the mirror of kong ho-第6节

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this；　there　has　to　be　taken　into　consideration　their　involved　process



of　reasoning；　and　the　unexpectedly　different　standards　which　they



apply　to　every　subject。







At　the　house　of　the　Maidens　Blank；　when　the　evening　was　not　spent　in



listening　to　melodious　voices　and　the　harmony　of　stringed　woods；　it



was　usual　to　take　part　in　sit…round　games　of　various　kinds。　（And　while



it　is　on　his　brush　this　person　would　say　with　commendable　pride　that　a



well…trained　musician　among　us　can　extort　more　sound　from　a　hollow



wooden　pig；　costing　only　a　few　cash；　than　the　most　skilful　here　ever



attain　on　their　largest　instrumenta　highly…lacquered　coffin　on　legs；



filled　with　bells　and　hidden　springs；　and　frequently　sold　for　a



thousand　taels。）







Upon　a　certain　evening；　at　the　conclusion　of　one　sit…round　game　which



involved　abrupt　music；　a　barrier　of　chairs；　and　the　exhilarating



possibility　of　being　sat　upon　by　the　young　and　vivacious　in　their



zeal；　a　person　of　the　company　turned　suddenly　to　the　one　who　is



communicating　with　you　and　said　enticingly；　〃Why　did　Birdcage　Walk？〃







Not　judging　from　his　expression　that　this　was　other　than　a　polite



inquiry　on　a　matter　which　disturbed　his　repose；　I　was　replying　that



the　manifestation　was　undoubtedly　the　work　of　a　vexatious　demon　which



had　taken　up　its　abode　in　the　article　referred　to；　when　another；　by　my



side；　cried　aloud；　〃Because　it　envied　Queen　Anne's　Gate〃；　and　without



a　pause　cast　back　the　question；　〃Who　carved　The　Poultry？〃







In　spite　of　the　apparent　simplicity　of　the　demand　it　was　received　by



all　in　an　attitude　of　complicated　doubt；　and　this　person　was



considering　whether　he　might　not　acquire　distinction　by　replying　that



such　an　office　fell　by　custom　to　the　lot　of　the　more　austere　Maiden



Blank；　when　the　very　inadequate　reply；　〃Mark　Lane　with　St。　Mary's



Axe；〃　was　received　with　applause　and　some　observations　in　a　half…tone



regarding　the　identity　of　the　fowl。







By　the　laws　of　the　sit…round　games　the　one　who　had　last　spoken　now



proclaimed　himself；　demanding　to　know；　〃Why　did　Battersea　Rise？〃　but



the　involvement　was　evidently　superficial；　for　the　maiden　at　whose



memory　this　one's　organs　still　vibrate　ignobly　at　once　replied；



〃Because　it　thought　Clapham　Common；〃　in　turn　inquiring；　〃What　made　the



Marble　Arch？〃







Although　I　would　have　willingly　sacrificed　to　an　indefinite　extent　to



be　furnished　with　the　preconcerted　watchword；　so　that　I　might　have



enlarged　myself　in　the　eyes　of　this　consecrated　being's　unapproachable



esteem；　I　had　already　decided　that　the　competition　was　too　intangible



for　one　whose　thoughts　lay　in　well…defined　parallel　lines；　and　it　fell



to　another　to　reply；　〃To　hear　Salisbury　Court。〃







This；　O　my　broad…minded　ancestor　of　the　first　degreean　aimless



challenge　coupled　with　the　name　of　one　recognisable　spot；　replied　to



by　the　haphazard　retort　of　another　place；　frequently　in　no　way　joined



to　it；　was　regarded　as　an　exceptionally　fascinating　sit…round　game　by



a　company　of　elderly　barbarians！







〃What　couldn't　Walbrook？〃　it　might　be；　and　〃Such　Cheapside；〃　would　be



deemed　a　praiseworthy　solution。　〃When　did　King's　Bench　Walk？〃　would　be



asked；　and　to　reply；　〃When　Gray's　Inn　Road；〃　covered　the　one　with



overpowering　acclamation。　〃Bevis　Marks　only　an　Inner　Circle　at　The



Butts；　why？〃　was　a　demand　of　such　elaborate　complexity　that　（although



this　person　was　lured　out　of　his　self…imposed　restraint　by　the　silence



of　all　round；　and　submerging　his　intelligence　to　an　acquired　level；



unobtrusively　suggested；　〃Because　Aylesbury　ducks；　perchance〃）　it　fell



to　the　one　propounding　to　announce；　〃Because　St。　John's　Wood　Shoot…up



Hill。〃







Admittedly　it　is　written；　〃When　the　shutter　is　fastened　the　girdle　is



loosened；〃　but　it　is　as　truly　said；　〃Not　in　the　head；　nor　yet　in　the



feet；　but　in　the　organs　of　digestion　does　wisdom　reside；〃　and　even　in



jesting　the　middle　course　of　neither　an　excessive　pride　nor　an



absolute　weak…mindedness　is　to　be　observed。　With　what　concrete　pangs



of　acute　mental　distress　would　this　person　ever　behold　his　immaculate



progenitor　taking　part　in　a　similar　sit…round　game　with　an　assembly　of



worthy　mandarins；　the　one　asking　questions　of　meaningless　import；　as



〃Why　did　they　Hangkow？〃　and　another　replying　in　an　equal　strain　of　no



consecutiveness；　〃In　order　to　T'in　Tung！〃







At　length　a　person　who　is　spoken　of　as　having　formerly　been　the



captain　of　a　band　of　warriors　turned　to　me　with　an　unsuspected　absence



of　ferocity　and　said；　〃Your　countrymen　are　very　proficient　in　the　art



of　epigram；　are　they　not；　Mr。　Kong？　Will　you　not；　in　turn；　therefore；



favour　us　with　an　example？〃　Whereupon　several　maidens　exclaimed　with



engaging　high　temper；　〃Oh　yes；　do　ask　us　some　funny　Chinese　riddles；



Mr。　Kong！〃







〃Assuredly　there　are　among　us　many　classical　instances　of　the　light



sayings　which　require　matching；〃　I　replied；　gratified　that　I　should



have　the　opportunity　of　showing　their　superiority。　〃One；　harmonious



beyond　the　blend　of　challenge　and　retort；　is　as　follows'The　Phoenix



embroidered　upon　the　side　of　the　shoe：　When　the　shoe　advances　the



Phoenix　leaps　forward。'〃







〃Oh！〃　cried　several　of　the　maidens；　and　from　the　nature　of　their



glances　it　might　reasonably　be　gathered　that　already　they　began　to



recognise　the　inferiority　of　their　own　sayings。







〃Is　that　the　question；　or　the　answer；　or　both？〃　asked　a　youth　of



unfledged　maturity；　and　to　hide　their　conscious　humiliation　several



persons　allowed　their　faces　to　melt　away。







〃That　which　has　been　expressed；〃　replied　this　person　with　an



ungrudging　toleration；　〃is　the　first　or　question　portion　of　the



contrast。　The　answer　is　that　which　will　be　supplied　by　your　honourable



condescension。〃







〃But；〃　interposed　one　of　the　maidens；　〃it　isn't　really　a　question；　you



know；　Mr。　Kong。〃







〃In　a　way　of　regarding　it；　it　may　be　said　to　be　question；　inasmuch　as



it　requires　an　answer　to　establish　the　comparison。　The　most　pleasing



answer　is　that　which　shall　be　dissimilar　in　idea；　and　yet　at　the　same



time　maintain　the　most　perfect　harmony　of　parallel　thought；〃　I



replied。　〃Now　permit　your　exceptional　minds　to　wander　in　a　forest　of



similitudes：　'The　Phoenix　embroidered　upon　the　side　of　the　shoe：　When



the　shoe　advances　the　Phoenix　leaps　forward。'〃







〃Oh；　if　that's　all　you　want；〃　said　the　one　Herbert；　who　by　an　ill



destiny　chanced　to　be　present；　〃'The　red…hot　poker　held　before　the



Cat's　nose：　When　the　poker　advances　the　Cat　leaps　backwards。'〃







〃Oh；　very　good！〃　cried　several　of　those　around；　〃of　course　it



naturally　would。　Is　that　right；　Mr。　Kong？〃







〃If　the　high…souled　company　is　satisfied；　then　it　must　be；　for　there



is　no　conclusive　right　or　wrongonly　an　unending　search　for　that



which　is　most　gem…set　and　resourceful；〃　replied　this　person；　with　an



ever…deepening　conviction　of　no　enthusiasm　towards　the　sit…round　game。



〃But；〃　he　added；　resolved　to　raise　for　a　moment　the　canopy　of　a　mind



swan…like　in　its　crystal　many…sidedness；　and　then　leave　them　to　their



own　ineptitude；　〃for　five　centuries　nothing　has　been　judged　equal　to



the　solution　offered　by　Li　Tang。　At　the　time　he　was　presented　with　a



three…sided　banner　of　silk　with　the　names　of　his　eleven　immediate



ancestors　embroidered　upon　it　in　seven　colours；　and　his　own　name　is



still　handed　down　in　imperishable　memory。〃







〃Oh；　do　tell　us　what　it　was；〃　cried　many。　〃It　must　have　been　clever。〃







〃'The　Dragon　painted　upon　the　face　of　the　fan：　When　the　fan　is　shaken



the　Dragon　flies　upwards；'〃　replied　this　person。







It　cannot　be　denied　that　this　was　received　with　an　attitude　of



respectful　melancholy　strikingly　complimentary　to　the　wisdom　of　the



gifted　Li　Tang。　But　whether　it　may　be　that　the　time　was　too　short　to



assimilate　the　more　subtle　delicacies　of　the　saying；　or　whether　the



barbarian　mind　is　inherently　devoid　of　true　balance；　this　person　was



panged　most　internally　to　hear　one　say　to　another　as　he　went　out；　〃Do



you　know；　I　really　think　that　Herbert's　was　much　the　better　answer　of



the　twomore　realistic；　and　what　you　might　expect　at　the　pantomime。〃



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　*







A　like　inability　to　grasp　with　a　clear　and　uninvolved　vision；



permeates　not　only　the　triviality　of　a　sit…round　game　but　even　the



most　important　transactions　of　existence。







Shortly　after　his　arrival　in　the　Island；　this　person　was　initiated　by



the　widely…e