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steampunk_nusantara2010-03-21 05:10 pm
yiduiqie) wrote in steampunk_nusantara2010-03-21 05:10 pm
Entry tags:
transcript: letter fragment
Below is a fragment from a letter that I suspect was written on behalf of the Immortal Dowager CiXi, Regent of the Middle Kingdom, to the Sultan of Johor. The letter has no written date, but carbon dating of the paper (previously undertaken; unsure when this was done) indicates it is approximately one hundred and fifty years old, which corresponds with the Dowager's one and only visit to the Sultanate of Johor. Although Johor was of course of significance to the Middle Kingdom, the Dowager's reliance on her impressive and technologically advanced life-extending throne made it difficult for her to travel, and required any hosting countries to provide the party with significant quantities of fuel for both the Imperial Airship and the throne to return back to the Middle Kingdom.
蟻后她的參加，一個綠色的朝服被留下。很多僕人被懲罰。 這是朝服是絲綢，有細膩的刺繡，也只皇室讓傳它。。。
。。。粗暴他離開；她的館子排放煙霧，她很生。。。*
[trans: A green chaofu, delicately embroidered, was left behind after her visit. Many servants have been punished [for its loss]. The material is a silk, delicately [exquisitely?] embroidered, and may only be worn by one who is within the royal family...he [the Sultan?] abruptly left [rudely left? perhaps some insult was tendered at this point], her pipes emitted black smoke [nb: this is a direct reference to the Dowager's throne], she very [something - perhaps angry? possibly afraid?]...]
The letter is torn here, and the translation remains incomplete.
There are a number of articles of clothing in the SPS collection; certain other rather unscrupulous foreign organisations have been eager to rifle through it whilst our backs are metaphorically turned, so we should get on to it as soon as possible, to see if this artefact is indeed located within the collection. It would be a magnificent find, and reveal much to us about a) the politics of the Middle Kingdom and the Sultanate of Johor at the time, and b) the Dowager's throne.
*ooc: eh my trad characters are not very good, if someone wants to suggest a more correct alternate please do.
蟻后她的參加，一個綠色的朝服被留下。很多僕人被懲罰。 這是朝服是絲綢，有細膩的刺繡，也只皇室讓傳它。。。
。。。粗暴他離開；她的館子排放煙霧，她很生。。。*
[trans: A green chaofu, delicately embroidered, was left behind after her visit. Many servants have been punished [for its loss]. The material is a silk, delicately [exquisitely?] embroidered, and may only be worn by one who is within the royal family...he [the Sultan?] abruptly left [rudely left? perhaps some insult was tendered at this point], her pipes emitted black smoke [nb: this is a direct reference to the Dowager's throne], she very [something - perhaps angry? possibly afraid?]...]
The letter is torn here, and the translation remains incomplete.
There are a number of articles of clothing in the SPS collection; certain other rather unscrupulous foreign organisations have been eager to rifle through it whilst our backs are metaphorically turned, so we should get on to it as soon as possible, to see if this artefact is indeed located within the collection. It would be a magnificent find, and reveal much to us about a) the politics of the Middle Kingdom and the Sultanate of Johor at the time, and b) the Dowager's throne.
*ooc: eh my trad characters are not very good, if someone wants to suggest a more correct alternate please do.
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