Author: Alan Chalmers

John Chalmers’ English and Cantonese Dictionary offers a valuable glimpse into the state of Cantonese that was spoken in Canton and in the colony of Hong Kong during the late nineteenth and the early twentieth century; through the comprehension of, and the presentation made by, Mr. Chalmers and some other foreigners. Anyone who has only heard Chinese spoken in Putonghua/Mandarin, can now hear how different Chinese may sound in Cantonese; and how different its style and expression are from that of Putonghua.<br><br /> Words were listed in alphabetical order, each of which was accompanied by its corresponding Chinese characters (logograms), and was followed by tonal markings for its Cantonese pronunciation. Additional words and/or expressions in Cantonese that derived from the word were also found in many of the entries. A handy introduction to the rules for pronouncing Cantonese and those for their tonal markings could also be found.<br><br /> Please refer to the <a href="https://archive.org/download/english_and_cantonese_dictionary_2005_librivox/englishcantonesedictionary_2005_booklet.pdf">appended booklet</a> for further remarks by the reader and a full index of this recording. (summary by the reader) <br><br> Additional Proof Listening by <a href="https://librivox.org/reader/13265">YuqingJune</a>

Thomas Chalmers had read, when a young man, several infidel productions. Their semblance of logic and learning, and supercilious confidence of style, disposed him to regard all religion as mere superstition. His mind was poisoned. Accustomed as he had been to the positive and precise reasonings of mathematics, he could not find similar proofs for Christianity. But he was induced, by some friends, to study <a href="https://librivox.org/the-analogy-of-religion-to-the-constitution-and-course-of-nature-by-joseph-butler/">Butler’s Analogy</a>. This, as he expresses it, took Christianity “out of the class of unlikelihoods.” It brought him to the investigation, as if the evidence was neither plus nor minus. He examined the evidences as he would have done a declaration that Cicero weighed just one hundred and fifty pounds; open to the smallest proof or presumption on the positive side of the question. Delivered from prejudice, not only against Christianity but against its proofs, he soon saw the madness of deism, and immovably accepted the word of God, though he did not, at that time, feel its transforming power on his own heart. Long afterwards he writes, “I cannot render sufficient homage to the argument, which first, addressing itself to the subject-matter of Christianity, relieves it of all disproof, and pronounces it worthy of a trial; and then, addressing itself to the evidence of Christianity, relieves it of all objections, and makes good, to that evidence, all the entireness and efficiency which natively belong to it.” Years afterwards he said, “Butler made me a Christian.” That it did far more for him than to effect his change of sentiment, that it continued to be a light in his firmament, is touchingly told in the Preface of his Bridgewater Treatise, where he says, “I have derived greater aid from the views and reasonings of Butler, than I have been able to find, besides, in the whole range of our extant authorship.” (Summary by Howard Malcom)

The astronomical objection against the truth of the Gospel, does not occupy a very prominent place in any of our Treatises of Infidelity. It is often, however, met with in conversation — and we have known it to be the cause of serious perplexity and alarm in minds anxious for the solid establishment of their religious faith. There is an imposing splendour in the science of Astronomy; and it is not to be wondered at, if the light it throws, or appears to throw, over other tracks of speculation than those which are properly its own, should at times dazzle and mislead an inquirer. On this account, we think it were a service to what we deem a true and a righteous cause, could we succeed in dissipating this illusion, and in stripping Infidelity of those pretensions to enlargement, and to a certain air of philosophical greatness, by which it has often become so destructively alluring to the young, and the ardent, and the ambitious. - Summary by Preface

The two series of Biblical compositions now to be offered to the public, were commenced by Dr. Chalmers in October 1841, and continued with unbroken regularity till the day of his decease. Go where he might, however he might be engaged, each week-day had its few verses read, thought over, written upon. - Summary by Editor's Preface