Handbook of the Swatow Vernacular/Notes—Judicial

by Lim Hiong Seng

Lesson XXXI.
Notes—Judicial.

老爹坐堂或未

Lãu-tia tsõ-tn̂g a-būe?

Has the mandarin sat on the bench?

坐好久了

Tsõ-hoh-kú--lō

He has sat a long time.

要退堂了

Àiⁿ-thò-tn̂g--lō

He is going to retire now.

伊在審何案

I tõ sím sĩ-mih uàⁿ?

What case is he trying?

伊在審壹條刣人案

I tõ sím chék-tiôu thâi-nâng uàⁿ

He is trying a murder case.

老爹呾要去看屍

Lãu-tia tàⁿ-àiⁿ-khṳ̀ thóiⁿ si

The mandarin says he is going to see the corpse.

被告之人有認否

Pĩ-kò--kâi-nâng khah-ũ jīn-mē?

Does the person accused admit it?

無。伊呾不是伊刣

Bô, i tàⁿ m̄-sĩ i thâi

No, he said the man was not killed by him.

伊與老爹呾。老爺亞。我無罪

I kah lãu-tia tàⁿ, lãu-iâ--a, uá bô-tsũe

He said to the mandarin, "Your Worship, I am innocent."

我是被人枉屈

Uá sĩ khoih--nâng uáng-khut

"I am falsely accused by the people.

人要害我

Nâng-àiⁿ-hāi úa

"People wish to do me harm.

求老爺代我伸寃。可憐我

Khiû lãu-iâ thòi-úa sin-uan, khó-liên uá

"I beg Your Worship to investigate the case on my behalf, and to have mercy on me."

老爹呌伊訴

Lãu-tia kiè i sù

The mandarin asked him to make his statement.

伊呾甚多話

I tàⁿ hiàⁿ-chiàⁿ-tsōi ūe

He made a long statement.

老爹聽了就㸃頭

Lãu-tia thiaⁿ-lióu chiũ tak-thâu

The mandarin after hearing him, nodded his head.

伊個案要限到明天

I kâi uàⁿ àiⁿ-àn-kàu màⁿ-khí

His case will be postponed till to-morrow.

不可做賊

M̄-móⁿ tsǒ-tshát

Don't be a thief.

不可盜取人個物

M̄-móⁿ thau-khiéh nâng kâi muéh

Mustn't steal other peoples things.

此個賊是危險

Chí-kâi tshát sĩ lî-keng

This thief is dangerous.

昨夜伊剌死壹人

Tsa-mêⁿ i tshǹg-sí nâng

Last night he stabbed a man to deat.h

伊被我掠着

I khoih uá liáh--tiéh

He was caught by me.

我就掠伊去衙門處

Uá chiũ liáh i khṳ̀ gê-mn̂g--kō

And I took him to the yamên.

交伊與差役個手

Kau i pun chhe-hiáh kái chhiú

And handed him over to the police.

着打伊到重重

Tiéh-phah i kàu lok-lok

Must beat him very severely;

下日伊正不敢

Ẽ-jít i chiàⁿ-m̄-káⁿ

So that he may not dare to do it again.

此個官府公道

Chí-kâi kuaⁿ-hú kong-tãu

This mandarin is just.

無枉屈人

Bô-uáng-khut nâng,

He does not deal with people unjustly.

亦無食人個錢

Iā bô chiáh nâng kâi chîⁿ

Nor does he take bribes.

人忠直

Nâng tong-tít

He is a straight-forward man.

百姓稱誦此個官府

Peh-sèⁿ o-ló chí-kâi kuaⁿ-hú

The people praise this mandarin.

伊要高陞了

I àiⁿ-kau-seng--lō

He is going to be promoted.

雖然律是嚴。還了恁着順

Sui-jiên lút sĩ ngiâm, huân-lióu nín tiéh sũn

Though the law is strict, yet you must obey it.

犯律個人着受罰

Huãm-lút--kâi-nâng tiéh siũ-huát

Those who break the law should be punished.

在澄海縣有壹個秀才。有犯着律

Tõ Thêng-hái-kūiⁿ ũ chék-kâi siù-tsâi, ũ huãm-tiéh-lút

There was a graduate in the district of Theng-hai, who had broken the law.

伊就去被官府審

I chiũ khṳ̀-pun kuaⁿ-hú sím

And he went to be tried by the mandarin.

老爺戴頂就出來在堂

Lãu-tia tì-téng chiũ tshut--lâi tsõ-tn̂g

The mandarin put on his button, and came out and sat on the bench.

秀才就跪落去

Sìu-tsâi chiũ kũi--lóh-khṳ̀

The graduate knelt down.

老爺審到甚久了。人𤍠在

Lãu-tia sím kàu hoh-kú--lō, nâng zuáh-tsãi

The mandarin after a long trial found it rather warm.

粒頂就脫丢放在床頂

Liáp-téng chiũ thut-tiòu pàng tõ tshn̂g-téng

And he took off his hat to which the button was attached and put it on the table.

秀才在跪隨時就起來

Siù-tsâi tõ-kũi sûi-sî chiû khí--lâi

The graduate who was kneeling down at once got up.

老爺問伊呾。爾爲何起來也

Lãu-tia mn̄g i tàⁿ, "lṳ́ tsò-nîⁿ khí--lâi nē?"

The mandarin asked him and said, "Why do you get up"?

秀才就呾。曰。我是跪皇帝。非是跪爾

Siù-tsâi chiũ tàⁿ-tàⁿ, "uá sĩ kũi Huâng-tì, m̄-sĩ kũi-lṳ́"

The graduate said, "I kneel down to the Emperor, not to you."

秀才就出去

Siû-tsâi chiũ tshut--khṳ̀

And the graduate walked out.

明天伊個案再審

Màⁿ-khí i kâi uàⁿ tsài-sím

The next day his case was tried again.