Another statement of Ding's injury and its spread
Ding was injured on the battlefield, which is a simple and clear thing. However, in troubled times, an alternative statement about Ding's injury was not only circulated among the main battle officials of the DPRK and China, but also widely circulated in the streets and alleys, which has influenced it to this day.
During the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895, western-language newspapers reported the development of the war and revealed some details of the war. Some foreigners who have participated in the war (such as Von Hanneken, Dale, Ma Jifen, Hafumen, Habu, etc.). ) have submitted books and newspapers or been interviewed sooner or later to tell their stories on the battlefield. One of the letters, A Letter from a Western Friend, was included in the book History of the Middle East published by 1896. The translation is as follows:
"Ding Junmen and Dale, a member of the western navy who collected taxes at the customs today, set up an overpass to direct and supervise. Suddenly, the two cannons of this ship were hit at the same time, and the hull shook violently. The two of them were caught off guard and fell into the deck, dazzled, stunned and devastated. Ding Junmen said that there seems to be an iron phase, which will shock and crush your feet, which is not good for walking. When a China man helped him down, the bomb came again, and his man would be beaten to pieces, or fall into the sea, or stick to the deck. Ding Junmen said,' I'm dying. Fortunately, I'm not dead. The person who saved me is dead.' I don't want to cry. ..... all of the above are western. "⑤
The information revealed in this letter from Xiyou is explosive, that is, Ding's foot was injured because "two cannons of this ship were angry at the same time, and the hull shook violently", and Ding and Dale were "thrown into the deck". Who is this "Journey to the West"? It is impossible to know for sure now. A warship, because of its own fire, caused the hull to bump violently and threw the crew out. The weapon that attacked the enemy became a tool for self-harm. Can it stand scrutiny? However, the saying that Ding and Dale were shot off by the ship's cannon quickly spread and was used by people with ulterior motives.
More than 30 years later, another voice surfaced and put forward a new theory of Ding's "shock flying". This special person is willem ferdinand Taylor, one of the parties to the "real flying" incident. 193 1 year, the part about the behind-the-scenes manipulation of the Sino-Japanese Sino-Japanese Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895 in China was edited by Tsinghua University professor Zhang Yinlin (a vegetarian idiot) and translated into A Record of the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895 in Tailai. Because Dale's original works are hard to find, Zhang Yinlin's translation has always been regarded as the main basis by mainland historians.
The statement in Dale's memoirs is quite similar to "a letter from a western friend". For example, it is said that Ding was "thrown down" because his ship fired a gun; It is said that Ding's leg was hurt. Whether this "western friend" is Dell or Dell's memory refers to and romanticizes "western friends coming to books" (borrowing other people's information is a common trick in memoirs), and it is still inconclusive.
As we all know, Dell portrayed himself as a man with both wisdom and courage in his book, and deliberately belittled Liu He. For Ding, he expressed full sympathy and respect in his memory. He said that Ding's leg was crushed and he could not walk or even stand, which was consistent with Ding's statement. It's just that the cause of Ding's injury is almost alarmist. Dale said that the flying bridge part is placed on the inclined 10 inch double gun, which is a semi-fixed structure and does not need to shoot. This part is put on the cannon, and as soon as the cannon turns, the flying bridge has collapsed. However, everyone who has been on the boat knows what a "flying bridge" is. The "flying bridge" is the so-called "observation deck", or "bridge" to be exact, which is the top deck of the cab. It is well known that the cannon needs to be aimed in rotation and cannot have any connection with the bridge. Although Dell spent a short time on Dingyuan ship, he worked in the customs for a long time. He should know what a bridge is. But he actually said that, and claimed that the bridge could be destroyed by shelling, which was incredible.
Why does Dale talk so strangely and emotionally? Is it his poetic language or his low level of Chinese? We can't draw a conclusion today. However, according to Zhang Yinlin, the translator of Dell's memoirs, all the problems are not problems. 1935, Zhang Yinlin used Dale's materials to launch his "Examination of Sino-Japanese Naval Battle in the Sino-Japanese War of 1894-1895", and the plot was still thrilling. Ding Changru and Dale were "thrown into the air and fell on the deck" together, but it was not their legs that were injured, but their wounds were "their flaws":
Zhang Yinlin's "experiment" completely accepted Dale's "shock wave flight" theory; Regret for the Past is taken from Yao Xiguang's A Brief Introduction to Eastern Military Affairs, which has been regarded as a "cover-up" by him, completely ignoring Dale's original text "His leg was crushed" and his own translation "He folded his shares". "Awkward" people have waists, which is far from "their shares". Zhang Yinlin seems to think that there is no need to explain the reasons for this change; And how does the "intersecting 20-inch gun" operate and launch? Ding and Dell were "shaken" out. Where would they be thrown "more than 30 feet"? How much will it hurt? Seems to be out of Zhang Yinlin's consideration.
Based on errors, development errors. Zhang Yinlin's translation of this issue contributes to the wide spread of Dale's statement, because it is included in the series of modern history materials compiled by the China Historical Society. And its so-called "test" has cast a fog over Ding's injury, which has caused extremely bad influence to the latecomers and is still difficult to eliminate. (The authors are: Beijing Institute of Technology; Shandong Weihai Weidong Shipping Co., Ltd.]
To annotate ...
(1) postal translation agency (engraved on August 21st, 20th year of Guangxu), The Complete Works of Li Hongzhang, Volume II, page 10 13.
(2) "Imperial edict from the Ministry of War to Hunan Governor Wu" (Westernization Archives on September 11th, Guangxu 20th year), China Modern History Data Series: Sino-Japanese War (III), Shanghai Bookstore Press, 2000, p. 142? Page 143.
③ To Wu (October 8th, 20th year of Guangxu), Qi, ed.: Ding Ji, Shandong University Press, 1997, p.217.
(4) The Northern Military Affairs Deputy Sichuan Prefect Repeatedly investigates Wei and other participants (November 15th, 20th year of Guangxu), The Sino-Japanese War (3), Shanghai Bookstore Press, 2000, p. 256? Page 259.
⑤ History of the Middle East War, Series of the Sino-Japanese War (I), Shanghai Bookstore Press, 2000, p. 170.