四部叢刊 published in 1936 seems to retain more of the real character of the original. Now, in China, it is true, a book by CH'ÊN Yüan entitled Yüan-ch'ao-pi-shih-i-yin-yung-tzǔ-k'ao 元朝祕史譯音用字攷 came out in 1934, but it seems that no one has yet attempted to retransliterate the book into Mongolian language. This was attempted over fifty years ago by POZDNIEFF, famous Russian mongolist.It was very unfortunate, however, that his work was not completed, and even more so that copies of the book in which a part of his work was published were so few that they are no more available. In recent years, HAENISCH again determined to accomplish it, and he succeeded in publishing a part in 1931 and the translation of the whole in 1937. PELLIOT, though reported also to be engaged in the same work, it seems, has not yet published his translation. Recently in Japan, Manchoukou, and Mongolia various retransliterations of the text have been issued. For example, Môbun-genchô-hishi or Yüan-ch'ao-pi-shih in Mongolian, Vol. I compiled by Mr. HATTORI Shirô 服部四郞 has lately been published while BÜKəKəSIG 卜和克什克 and KESIGBATU have sent out the whole or part of the book in modern Mongolian. But these are by no means an attempt at the exact retranslation of the Yüan-ch'ao-pi-shih into Mongolian in the time when the original text was written ; the translators seem to have had other objects. Mr. KAMIYA Kôhei 神︀谷衡平, Professor of the Tôkyô Foreign Language School, and MERSE, a Dakhurian, are also reported to have completed a translation. It may be added here that Mr. KOBAYASHI Takashirô 小林高四郞 has translated the book into modern Japanese under the title Môko-no-hishi 蒙古の祕史 （A Secret History of Mongolia）. The writter is overjoyed that the Yüan-ch'ao-pishih should have thus revealed its whole visage to the scholastic circles of the world and made itself known extensively to the various nations of Eastern Asia, which indicates the progress of culture and also of the enhancement of our national prestige. In view of the fact that such translations are widely circulated especially in Japan, and Dr. NAKA'S Chingis-khan-jitsuroku was not noticed at all while he lived, one will be amazed at the marked advance of our culture and progress of science in the more than thirty years that have elapsed since. The completion of the present translation left over by Dr. NAKA may be considered a boon of the progress of culture and one of the blessings of the prosperous reign.
In conclusion, the editor would like to express his thanks to the late Professor DEMURA Ryôichi 出村良一 and Assistant Professor TAKEUCHI Ikunosuke 竹內幾之助 of the Tôkyô Foreign Language School who have for years cooperated with the editor in revising the manuscript. It is much to be lamented that the promising Professor DEMURA suddenly suffered a premature death. Thanks are due to Messrs. WADA Sei 和田 淸, ISHIDA Mikinosuke 石田幹之助 and IWAI Hirosato 岩井大慧 who have so kindly and assiduously been engaged in compiling indexes. The Tôyô Bunko must also be mentioned here for considerable help it has rendered in making this work possible.
SHIRATORI Kurakichi.
Feb. 11, 1942.
