Yuan Dehui was a Chinese

China

Chinese civilization may refer to:* China for more general discussion of the country.* Chinese culture* Greater China, the transnational community of ethnic Chinese.* History of China* Sinosphere, the area historically affected by Chinese culture...

 imperial interpreter

Interpreting

Language interpretation is the facilitating of oral or sign-language communication, either simultaneously or consecutively, between users of different languages...

. He is best known for translating sections of Emerich de Vattel

Emerich de Vattel

Emer de Vattel was a Swiss philosopher, diplomat, and legal expert whose theories laid the foundation of modern international law and political philosophy. He was born in Couvet in Neuchatel, Switzerland in 1714 and died in 1767 of edema...

's Le droit des gens ("The Law of Nations").

A native of Sichuan

Sichuan

' , known formerly in the West by its postal map spellings of Szechwan or Szechuan is a province in Southwest China with its capital in Chengdu...

, Yuan Dehui studied Latin

Latin

Latin is an Italic language originally spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. It, along with most European languages, is a descendant of the ancient Proto-Indo-European language. Although it is considered a dead language, a number of scholars and members of the Christian clergy speak it fluently, and...

 at the Roman Catholic School in Penang

Penang

Penang is a state in Malaysia and the name of its constituent island, located on the northwest coast of Peninsular Malaysia by the Strait of Malacca. It is bordered by Kedah in the north and east, and Perak in the south. Penang is the second smallest Malaysian state in area after Perlis, and the...

. Later he studied also at the Anglo-Chinese College

Ying Wa College

Ying Wa College , formerly known as Anglo-Chinese College, abbreviated YWC), is the world's first Anglo-Chinese school. It has thrived on the vision of its founding fathers and the good work of generations of devoted principals and teachers, whose educational approach is particularly apt for Hong...

 (英华书院) in Malacca

Malacca

Malacca , dubbed The Historic State or Negeri Bersejarah among locals) is the third smallest Malaysian state, after Perlis and Penang. It is located in the southern region of the Malay Peninsula, on the Straits of Malacca. It borders Negeri Sembilan to the north and the state of Johor to the south...

 between 1823 and 1827, shortly after it was founded by Robert Morrison. For several years he worked as a translator for the Court of Tributary Affairs (理藩院), being sent in 1838 to collect books of Western learning in Guangzhou

Guangzhou

Guangzhou , known historically as Canton or Kwangchow, is the capital and largest city of the Guangdong province in the People's Republic of China. Located in southern China on the Pearl River, about north-northwest of Hong Kong, Guangzhou is a key national transportation hub and trading port...

. In 1839 he became Lin Zexu

Lin Zexu

Lín Zéxú ; 30 August 1785 – 22 November 1850) was a Chinese scholar and official during the Qing Dynasty.He is most recognized for his conduct and his constant position on the "high moral ground" in his fight, as a "shepherd" of his people, against the opium trade in Guangzhou...

's (林则徐) assistant in charge of foreign affairs.

Lin requested a translation of Le droit des gens from Peter Parker

Peter Parker (physician)

Peter Parker was an American physician and a missionary who introduced Western medical techniques into Qing Dynasty China. It was said that Parker "opened China to the gospel at the point of a lancet."- Early life :...

, an American medical missionary, perhaps at Yuan's suggestion. Finding Parker's translation difficult to understand, however, Lin sought the help of Yuan Dehui. The result was Wanguo lüli (万国律例), later published in Wei Yuan's Hai guo tu zhi (海國圖志: "Illustrated Treatise on Maritime Countries") in 1847. The Vattel passage Lin Zexu commissioned to be translated were confined to the issues of how nations go to war

War

War is a state of organized, armed, and often prolonged conflict carried on between states, nations, or other parties typified by extreme aggression, social disruption, and usually high mortality. War should be understood as an actual, intentional and widespread armed conflict between political...

 and impose embargo

Embargo

An embargo is the partial or complete prohibition of commerce and trade with a particular country, in order to isolate it. Embargoes are considered strong diplomatic measures imposed in an effort, by the imposing country, to elicit a given national-interest result from the country on which it is...

es, blockade

Blockade

A blockade is an effort to cut off food, supplies, war material or communications from a particular area by force, either in part or totally. A blockade should not be confused with an embargo or sanctions, which are legal barriers to trade, and is distinct from a siege in that a blockade is usually...

s, and other hostile measures. They were influential in determining Lin's anti-opium

Opium

Opium is the dried latex obtained from the opium poppy . Opium contains up to 12% morphine, an alkaloid, which is frequently processed chemically to produce heroin for the illegal drug trade. The latex also includes codeine and non-narcotic alkaloids such as papaverine, thebaine and noscapine...

 policy and in the lead up to the First Opium War

First Opium War

The First Anglo-Chinese War , known popularly as the First Opium War or simply the Opium War, was fought between the United Kingdom and the Qing Dynasty of China over their conflicting viewpoints on diplomatic relations, trade, and the administration of justice...

.

Yuan Dehui also translated Lin Zexu's notice banning the import of opium, as well as a letter to Queen Victoria.