国之语音 异乎中国 与文字不相流通 故愚民 有所欲言 而终不得伸其情者多矣 予为此悯然 新制二十八字 欲使人人易习 便于日用耳
Our country's language, is different with China, can not match the written language(i.e. Chinese); Thus many plebs, though they want to express their needs, they can not. We(the royal we), feel sympathy for this, made 28 characters, which are easy to learn for everyone, can make their lives more convenient.
崔万理:“自古九州之内,风土虽异,未有因方言而别为文字者。唯蒙古、西夏、女真、日本、西蕃之类,各有其字,是皆夷狄事耳,无足道者。《传》曰:‘用夏变夷, 未闻变于夷者也。’历代中国皆以我国有箕子遗风,文物礼乐,比拟中华。今别作谚文,舍中国而自同于夷狄,是所谓弃苏合之香,而取螗螂之丸也;岂非文明之大累哉?”
Though the customs within Jiuzhou(i.e. Chinese culture circle) are different, the written system never changes with dialects. Only those like Mongolia, Xixia, Manchuria, Japan and Tibetan, have their own written system; those barbaric things are not even worth mentioning. Zuozhuan said: "I only heard that one who uses chinese culture to civilize barbarians, never heard one who use barbaric custom to change us." Chinese always thought we are civilized, from characters to etiquette, all resemble them. Now inventing another written system, abandoning Chinese culture, equating us with barbarians initiatively, just like choosing cockroaches rather than perfume;Isnt this harmful to civilization?