diff --git a/lib/string_to_pinyin.rb b/lib/string_to_pinyin.rb
index 56e7734..65f7546 100644
--- a/lib/string_to_pinyin.rb
+++ b/lib/string_to_pinyin.rb
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ def to_pinyin
       if h[char]
         result = result + h[char] + " "
       else
-        result = result + self + " "
+        result = result + char
       end
     end
     return result.rstrip
diff --git a/spec/string_to_pinyin_spec.rb b/spec/string_to_pinyin_spec.rb
index 3117442..4ac4676 100644
--- a/spec/string_to_pinyin_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/string_to_pinyin_spec.rb
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@
     @single_char = "名"
     @multiple_chars = "中华人民共和国"
     @nil_char = "a"
+    @punctuated = "你好! 你是中国人吗? <- that was mandarin"
   end
   
   it "should return pinyin for a single character if found" do
@@ -19,4 +20,8 @@
   it "should return a character if its not found in the index" do
     @nil_char.to_pinyin.should == 'a'
   end
+
+  it "should return 'non-simplified chinese characters' as they are" do
+    @punctuated.to_pinyin.should == 'nĭ hăo ! nĭ shì zhōng guó rén ma ? <- that was mandarin'
+  end
 end