “Present in spirit”.
Anyway, I’ve now read the whole thing, and a fascinating conversation it is too. What a polite and friendly person he was, and so straightforward! “What was your opinion of so-and-so?” “I didn’t know him at that time.” “When did you write this song?” “I really can’t remember!” Lots of laughter in the transcript too.