study of the king james bible(钦印〈圣经〉研究)-第46节
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familiar with the Bible。 Some years ago a college president tested a class
of thirty…four men with a score of extracts from Tennyson； each of which
contained a Scriptural allusion； none of them obscure。 The replies were
suggestive and quite appalling。 Tennyson wrote； in the 〃Supposed
Confessions〃：
〃My sin was a thorn among the thorns that girt Thy brow。〃
Of these thirty…four young men nine of them did not understand that
quotation。 Tennyson wrote：
〃Like Hezekiah's； backward runs The shadow of my days。〃
Thirty…two of the thirty…four did not know what that meant。 The
meaning of the line；
〃For I have flung thee pearls and find thee swine；〃 was utterly
obscure to twenty…two of the thirty… four。 One of them said it was a
reference to 〃good opportunities given but not improved。〃 Another said it
was equivalent to the counsel 〃not to expect to find gold in a hay…stack。〃
Even the line；
〃A Jonah's gourd Up in one night； and due to sudden
sun；〃
was utterly baffling to twenty…eight of the thirty…four。 One of them
spoke of it as an 〃allusion to the uncertainty of the length of life。〃 Another
thought it was a reference to 〃the occasion of Jonah's being preserved by
the whale。〃 Another counted it 〃an allusion to the emesis of Jonah by the
whale。〃 Another considered it a reference to 〃the swallowing of Jonah by a
whale；〃 and yet another considered that it referred to 〃things grand； but not
worthy of worship because they are perishable。〃 It is amazing to read that
in response to Tennyson's lines；
〃Follow Light and do the Rightfor man can half control his
doom Till you find the deathless Angel seated in the vacant
tomb；〃
only sixteen were able to give an explanation of its meaning！ The lines
from the 〃Holy Grail〃 were equally baffling：
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〃Perhaps like Him of Cana in Holy Writ； Our Arthur kept his best
until the last。〃
Twenty…four of these thirty…four young men could not recall what that
meant。 One said that the keeping of the best wine until the last meant
〃waiting till the last moment to be baptized！〃
All that may be solely the fault of these young men。 Professor
Lounsbury once said that his experience in the class…room had taught him
the infinite capacity of the human mind to withstand the introduction of
knowledge。 Very likely earnest effort had been made to teach these young
men the Bible； but it is manifest that they had successfully resisted the
efforts。 If Tennyson were the only poet who could not be understood
without knowledge of the Bible； it might not matter so much； but no one
can read Browning nor Carlyle nor Macaulay nor Huxley with entire
intelligence without knowledge of the greater facts and forces of Scripture。
The value of the allusions can be shown by comparing them with those of
mythology。 No one can read most of Shelley with entire satisfaction
without a knowledge of Greek mythology。 That is one reason why Shelley
has so much passed out of popularity。 We do not know Greek mythology；
and we have very largely lost Shelley from our literary possession。 The
chief power of these other great writers will go from us when our
knowledge of the Scripture goes。
The danger is not simply with reference to the great literature of the
past。 There is danger of losing appreciation of the more delicate touches of
current literature； sometimes of a complete missing of the meaning。 An
orator describing present political and social conditions used a fine phrase；
that 〃it is time the nation camped for a season at the foot of the mount。〃
Only a knowledge of Bible history will bring as a flash before one the
nation in the desert at Sinai learning the meaning and power of law。 Yet an
intelligent man； hearing that remark； said that he counted it a fine figure；
that he thought there did come in the life of every nation a time before it
began its ascent to the heights when it ought to pause and camp at the foot
of the mountain to get its breath！ After Lincoln's assassination Garfield
stood on the steps in New York； and said： 〃Clouds and darkness are around
about him！ God reigns and the government at Washington still lives！〃
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Years after； some one referring to that； said that it was a beautiful sentence；
that the reference to 〃clouds and darkness〃 was a beautiful symbolism； but
that Garfield had a great knack in the building…up of fine phrases！ He
lacked utterly the background of the great Psalm which was in Garfield's
mind； and which gives that phrase double meaning。 If we go back to
Tennyson again； some one has proposed the inquiry why he should have
called one of his poems 〃Rizpah；〃 since there was no one of that name
mentioned in the whole poem！ When； some years ago； a book was
published； The Children of Gideon； one of the reviewers could not
understand why that title was used； since no one of that name appeared in
the entire volume。 And when Mrs。 Wharton's book； The House of Mirth；
came out some one spoke of the irony of the title； but it is the irony of the
Scriptures and the book calls for a Scriptural knowledge for its entire
understanding。
Take even an encyclopedia article。 Who can understand these two
sentences without instant knowledge of Scripture？ 〃Marlowe and
Shakespeare； the young Davids of the day； tried the armor of Saul before
they went out to battle； then wisely laid it off。〃 〃Arnold； like Aaron of old；
stands between the dead and the living； but； unlike Aaron； he holds no
smoking censor of propitiation to stay the plague which he feels to be
devouring his generation。〃＇1＇ That is in an encyclopedia to which young
people are often referred。 What will they make out of it without the Bible？
In a widely distributed school paper； in the question…and…answer
department； occurs the inquiry： 〃Who composed the inscription on the
Liberty Bell？〃 The inscription is； 〃Proclaim liberty throughout all the land
to all the inhabitants thereof。〃＇2＇ It is to be hoped it was a very young
person who needed to ask who 〃composed〃 that expression！
＇1＇ New International Encyclopedia； art。 on English Literature。
＇2＇ Current Events； January 12； 1912。
This applies to all the great classics。 There has come about a 〃decay
of literary allusions；〃 as one of our papers editorially says。 In much of our
writing； either the transient or the permanent； men can no longer risk easy
reference to classical literature。 〃Readers of American biography must
often be struck with the important part which literary recollection played
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in the life of a cultured person a generation or two ago。 These men had
read Homer； Xenophon and Virgil； Shakespeare； Byron and Wordsworth；
Lamb； De Quincey and Coleridge。 They were not afraid of being called
pedants because they occasionally used a Latin phrase or referred to some
great name of Greece or Rome。〃 That is not so commonly true to…day。
Especially is there danger of losing easy acquaintance with the great Bible
references。
There are familiar reasons for it。 For one thing； there has been a great
increase of literature。 Once there was little to read； and that little became
familiar。 One would have been ashamed to pretend to culture and not to
know such literature well。 Now there is so much that one cannot know it
all； and most men follow the line of least resistance。 That line is not where
great literature lies。 Once the problem was how to get books enough for a
family library。 Now the problem is how to get library enough for the books。
