study of the king james bible(钦印〈圣经〉研究)-第19节
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Psalms； let him read a literal translation of Horace or Pindar。 He will find
in these two last such an absurdity and confusion of style with such a
comparative poverty of imagination； as will make him very sensible of
what I have been here advancing。〃＇1＇
＇1＇ The Spectator； No。 405。
The fact that the words are short can be quickly illustrated by taking
some familiar sections。 In the Ten Commandments there are three hundred
and nineteen words in all； two hundred and fifty…nine of them are words of
one syllable； and only sixty are of two syllables and over。 There are fifty
words of two syllables； six of three syllables； of which four are such
composite words that they really amount to two words of one and two
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syllables each； with four words of four syllables； and none over that。 Make
a comparison just here。 There is a paragraph in Professor March's lectures
on the English language where he is urging that its strongest words are
purely English； not derived from Greek or Latin。 He uses the King James
version as illustration。 If； now； we take three hundred and nineteen words
at the beginning of that paragraph to compare with the three hundred and
nineteen in the Ten Commandments； the result will be interesting。 Where
the Ten Commandments have two hundred and fifty…nine words of one
syllable； Professor March has only one hundred and ninety…four； over
against the fifty two…syllable words in the Ten Commandments； Professor
March has sixty…five； over against their six words of three syllables； he has
thirty…five； over against their four words of four syllables； he uses eighteen；
and while the Ten Commandments have no word longer than four
syllables； Professor March needs five words of five syllables and two
words of six syllables to express his ideas。＇1＇
＇1＇ This table will show the comparison at a glance：
Syllables 1 2 3 4 5 6 The
Commandments 259 50 6 4 0 0 319 Professor
March 194 65 35 18 5 2 319
The same thing appears in the familiar 23d Psalm； where there are
one hundred and nineteen words in all； of which ninety…five are words of
one syllable； and only three of three syllables； with none longer。 In the
Sermon on the Mount eighty two per cent。 of the words in our English
version are words of one syllable。
The only point urged now is that this kind of thing makes for strength
in literature。 Short words are strong words。 They have a snap and a grip to
them that long words have not。 Very few men would grow angry over
having a statement called a 〃prevarication〃 or 〃a disingenuous
entanglement of ideas；〃 but there is something about the word 〃lie〃 that
snaps in a man's face。 〃Unjustifiable hypothecation〃 may be the same as
stealing； but it would never excite one to be called 〃an unjustifiable
hypothecator〃 as it does to be called a thief。 At the very foundation of the
strength of the literature of the English Bible there lies this tendency to
short； clear…cut words。
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Rising now from this basal element in the literature of the version； we
come to the place where its style and its ideas blend in what we may call
its earnestness。 That is itself a literary characteristic。 There is not a line of
trifling in the book。 No man would ever learn trifling from it。 It takes itself
with tremendous seriousness。 Here are earnest men at work； to them life is
joyous； but it is no joke。 That is why the element of humor in it is such a
small one。 It is there； to be sure。 Many of its similes are intended to be
humorous。 A few of its incidents are humorous； but it has little of that
element in it； as indeed little of our literature has that element markedly in
it。 We have a few exceptions。 But what George Eliot says in Adam Bede is
true； that wit is of a temporary nature； and does not deal with the deep and
more lasting elements in life。 The Bible is not a sad book。 There are
children at play in it； there are feasts and buoyant gatherings fully
recounted。 But it never trifles nor jests。
So it has given us a language of great dignity。 Let Addison speak again：
〃How cold and dead does a prayer appear that is composed in the most
elegant and polite forms of speech； which are natural to our tongue； when
it is not heightened by that solemnity of phrase which may be drawn from
the sacred writings。 It has been said by some of the ancients that if the
gods were to talk with men； they would certainly speak in Plato's style； but
I think we may say； with justice； that when mortals converse with their
Creator they cannot do it in so proper a style as in that of the Holy
Scriptures。〃
As that earnestness of the literature of the original precluded any great
amount of humor in the wide range of its literary forms； so in the King
James version it precluded any trifling expressions； any plays on words；
even the duplication of such plays as can be found in the Hebrew or the
Greek。 You seldom find any turn of a word in the King James version；
though you do occasionally find it in the Hebrew。 One such punning
expression occurs in the story of Samson （Judges xv：16）； where our
version reads： 〃With the jawbone of an ass； heaps upon heaps； with the
jawbone of an ass have I slain a thousand men。〃 In the Hebrew the words
translated 〃ass〃 and 〃heaps〃 are variants of the same word。 It comes near
the Hebrew to say： 〃With the jawbone of an ass； masses upon masses；〃
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and so on。 These translators would not risk reproducing such puns for fear
of lowering the dignity of their results。 There is a deadly seriousness about
their work and so they never lose strength as they go on。
That earnestness grows out of a second fact which may be
emphasizednamely； the greatness of the themes of Bible literature。 Here
is history； but it is not cast into fiction form。 History always becomes more
interesting for a first reading when it is in the form of fiction； but it always
loses greatness in that form。 Test it by turning from a history of the
American revolutionary or civil war to an historical novel that deals with
the same period； or from a history of Scotland to the Waverly novels。 In
some degree the earnestness of the time is lost； the same facts are there；
but they do not loom so large； nor do they seem so great。 So there is power
in the fact that the historical elements of the version are in stately form and
are never sacrificed to the fictional form。
These great themes save the work from being local。 It issues from life；
but from life considered in the large。 The themes of great literature are
great enough to make their immediate surroundings forgotten。 〃The
English Bible deals with the great facts and the great problems。 It is from
the point of view of those great facts that it handles even commonplace
things； and you forget the commonplaceness of the things in the greatness
of the dealing。 Take its attitude toward God。 One needs the sense of that
great theme to read it fairly。 It quietly overlooks secondary causes； goes
back of them to God。 Partly that was because the original writers were
ignorant of some of those secondary causes； partly that they knew them；
but wanted to go farther back。 Take the most outstanding instance； that of
the Book of Jonah。 All its facts； without exception； can be told without
mention of God； if one cared to do it。 But there could not be anything like
so great a story if it is told that way。 One of his biographers says
