Dear Editor,
Your new cover style, where the cover matches with the article inside, is a welcome change. I also like the answers to the letters section and the readers' survey.
I have read Sinorama for only two years, but read it carefully. Besides reporting about Taiwan, it gives me and my foreign friends a great deal of information that we can talk about. Below are some questions and opinions that I would like to share with you.
1) Is there any difference between the foreign and domestic editions?
2) I read the Chinese-English foreign edition, and am puzzled why some articles are translated while others are not. We can understand that some articles do not require translation. But why was the Youth Day article in the March issue not translated?
3) The foreign edition is to inform foreign friends, people interested in Taiwan and overseas Chinese about Taiwan. This poses no problem for those that can read Chinese, but for those who can read only English, it presents the following difficulties.
a) the cover is in Chinese and thus cannot attract the English reader's attention. Do you think you could change this?
b) the "Editor's Note" is not translated, meaning the editor and the English readers cannot communicate.
c) some of the entries on the Table of Contents page are without English translations. Many foreign friends have been curious and wonder if the articles without English titles are for Chinese readers only. Could you translate the title and provide a brief summary of the untranslated articles? Please also explain why it was not translated.
d) many untranslated articles have considerable reference value, such as the March article on Youth Day (many people are not familiar with China's revolutionary history), the July article about the mayor of Kao-hsiung, a topic of international interest, and the August article on copyright law, a matter of concern to people everywhere.
4) If the title of the cover story appeared on the cover, it would have more of an impact on the reader.
I offer the above opinions and questions because I enjoy reading Sinorama and wish you every success.
Hsu Hui-li Munich, West Germany
Editor's Note:
The foreign and domestic editions of Sinorama are identical. The only modifications we make are to remove the advertisements aimed at the domestic market, which cuts our mailing cost.
Some of the articles remain untranslated because of time considerations. At present almost all of the articles are translated, including the table of contents page and the editor's note. In addition, as you have requested, we are printing the issue date in both languages. Putting English titles on the cover involves questions of design, and we are still considering the matter.
Putting the title of the cover story on the cover is a good idea, which we have adopted. Perhaps you have already noticed.
We appreciate your valuable suggestions and look forward to hearing from you again.
Dear Sir,
Please can you help me?
I am a 21-year-old English girl living in London and I would like very much to write to a girl student of about my age living in Taiwan.
My interests are Chinese martial arts (I am learning Shaolin kung fu), most music, folk art and singing. I am also learning Cantonese dialect Chinese (as that is what is used in my kung fu class!)
I buy Sinorama every month from a local shop, and I wish very much to visit Taiwan some day as it looks so green and beautiful.
Perhaps you could print this letter and then maybe someone would like an English pen-friend?
Yours faithfully, Emma Blake (Miss) London, England
Editor's note: Sinorama has received recently many letters asking for pen pals. At present, however, finding pen pals falls outside the range of our activities, and we have turned the letters over to the Chinese Pen Pal Association.
Dear Editor,
Thank you for sending me the September issue of Sinorama.
Last night the moon was so full and bright, it woke me from my sleep and made me think of those poor ghosts without homes. Next month a full moon means time for mooncakes, the mid-Autumn Festival. So I got up and wrote you this letter, wishing you the best. I especially would like to thank Theresa Wang for her beautiful articles. I wish her the best, and wish the same for the rest of you and our country.
Huang Chia Seattle, U.S.
Dear Editor,
I felt your questionnaire and teachers' roundtable covered many important points in a way everyone could understand. It touched on all areas of education and was very interesting. I send you this feedback to express my appreciation of a job well done.
Cheng Yin-yuan, Teacher Taichung, Taiwan