the research magnificent-第66节

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hinks　of　the　past　he　concentrates　on　self；　when　he　thinks　of　the　future　he　radiates　from　self。　　Call　me　a　neo…Confucian；　with　the　cone　opening　forward　away　from　me；　instead　of　focussing　on　me。　。　。　。〃　〃You　make　me　think　of　an　extinguisher；〃　said　Prothero。　〃You　know　I　am　thinking　of　a　focus；〃　said　Benham。　　〃But　all　your　thought　now　has　become　caricature。　。　。　。　　You　have　stopped　thinking。　You　are　fighting　after　making　up　your　mind。　。　。　。〃　Prothero　was　a　little　disconcerted　by　Benham's　prompt　endorsement　of　his　Chinese　identification。　　He　had　hoped　it　would　be　exasperating。　He　tried　to　barb　his　offence。　　He　amplified　the　indictment。　　All　cultures　must　be　judged　by　their　reaction　and　fatigue　products；　and　Confucianism　had　produced　formalism；　priggishness；　humbug。　。　。　。　　No　doubt　its　ideals　had　had　their　successes；　they　had　unified　China；　stamped　the　idea　of　universal　peace　and　good　manners　upon　the　greatest　mass　of　population　in　the　world；　paved　the　way　for　much　beautiful　art　and　literature　and　living。　　〃But　in　the　end；　all　your　stern　orderliness；　Benham；〃　said　Prothero；　〃only　leads　to　me。　　The　human　spirit　rebels　against　this　everlasting　armour　on　the　soul。　After　Han　came　T'ang。　　Have　you　never　read　Ling　Po？　　There's　scraps　of　him　in　English　in　that　little　book　you　havewhat　is　it？the　LUTE　OF　JADE？　　He　was　the　inevitable　Epicurean；　the　Omar　Khayyam　after　the　Prophet。　　Life　must　relax　at　last。　。　。　。〃　〃No！〃　cried　Benham。　　〃If　it　is　traditional；　I　admit；　yes；　but　if　it　is　creative；　no。　。　。　。〃　Under　the　stimulation　of　their　undying　controversy　Benham　was　driven　to　closer　enquiries　into　Chinese　thought。　　He　tried　particularly　to　get　to　mental　grips　with　English…speaking　Chinese。　　〃We　still　know　nothing　of　China；〃　said　Prothero。　　〃Most　of　the　stuff　we　have　been　told　about　this　country　is　mere　middle…class　tourists'　twaddle。　　We　send　merchants　from　Brixton　and　missionaries　from　Glasgow；　and　what　doesn't　remind　them　of　these　delectable　standards　seems　either　funny　to　them　or　wicked。　　I　admit　the　thing　is　slightly　pot…bound；　so　to　speak；　in　the　ancient　characters　and　the　ancient　traditions；　but　for　all　that；　they　KNOW；　they　HAVE；　what　all　the　rest　of　the　world　has　still　to　find　and　get。　　When　they　begin　to　speak　and　write　in　a　modern　way　and　handle　modern　things　and　break　into　the　soil　they　have　scarcely　touched；　the　rest　of　the　world　will　find　just　how　much　it　is　behind。　。　。　。　　Oh！　not　soldiering；　the　Chinese　are　not　such　fools　as　that；　but　LIFE。　。　。　。〃　Benham　was　won　to　a　half　belief　in　these　assertions。　He　came　to　realize　more　and　more　clearly　that　while　India　dreams　or　wrestles　weakly　in　its　sleep；　while　Europe　is　still　hopelessly　and　foolishly　given　over　to　militant　monarchies；　racial　vanities；　delirious　religious　feuds　and　an　altogether　imbecile　fumbling　with　loaded　guns；　China；　even　more　than　America；　develops　steadily　into　a　massive　possibility　of　ordered　and　aristocratic　liberalism。　。　。　。　The　two　men　followed　their　associated　and　disconnected　paths。　Through　Benham's　chance　speeches　and　notes；　White　caught　glimpses；　as　one　might　catch　glimpses　through　a　moving　trellis；　of　that　bilateral　adventure。　　He　saw　Benham　in　conversation　with　liberal…　minded　mandarins；　grave…faced；　bald…browed　persons　with　disciplined　movements；　who　sat　with　their　hands　thrust　into　their　sleeves　talking　excellent　English；　while　Prothero　pursued　enquiries　of　an　intenser；　more　recondite　sort　with　gentlemen　of　a　more　confidential　type。　　And；　presently；　Prothero　began　to　discover　and　discuss　the　merits　of　opium。　For　if　one　is　to　disavow　all　pride　and　priggishness；　if　one　is　to　find　the　solution　of　life's　problem　in　the　rational　enjoyment　of　one's　sensations；　why　should　one　not　use　opium？　　It　is　art　materialized。　　It　gives　tremendous　experiences　with　a　minimum　of　exertion；　and　if　presently　its　gifts　diminish　one　need　but　increase　the　quantity。　　Moreover；　it　quickens　the　garrulous　mind；　and　steadies　the　happiness　of　love。　　Across　the　varied　adventures　of　Benham's　journey　in　China　fell　the　shadow　first　of　a　suspicion　and　then　of　a　certainty。　。　。　。　The　perfected　and　ancient　vices　of　China　wrapped　about　Prothero　like　some　tainted　but　scented　robe；　and　all　too　late　Benham　sought　to　drag　him　away。　　And　then　in　a　passion　of　disgust　turned　from　him。　〃To　this；〃　cried　Benham；　〃one　comes！　　Save　for　pride　and　fierceness！〃　〃Better　this　than　cruelty；〃　said　Prothero　talking　quickly　and　clearly　because　of　the　evil　thing　in　his　veins。　　〃You　think　that　you　are　the　only　explorer　of　life；　Benham；　but　while　you　toil　up　the　mountains　I　board　the　house…boat　and　float　down　the　stream。　　For　you　the　stars；　for　me　the　music　and　the　lanterns。　　You　are　the　son　of　a　mountaineering　don；　and　I　am　a　Chinese　philosopher　of　the　riper　school。　　You　force　yourself　beyond　fear　of　pain；　and　I　force　myself　beyond　fear　of　consequences。　　What　are　we　either　of　us　but　children　groping　under　the　black　cloak　of　our　Maker？who　will　not　blind　us　with　his　light。　　Did　he　not　give　us　also　these　lusts；　the　keen　knife　and　the　sweetness；　these　sensations　that　are　like　pineapple　smeared　with　saltpetre；　like　salted　olives　from　heaven；　like　being　flayed　with　delight。　。　。　。　　And　did　he　not　give　us　dreams　fantastic　beyond　any　lust　whatever？　　What　is　the　good　of　talking？　　Speak　to　your　own　kind。　　I　have　gone；　Benham。　　I　am　lost　already。　　There　is　no　resisting　any　more；　since　I　have　drugged　away　resistance。　　Why　then　should　I　come　back？　　I　know　now　the　symphonies　of　the　exalted　nerves；　I　can　judge；　and　I　say　better　lie　and　hear　them　to　the　end　than　come　back　again　to　my　old　life；　to　my　little　tin…whistle　solo；　myeffort！　　My　EFFORT！　。　。　。　　I　ruin　my　body。　　I　know。　　But　what　of　that？　。　。　。　　I　shall　soon　be　thin　and　filthy。　　What　of　the　grape…　skin　when　one　has　had　the　pulp？〃　〃But；〃　said　Benham；　〃the　cleanness　of　life！〃　〃While　I　perish；〃　said　Prothero　still　more　wickedly；　〃I　say　good　things。　。　。　。〃

13

White　had　a　vision　of　a　great　city　with　narrow　crowded　streets；　hung　with　lank　banners　and　gay　with　vertical　vermilion　labels；　and　of　a　pleasant　large　low　house　that　stood　in　a　garden　on　a　hillside；　a　garden　set　with　artificial　stones　and　with　beasts　and　men　and　lanterns　of　white　porcelain；　a　garden　which　overlooked　this　city。　Here　it　was　that　Benham　stayed　and　talked　with　his　host；　a　man　robed　in　marvellous　silks　and　subtle　of　speech　even　in　the　European　languages　he　used；　and　meanwhile　Prothero；　it　seemed；　had　gone　down　into　the　wickedness　of　the　town　below。　　It　was　a　very　great　town　indeed；　spreading　for　miles　along　the　banks　of　a　huge　river；　a　river　that　divided　itself　indolently　into　three　shining　branches　so　as　to　make　islands　of　the　central　portion　of　the　place。　　And　on　this　river　swarmed　for　ever　a　vast　flotilla　of　ships　and　boats；　boats　in　which　people　lived；　boats　in　which　they　sought　pleasure；　moored　places　of　assembly；　high…pooped　junks；　steamboats；　passenger　sampans；　cargo　craft；　such　a　water　town　in　streets　and　lanes；　endless　miles　of　it；　as　no　other　part　of　the　world　save　China　can　display。　　In　the　daylight　it　was　gay　with　countless　sunlit　colours　embroidered　upon　a　fabric　of　yellow　and　brown；　at　night　it　glittered　with　a　hundred　thousand　lights　that　swayed　and　quivered　and　were　reflected　quiveringly　upon　the　black　flowing　waters。　And　while　Benham　sat　and　talked　in　the　garden　above　came　a　messenger　who　was　for　some　reason　very　vividly　realized　by　White's　imagination。　　He　was　a　tall　man　with　lack…lustre　eyes　and　sunken　cheeks　that　made　his　cheek　bones　very　prominent；　and　gave　his　thin…　lipped　mouth　something　of　the　geniality　of　a　skull；　and　the　arm　he　thrust　out　of　his　yellow　robe　to　hand　Prothero's　message　to　Benham　was　lean　as　a　pole。　　So　he　stood　out　in　White's　imagination；　against　the　warm　afternoon　sky　and　the　brown　roofs　and　blue　haze　of　the　great　town　below；　and　was　with　one　exception　the　distinctest　thing　in　the　story。　　The　message　he　bore　was　scribbled　by　Prothero　himself　in　a　nerveless　scrawl：　〃Send　a　hundred　dollars　by　this　man。　　I　am　in　a　frightful　fix。〃　Now　Benham's　host　had　been　twitting　him　with　the　European　patronage　of　opium；　and　something　in　this　message　stirred　his　facile　indignation。　　Twice　before　he　had　had　similar　demands。　　And　on　the　whole　they　had　seemed　to　him　to　be　unreasonable　demands。　　He　was　astonished　that　while　he　was　sitting　and　talking　of　the　great　world…　republic　of　the　future　and　the　secret　self…directed　aristocracy　that　would　make　it　possible；　his　own　friend；　his　chosen　companion；　should　thus；　by　this　inglorious　request　and　this　ungainly　messenger；　disavow　him。　　He　felt　a　wave　of　intense　irritation。　〃No；〃　he　said；　〃I　will　not。〃　And　he　was　too　angry　to　express　himself　in　any　language　understandable　by　his　messenger。　His　host　intervened　and　explained　after　a　few　questions　that　the　occasion　was　serious。　　Prothero；　it　seemed；　had　been　gambling。　〃No；〃　said　Benham。　　〃He　is　shameless。　　Let　him　do　what　he　can。〃　The　messenger　was　still　reluctant　to　go。　And　scarcely　had　he　gone　before　misgivings　seized　Benham。　〃Where　IS　your　friend？〃　asked　the　mandarin。　〃I　don't　know；〃　said　Benham。　〃But　they　will　keep　him！　　They　may　do　all　sorts　of　things　when　they　find　he　is　lying　to　them。〃　〃Lying　to　them？〃　〃About　your　help。〃　〃Stop　that　man；〃　cried　Benham　suddenly　realizing　his　mistake。　　But　when　the　servants　went