'File 14/115 VII Annex (B 9) Abu Musa oxide: collected background material on the case' [‎190r] (390/1904)

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rVrn^ 0 ^.*-v. ' .r 1 ? KnoVf !e ^ a ^ e and well versed in matters of business, and
maWp ^ r+- ^4-°" 1 ' a ■^ OU ^ n ^ ca ^ e * He has not the presumption to
of thp r.v^rlp ^ 1? me +t/ direc tion . For, just as 1 told yon, he is only a purchaser
toh,. H ^,notmgrnore. Whether it be he or someone else, whoever wants
wS i? 0X1( ? e T'f th ® P rice 8uit8 me 1 Bhall sell it. Do not let any idea
beyond this eiuer your head. You may rest assured.
(Letter goes on to speak of other matters.)
Appendix 24.
i ne Rev. S.M. Zwemer to
w; + r w /• , . ■, 29. 1911.
, v ' ith reference to the meaning ol the Arabic sentence and the probable intention
0 .ae writer The lowest of the four classes into which East India Company civil servants were divided. A Writer’s duties originally consisted mostly of copying documents and book-keeping. m using those words concerning which point you asked my opinion. I
take pleasure m replying as follows :— J r >
. , Fl f st ' ^ 18 evident that whoever wrote the sentence was not a thorough scholar
m Arabic, as he confused the masculine and feminine forms in the last word of the
sentence. Tomy mmd the obvious translation of the phrase is, "the annulment of this
agreement is better than its acceptance." I do not think it is at all obvious or possible
0 . ^anslate the sentence " the annulment of this agreement is better than to'complv
with (his wishes). This translation is, to my mind, a forced one, and not the natural
signmcance of the words in question, whatever be their connection,
I am confirmed in this opinion after consulting with one or two Arabs concerning
the popular use of the pronoun in such a sentence, and I find that they agree with me
tnat there is a great looseness m the use of the feminine or masculine" nronoun at the
c^ose of a clause or sentence. I am sure that nine out of ten Arabs would give the
preference to the former translation of the sentence as the obvious and natural intention
01 the writer The lowest of the four classes into which East India Company civil servants were divided. A Writer’s duties originally consisted mostly of copying documents and book-keeping. .
Although my opinion does not carry weight beyond that of others who have a
speaking ana reading knowledge of Arabic, yet I feel confident that in this case it is
not a matter or expert grammatical opinion, but of everyday usage in the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran.
and i have no hesitation m saying that the first translation*is the right one.
hi \
Appendix 25.
Note by Khan Bahadur Abdul Latif on
Letter to Hassan Samieh, dated 8th Zilhejjeh, 1907)!'
I beg to refer to the sentence in my letter dated 8th Zilhiijeh, 1324 (23rd Januarv
1907), which runs as follows :—
^ jrjjh Jlkx.wl
and about the meaning of which there have been arguments.
I beg to say that my meaning when I wrote the sentence was
(" The annulment of this agreement is better than the acceptance of this
agreement.")
It is not hidden from your Honour that I received my education in the Gulf, and
that 1 am not an expert in the niceties of grammar and the shades of meaning of
various measures of words. When I write, I write according to the usages and under
standing of the community in which I live.