The 'Chinese' Theory: For and Against

[Jorge_Stolfi]

But, if the local language was any of the 50 dialects of Chinese, the Dictator would read each character as a syllable in that language.

I understand this. The problems I have raised are a direct consequence of taking a Classical Chinese text and dictating it this way

Sorry, I don't understand what problems you are referring to.

• The Dictator reads the SBJ aloud in Cantonese.
  
• The Author writes down the Cantonese (which he speaks) in a phonetic notation.
  
• Author goes back to Europe.
  
• Author reads the Cantonese and understand it (minus technical terms).
  

What is wrong here?

Do you mean the syntax?  You have seen examples of recipes: there is hardly any syntax in them.  The most complicated sentences are like "lengthens life", "releases blocked blood", "cough from reversed qi", ...

All the best, --stolfi