William Ashmore

“ There is usually no difficulty in apprehending the meaning. Two clauses or two sentences are spoken-in such close connection that the dependence expressed by the subjunctive ‘if’ is obvious. We have analogous expressions in English, such as, “No cure, no pay.” ”

“ A striking idiomatic characteristic of sentences of this class, is the frequency with which the object of the verb’s action is pressed into the foreground. We have analogies in English, “The fathers, where are they, and the prophets, do they live forever?” This construction, infrequent with us, is very common among Chinese. A Chinaman would say, “The anchor, where is it?” and he might also prefer to use the form, “The axe, he took it away.” “The house, he has rented it,” “The letter, he has written it.”
húe sie-chhù, fire burns, or burned the house. ”

“ Jesus had not healed him, who could have done it? bô-chí nõn-nâng, bô-ēng, (if) you don't have these two men all is no use. i tàn, bô-sũn Môn-sai kâi-kui-kṳ́ bõi-tit-kiù, they said, (if) you don’t observe the law of Moses you cannot be saved. hiá! lṳ́ m̄-hàun chiũ-hiah, oh, very well! (if) you don't want to you can stop. mài-sin-sen khṳ̀, liáu kim-ji̍t chiũ-e̍k bûn-chṳ, (if) the teacher had not gone, to-day we would have translated the despatch. ũ-chîn-thàn uá chiũ-lâi, (if) money is to be made I will come. ”