the soul of the far east-第1节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！




The　Soul　of　the　Far　East

by　Percival　Lowell




Contents

Chapter　1。　Individuality

Chapter　2。　Family

Chapter　3。　Adoption

Chapter　4。　Language

Chapter　5。　Nature　and　Art

Chapter　6。　Art

Chapter　7。　Religion

Chapter　8。　Imagination



Chapter　1。　　Individuality。

The　boyish　belief　that　on　the　other　side　of　our　globe　all　things　are　of　necessity　upside　down　is　startlingly　brought　back　to　the　man　when　he　first　sets　foot　at　Yokohama。　　If　his　initial　glance　does　not；　to　be　sure；　disclose　the　natives　in　the　every…day　feat　of　standing　calmly　on　their　heads；　an　attitude　which　his　youthful　imagination　conceived　to　be　a　necessary　consequence　of　their　geographical　position；　it　does　at　least　reveal　them　looking　at　the　world　as　if　from　the　standpoint　of　that　eccentric　posture。　　For　they　seem　to　him　to　see　everything　topsy…turvy。　　Whether　it　be　that　their　antipodal　situation　has　affected　their　brains；　or　whether　it　is　the　mind　of　the　observer　himself　that　has　hitherto　been　wrong　in　undertaking　to　rectify　the　inverted　pictures　presented　by　his　retina；　the　result；　at　all　events；　is　undeniable。　　The　world　stands　reversed；　and；　taking　for　granted　his　own　uprightness；　the　stranger　unhesitatingly　imputes　to　them　an　obliquity　of　vision；　a　state　of　mind　outwardly　typified　by　the　cat…like　obliqueness　of　their　eyes。

If　the　inversion　be　not　precisely　of　the　kind　he　expected；　it　is　none　the　less　striking；　and　impressibly　more　real。　　If　personal　experience　has　definitely　convinced　him　that　the　inhabitants　of　that　under　side　of　our　planet　do　not　adhere　to　it　head　downwards；　like　flies　on　a　ceiling；his　early　a　priori　deduction；they　still　appear　quite　as　antipodal；　mentally　considered。　　Intellectually；　at　least；　their　attitude　sets　gravity　at　defiance。　　For　to　the　mind's　eye　their　world　is　one　huge；　comical　antithesis　of　our　own。　　What　we　regard　intuitively　in　one　way　from　our　standpoint；　they　as　intuitively　observe　in　a　diametrically　opposite　manner　from　theirs。　To　speak　backwards；　write　backwards；　read　backwards；　is　but　the　a　b　c　of　their　contrariety。　　The　inversion　extends　deeper　than　mere　modes　of　expression；　down　into　the　very　matter　of　thought。　　Ideas　of　ours　which　we　deemed　innate　find　in　them　no　home；　while　methods　which　strike　us　as　preposterously　unnatural　appear　to　be　their　birthright。　From　the　standing　of　a　wet　umbrella　on　its　handle　instead　of　its　head　to　dry　to　the　striking　of　a　match　away　in　place　of　toward　one；　there　seems　to　be　no　action　of　our　daily　lives；　however　trivial；　but　finds　with　them　its　appropriate　reactionequal　but　opposite。　Indeed；　to　one　anxious　of　conforming　to　the　manners　and　customs　of　the　country；　the　only　road　to　right　lies　in　following　unswervingly　that　course　which　his　inherited　instincts　assure　him　to　be　wrong。

Yet　these　people　are　human　beings；　with　all　their　eccentricities　they　are　men。　　Physically　we　cannot　but　be　cognizant　of　the　fact；　nor　mentally　but　be　conscious　of　it。　　Like　us；　indeed；　and　yet　so　unlike　are　they　that　we　seem；　as　we　gaze　at　them；　to　be　viewing　our　own　humanity　in　some　mirth…provoking　mirror　of　the　mind；a　mirror　that　shows　us　our　own　familiar　thoughts；　but　all　turned　wrong　side　out。　Humor　holds　the　glass；　and　we　become　the　sport　of　our　own　reflections。　But　is　it　otherwise　at　home？　　Do　not　our　personal　presentments　mock　each　of　us　individually　our　lives　long？　　Who　but　is　the　daily　dupe　of　his　dressing…glass；　and　complacently　conceives　himself　to　be　a　very　different　appearing　person　from　what　he　is；　forgetting　that　his　right　side　has　become　his　left；　and　vice　versa？　　Yet　who；　when　by　chance　he　catches　sight　in　like　manner　of　the　face　of　a　friend；　can　keep　from　smiling　at　the　caricatures　which　the　mirror's　left…for…right　reversal　makes　of　the　asymmetry　of　that　friend's　features；caricatures　all　the　more　grotesque　for　being　utterly　unsuspected　by　their　innocent　original？　　Perhaps；　could　we　once　see　ourselves　as　others　see　us；　our　surprise　in　the　case　of　foreign　peoples　might　be　less　pronounced。

Regarding；　then；　the　Far　Oriental　as　a　man；　and　not　simply　as　a　phenomenon；　we　discover　in　his　peculiar　point　of　view　a　new　importance；the　possibility　of　using　it　stereoptically。　　For　his　mind…photograph　of　the　world　can　be　placed　side　by　side　with　ours；　and　the　two　pictures　combined　will　yield　results　beyond　what　either　alone　could　possibly　have　afforded。　　Thus　harmonized；　they　will　help　us　to　realize　humanity。　　Indeed　it　is　only　by　such　a　combination　of　two　different　aspects　that　we　ever　perceive　substance　and　distinguish　reality　from　illusion。　　What　our　two　eyes　make　possible　for　material　objects；　the　earth's　two　hemispheres　may　enable　us　to　do　for　mental　traits。　　Only　the　superficial　never　changes　its　expression；　the　appearance　of　the　solid　varies　with　the　standpoint　of　the　observer。　　In　dreamland　alone　does　everything　seem　plain；　and　there　all　is　unsubstantial。

To　say　that　the　Japanese　are　not　a　savage　tribe　is　of　course　unnecessary；　to　repeat　the　remark；　anything　but　superfluous；　on　the　principle　that　what　is　a　matter　of　common　notoriety　is　very　apt　to　prove　a　matter　about　which　uncommonly　little　is　known。　　At　present　we　go　halfway　in　recognition　of　these　people　by　bestowing　upon　them　a　demi…diploma　of　mental　development　called　semi…civilization；　neglecting；　however；　to　specify　in　what　the　fractional　qualification　consists。　　If　the　suggestion　of　a　second　moiety；　as　of　something　directly　complementary　to　them；　were　not　indirectly　complimentary　to　ourselves；　the　expression　might　pass；　but；　as　it　is；　the　self…praise　is　rather　too　obvious　to　carry　conviction。　　For　Japan's　claim　to　culture　is　not　based　solely　upon　the　exports　with　which　she　supplements　our　art；　nor　upon　the　paper；　china；　and　bric…a…brac　with　which　she　adorns　our　rooms；　any　more　than　Western　science　is　adequately　represented　in　Japan　by　our　popular　imports　there　of　kerosene　oil；　matches；　and　beer。　　Only　half　civilized　the　Far　East　presumably　is；　but　it　is　so　rather　in　an　absolute　than　a　relative　sense；　in　the　sense　of　what　might　have　been；　not　of　what　is。　　It　is　so　as　compared；　not　with　us；　but　with　the　eventual　possibilities　of　humanity。　　As　yet；　neither　system；　Western　nor　Eastern；　is　perfect　enough　to　serve　in　all　things　as　standard　for　the　other。　　The　light　of　truth　has　reached　each　hemisphere　through　the　medium　of　its　own　mental　crystallization；　and　this　has　polarized　it　in　opposite　ways；　so　that　now　the　rays　that　are　normal　to　the　eyes　of　the　one　only　produce　darkness　to　those　of　the　other。　　For　the　Japanese　civilization　in　the　sense　of　not　being　savagery　is　the　equal　of　our　own。　　It　is　not　in　the　polish　that　the　real　difference　lies；　it　is　in　the　substance　polished。　　In　politeness；　in　delicacy；　they　have　as　a　people　no　peers。　　Art　has　been　their　mistress；　though　science　has　never　been　their　master。　　Perhaps　for　this　very　reason　that　art；　not　science；　has　been　the　Muse　they　courted；　the　result　has　been　all　the　more　widespread。　　For　culture　there　is　not　the　attainment　of　the　few；　but　the　common　property　of　the　people。　　If　the　peaks　of　intellect　rise　less　eminent；　the　plateau　of　general　elevation　stands　higher。　But　little　need　be　said　to　prove　the　civilization　of　a　land　where　ordinary　tea…house　girls　are　models　of　refinement；　and　common　coolies；　when　not　at　work；　play　chess　for　pastime。

If　Japanese　ways　look　odd　at　first　sight；　they　but　look　more　odd　on　closer　acquaintance。　　In　a　land　where；　to　allow　one's　understanding　the　freer　play　of　indoor　life；　one　begins；　not　by　taking　off　his　hat；　but　by　removing　his　boots；　he　gets　at　the　very　threshold　a　hint　that　humanity　is　to　be　approached　the　wrong　end　to。　　When；　after　thus　entering　a　house；　he　tries　next　to　gain　admittance　to　the　mind　of　its　occupant；　the　suspicion　becomes　a　certainty。　　He　discovers　that　this　people　talk；　so　to　speak；　backwards；　that　before　he　can　hope　to　comprehend　them；　or　make　himself　understood　in　return；　he　must　learn　to　present　his　thoughts　arranged　in　inverse　order　from　the　one　in　which　they　naturally　suggest　themselves　to　his　mind。　　His　sentences　must　all　be　turned　inside　out。　　He　finds　himself　lost　in　a　labyrinth　of　language。　　The　same　seems　to　be　true　of　the　thoughts　it　embodies。　The　further　he　goes　the　more　obscure　the　whole　process　becomes；　until；　after　long　groping　about　for　some　means　of　orienting　himself；　he　lights　at　last　upon　the　clue。　　This　clue　consists　in　〃the　survival　of　the　unfittest。〃

In　the　civilization　of　Japan　we　have　presented　to　us　a　most　interesting　case　of　partially　arrested　development；　or；　to　speak　esoterically；　we　find　ourselves　placed　face　to　face　with　a　singular　example　of　a　completed　race…life。　　For　though　from　our　standpoint　the　evolution　of　these　people　seems　suddenly　to　have　come　to　an　end　in　mid…career；　looked　at　more　intimately　it　shows　all　the　signs　of　having　fully　run　its　course。　　Development　ceased；　not　because　of　outward　obstruction；　but　from　purely　intrinsic　inability　to　go　on。　The　intellectual　machine　was　not　shattered；　it　simply　ran　down。　To　this　fact　the　phenomenon　owes　its　peculiar　interest。　　For　we　behold　here　in　the　case　of　man　the　same　spectacle　that　we　see　cosmically　in　the　case　of　the　moon；　the　spectacle　of　a　world　that　has　died　of　old　age。　　No　weak　spot　in　their　social　organism　dest