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It would be obviously unfair to describe the Chinese people as wanting in humour simply because they are tickled by jests which leave us comparatively unmoved. Few of our own most amusing stories will stand conversion into Chinese terms.

— Herbert Giles A History of Chinese Literature (1901)

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More quotes by Herbert Giles

A Chinese poem is at best a hard nut to crack.

A History of Chinese Literature (1901)

It must however always be borne in mind that translators are but traitors at the best, and that translations may be moonlight and water while the originals are sunlight and wine.

It must always be borne in mind that translators are but traitors at the best, and that translations may be moonlight and water while the originals are sunlight and wine.

During the four hundred years of Han supremacy the march of civilization went steadily forward. Paper and ink were invented, and also the camel's-hair brush, both of which gave a great impetus to the arts of writing and painting.

The Civilization of China (1911)

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Quote text and notes from Wikiquote: Herbert Giles (page history), available under CC BY-SA 4.0. Source quality and labels are our own summary of what Wikiquote records.