Translation, Please

[Cyrano]

This Chinese copy of the Mauser pistol was probably made at one of the following Chinese arsenals: Chungking Repair Depot, Gongxian, Hanyang, Hengyang, Hunan Iron Works, Shanghai or Shansei (Taiyuan). I'm sorry for the poor photo, but can anyone translate the symbols on the frame of this Mauser?

 

[Warren Sear]

I think it says, "all your guns are belong to us".

 

[mc5aw]

I think it is the arsenal.

Here's some good info:

Chinese Nationalist Army - Forces of China 1937-1941

 

[pharmer]

"Point toward Japanese, pull trigger! 1940." Joe

 

[stringpicker]

It's the recipe for cat kung pow

 

[Marshwheeling]

It says: "Workers of the world unite. Defeat the U.S. imperialist aggressors and all their running dogs. Have the courage to fight, defy difficulties, advance wave upon wave. Then the whole world shall belong to the people. Monsters of all kinds shall be destroyed."

Those Chinese get a lot of mileage out of one ideogram.

 

[mc5aw]

You know, I tried to be helpful by playing it straight ... but you clowns have gone and drragged me back in.

The symbols stand for:

Wait for it ...

Two thread topics for the price of one ...

Ready?

v

v

v

BEEF and BROCCOLI

 

[one eye joe]

I WAS PLAYIN' IT STRAIGHT, BUT YOU DRAGGED ME IN ALSO…..

IT ACTUALLY SAYS, "YOU BE HERE 4 HOURS. YOU GO NOW ! ! !"

 

[Rustyt1953]

I WAS PLAYIN' IT STRAIGHT, BUT YOU DRAGGED ME IN ALSO…..

IT ACTUALLY SAYS, "YOU BE HERE 4 HOURS. YOU GO NOW ! ! !"

It say "All you can eat" not "You eat all."

 

[one eye joe]

ACTUALLY, THAT IS A NICE CLEAR STAMP. SOMEONE WITH AN INTEREST IN CHINESE WEAPONS, RATHER THAN CHINESE BUFFETS, SHOULD BE ABLE TO HELP OUT……..

 

[Cyrano]

I think it is the arsenal.

Here's some good info:

Chinese Nationalist Army - Forces of China 1937-1941

I think it's the arsenal too, but I wonder which one.

The rest of the replies, from the humorists on the forum, I could have anticipated.

 

[Jimmyjones]

I ask around in the morning.

 

[Jimmyjones]

Co-worker says the symbols translate to 'North West' if that's any help.

Looked over your list of arsenals, wasn't able to connect the characters to any of them

 

[MOONDAWG]

If it's like most foreign military stamps, the symbols are "Letter Codes" for the arsenal that built it rather than the actual name of said arsenal.

 

[one eye joe]

THIS IS VERY TRUE OF NAZI HANDGUNS, MOONDAWG. THOSE ARE THE ONLY FOREIGN ARMS THAT I AM FAMILIAR WITH……..

 

[kenv1950]

I took one to a Chinese restaurant to see if they could read the characters, they did

 

[pawncop]

With three you get 40 S&W!

 

[Warren Sear]

"Made in China"

 

[ATF]

Yes it says North West my daughter studies oriental languages so that's a given.

 

[Cyrano]

Thanks, Kenv1950 and ATF: I'll pass this on to the owner. Perhaps there's some information somewhere, perhaps in Bin Shih's book, that gives an indication of the significance of 'North West".

 

[ATF]

Cyrano the 1940 North Western Counter Offensive was a great victory for the Chinese over the occupying Japanese forces. Google 西北 1940.

"On August 20, 1940, the Eighth Route Army launched a large-sized campaign involving 100 regiments. This campaign, popularly called "Hundred-Regiment Campaign" was the biggest attack led by the Chinese Communist Party against the enemy during the war. The campaign, including 1,824 battles, wiped out 20,645 Japanese troops and 5,155 puppet soldiers. This campaign played an important role in the anti-Japanese war. It proved that the Chinese Communist Party and the anti-Japanese armed forces led by it represented the backbone of the struggle against the invaders.

On November 7, 1940, the Northwest Shanxi Military Command of the Eighth Route Army was set up."

Quoted from Major events in PLA's history 1937-1945

 

[Cyrano]

Thanks, ATF. I have passed this information on to the owner. He knows that a Marine brought it back from the Pacific in WW II, so probably a Japanese soldier acquired it in China and then went to the Pacific.

 

[lingoman]

You guys are really imaginative. I enjoy reading your interpretations.

But actually, these two characters are "西北" ("Xi Bei" in PinYin), which literally means "Western North". No idea what this refers to exactly. Maybe this pistal was originally a weapon used by a troop in the Western North part of China?

Translation by A.C.T. Mandarin Translator Team.

 

[V1 Rotate]

I have no shame or self respect, and know absolutely nothing about these Mausers history, or Chinese characters, so I am eminently qualified to inform you all that the characters translated say:

"You want haircut like Moe? Or haircut like Moe?"

Bill S

 

[Tex1001]

I took one to a Chinese restaurant to see if they could read the characters

But did they get your order correct?

_______________________
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