I will here argue that Searle has not adequately responded to the systems reply. If one internalizes the room, the scratch paper, the "data banks", etc, and is himself not a program but a system then he must have an understanding of the Chinese writing, or to him "Squiggles".
If the room's occupant is given the word "CAT" and in the translation guide he is given, or a data bank if you will, "CAT" equals squiggle "XYZ" with the English alphabet and the squiggle alphabet coordinating with "C" to "X", "A"to "Y", etc, then the internalization is that squiggle "XYZ" equals the English alphabet "CAT". Since the occupant has had experiences outside the room he knows the concept of the word "CAT" is that of a 4 leg furry creature that has whiskers and eats mice. He must thus assume that the squiggle "XYZ" represents the same concept of a feline.
If the above is true then the occupant in the room can be said to understand the squiggle. If he receives the statement that "CAT RUNS"......
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