the life of william carey-第21节

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ng　my　food。　　I　carry　all　my　furniture　and　food　with　me　from　place　to　placeviz。　a　chair；　a　table；　a　bed；　and　a　lamp。　　I　walk　from　village　to　village；　but　repair　to　my　boat　for　lodging　and　eating。　There　are　several　rivers　in　this　extent　of　country；　which　is　very　convenient　for　travelling。〃

Carey's　first　convert　seems　to　have　been　Ignatius　Fernandez；　a　Portuguese　descendant　who　had　prospered　as　a　trader　in　Dinapoor　station。　　The　first　Protestant　place　of　worship　in　Bengal；　outside　of　Calcutta；　was　built　by　him；　in　1797；　next　to　his　own　house。　There　he　conducted　service　both　in　English　and　Bengali；　whenever　Carey　and　Thomas；　and　Fountain　afterwards；　were　unable　to　go　out　to　the　station；　and　in　his　house　Thomas　and　Fountain　died。　　He　remained　there　as　a　missionary　till　his　own　death；　four　years　before　Carey's；　when　he　left　all　his　property　to　the　mission。　　The　mission…house；　as　it　is　now；　is　a　typical　example　of　the　bungalow　of　one　story；　which　afterwards　formed　the　first　chapel　in　Serampore；　and　is　still　common　as　officers'　quarters　in　Barrackpore　and　other　military　stations。

Side　by　side　with　his　daily　public　preaching　and　more　private　conversations　with　inquirers　in　Bengali；　Carey　carried　on　the　work　of　Bible　translation。　　As　each　new　portion　was　prepared　it　was　tested　by　being　read　to　hundreds　of　natives。　　The　difficulty　was　that　he　had　at　once　to　give　a　literary　form　to　the　rich　materials　of　the　language；　and　to　find　in　these　or　adapt　from　them　terms　sufficiently　pure　and　accurate　to　express　the　divine　ideas　and　facts　revealed　through　the　Hebrew　and　the　Greek　of　the　original。　　He　gives　us　this　unconscious　glimpse　of　himself　at　work　on　this　loftiest　and　most　fruitful　of　tasks；　which　Jerome　had　first　accomplished　for　Latin　Christendom；　Ulfila　for　our　Scandinavian　forefathers；　Wiclif　for　the　English；　and　Luther　for　the　Germans　of　the　time。

〃Now　I　must　mention　some　of　the　difficulties　under　which　we　labour；　particularly　myself。　　The　language　spoken　by　the　natives　of　this　part；　though　Bengali；　is　yet　so　different　from　the　language　itself；　that；　though　I　can　preach　an　hour　with　tolerable　freedom　so　as　that　all　who　speak　the　language　well；　or　can　write　or　read；　perfectly　understand　me；　yet　the　poor　labouring　people　can　understand　but　little；　and　though　the　language　is　rich；　beautiful；　and　expressive；　yet　the　poor　people；　whose　whole　concern　has　been　to　get　a　little　rice　to　satisfy　their　wants；　or　to　cheat　their　oppressive　merchants　and　zameendars；　have　scarcely　a　word　in　use　about　religion。　　They　have　no　word　for　love；　for　repent；　and　a　thousand　other　things；　and　every　idea　is　expressed　either　by　quaint　phrases　or　tedious　circumlocutions。　　A　native　who　speaks　the　language　well　finds　it　a　year's　work　to　obtain　their　idiom。　　This　sometimes　discourages　me　much；　but　blessed　be　God　I　feel　a　growing　desire　to　be　always　abounding　in　the　work　of　the　Lord；　and　I　know　that　my　labour　shall　not　be　in　vain　in　the　Lord。　I　am　much　encouraged　by　our　Lord's　expression；　'He　who　reapeth'　（in　the　harvest）　'receiveth　wages；　and　gathereth　fruit　unto　eternal　life。'　　If　I；　like　David；　only　am　an　instrument　of　gathering　materials；　and　another　build　the　house；　I　trust　my　joy　will　not　be　the　less。〃　　This　was　written　to　the　well…beloved　Pearce；　whom　he　would　fain　have　had　beside　him　at　Mudnabati。　　To　guide　the　two　missionaries　whom　the　Society　were　about　to　send　to　Africa　on　the　salaries　which　he　and　Thomas　had　set　free　for　this　extension；　Carey　adds：〃They　will　do　well　to　associate　as　much　as　possible　with　the　natives；　and　to　write　down　every　word　they　can　catch；　with　its　meaning。　　But　if　they　have　children　with　them；　it　is　by　far　the　readiest　way　of　learning　to　listen　to　them；　for　they　will　catch　up　every　idiom　in　a　little　time。　My　children　can　speak　nearly　as　well　as　the　natives；　and　know　many　things　in　Bengali　which　they　do　not　know　in　English。　　I　should　also　recommend　to　your　consideration　a　very　large　country；　perhaps　unthought　of：　I　mean　Bhootan　or　Tibet。　　Were　two　missionaries　sent　to　that　country；　we　should　have　it　in　our　power　to　afford　them　much　help。。。The　day　I　received　your　letter　I　set　about　composing　a　grammar　and　dictionary　of　the　Bengal　language　to　send　to　you。　　The　best　account　of　Hindu　mythology　extant；　and　which　is　pretty　exact；　is　Sonnerat's　Voyage；　undertaken　by　order　of　the　king　of　France。〃

Without　Sanskrit　Carey　found　that　he　could　neither　master　its　Bengali　offshoot　nor　enrich　that　vernacular　with　the　words　and　combinations　necessary　for　his　translations　of　Scripture。　Accordingly；　with　his　usual　rapidity　and　industry；　we　find　that　he　had　by　April　1796　so　worked　his　way　through　the　intricate　difficulties　of　the　mother　language　of　the　Aryans　that　he　could　thus　write　to　Ryland；　with　more　than　a　mere　scholar's　enthusiasm；　of　one　of　the　two　great　Vedic　epics：〃I　have　read　a　considerable　part　of　the　Mahabarata；　an　epic　poem　written　in　most　beautiful　language；　and　much　upon　a　par　with　Homer；　and　it　was；　like　his　Iliad；　only　considered　as　a　great　effort　of　human　genius；　I　should　think　it　one　of　the　first　productions　in　the　world；　but　alas！　it　is　the　ground　of　faith　to　millions　of　the　simple　sons　of　men；　and　as　such　must　be　held　in　the　utmost　abhorrence。〃　　At　the　beginning　of　1798　he　wrote　to　Sutcliff：〃I　am　learning　the　Sanskrit　language；　which；　with　only　the　helps　to　be　procured　here；　is　perhaps　the　hardest　language　in　the　world。　　To　accomplish　this；　I　have　nearly　translated　the　Sanskrit　grammar　and　dictionary　into　English；　and　have　made　considerable　progress　in　compiling　a　dictionary；　Sanskrit；　including　Bengali　and　English。〃

By　this　year　he　had　completed　his　first　translation　of　the　Bible　except　the　historical　books　from　Joshua　to　Job；　and　had　gone　to　Calcutta　to　obtain　estimates　for　printing　the　New　Testament；　of　which　he　had　reported　to　Mr。　Fuller：〃It　has　undergone　one　correction；　but　must　undergo　several　more。　　I　employ　a　pundit　merely　for　this　purpose；　with　whom　I　go　through　the　whole　in　as　exact　a　manner　as　I　can。　　He　judges　of　the　style　and　syntax；　and　I　of　the　faithfulness　of　the　translation。　　I　have；　however；　translated　several　chapters　together；　which　have　not　required　any　alteration　in　the　syntax　whatever：　yet　I　always　submit　this　article　entirely　to　his　judgment。　　I　can　also；　by　hearing　him　read；　judge　whether　he　understands　his　subject　by　his　accenting　his　reading　properly　and　laying　the　emphasis　on　the　right　words。　　If　he　fails　in　this；　I　immediately　suspect　the　translation；　though　it　is　not　an　easy　matter　for　an　ordinary　reader　to　lay　the　emphasis　properly　in　reading　Bengali；　in　which　there　is　no　pointing　at　all。　　The　mode　of　printing；　i。e。　whether　a　printing…press；　etc。；　shall　be　sent　from　England；　or　whether　it　shall　be　printed　here；　or　whether　it　shall　be　printed　at　all；　now　rests　with　the　Society。〃

Fuller　was　willing；　but　the　ardent　scholar　anticipated　him。　　Seeing　a　wooden　printing…press　advertised　in　Calcutta　for　？0；　Carey　at　once　ordered　it。　　On　its　arrival　in　1798；　〃after　worship〃　he　〃retired　and　thanked　God　for　furnishing　us　with　a　press。〃　　When　set　up　in　the　Mudnabati　house　its　working　was　explained　to　the　natives；　on　whom　the　delighted　missionary's　enthusiasm　produced　only　the　impression　that　it　must　be　the　idol　of　the　English。

But　Carey's　missionary　organisation　would　not　have　been　complete　without　schools；　and　in　planning　these　from　the　very　first　he　gives　us　the　germs　which　blossomed　into　the　Serampore　College　of　1818　on　the　one　hand；　and　the　primary　school　circles　under　native　Christian　inspectors　on　the　other；　a　system　carried　out　since　the　Mutiny　of　1857　by　the　Christian　Literature　Society；　and　adopted　by　the　state　departments　of　public　instruction。

〃MUDNABATI；　27th　January　1795。Mr。　Thomas　and　I　（between　whom　the　utmost　harmony　prevails）　have　formed　a　plan　for　erecting　two　colleges　（Chowparis；　Bengali）；　one　here　and　the　other　at　his　residence；　where　we　intend　to　educate　twelve　lads；　viz。　six　Mussulmans　and　six　Hindoos　at　each　place。　　A　pundit　is　to　have　the　charge　of　them；　and　they　are　to　be　taught　Sanskrit；　Bengali；　and　Persian；　the　Bible　is　to　be　introduced；　and　perhaps　a　little　philosophy　and　geography。　　The　time　of　their　education　is　to　be　seven　years；　and　we　find　them　meat；　clothing；　lodging；　etc。　　We　are　now　inquiring　for　children　proper　for　the　purpose。　　We　have　also　determined　to　require　that　the　Society　will　advance　money　for　types　to　print　the　Bengali　Bible；　and　make　us　their　debtors　for　the　sum；　which　we　hope　to　be　able　to　pay　off　in　one　year：　and　it　will　also　be　requisite　to　send　a　printing…press　from　England。　　We　will；　if　our　lives　are　spared；　repay　the　whole；　and　print　the　Bible　at　our　own　expense；　and　I　hope　the　Society　will　become　our　creditors　by　paying　for　them　when　delivered。　　Mr。　Thomas　is　now　preparing　letters　for　specimens；　which　I　hope　will　be　sent　by　this　conveyance。

〃We　are　under　great　obligation　to　Mr。　G。　Udny　for　putting　us　in　these　stations。　　He　is　a　very　friendly　man　and　a　true　Christian。　　I　have　no　spirit　for　politics　here；　for　whatever　the　East　India　Company　may　be　in　England；　their　servants　and　officers　here　are　very　different；　we　have　a　few　laws；　and　nothing　to　do　but　to　obey。〃　　Of　his　own　school　he　wrote　in　1799　that　it　consisted　of　forty　boys。　〃The　school　would　hav