the soul of the far east-第18部分

快捷操作: 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! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


n。　　Among　the　mass　of　foreign　thought　the　Japanese　imitativeness　has　caused　the　nation　to　adopt；　here　is　one　thing　which　is　indigenous。　　Half　of　the　present　speech；　it　is　true；　is　of　Chinese　importation；　but　conservatism　has　kept　the　other　half　pure。　From　what　it　reveals　we　can　see　how　each　man　starts　to…day　with　the　same　impersonal　outlook　upon　life　the　race　had　reached　centuries　ago；　and　which　it　has　since　kept　unchanged。　　The　man's　mind　has　done　likewise。

Footnote　to　Chapter　4

＇1＇　Professor　Basil　Hall　Chamberlain：　The　Japanese　Language。


Chapter　5。　Nature　and　Art。

We　have　seen　how　impersonal　is　the　form　which　Far　Eastern　thought　assumes　when　it　crystallizes　into　words。　　Let　us　turn　now　to　a　consideration　of　the　thoughts　themselves　before　they　are　thus　stereotyped　for　transmission　to　others；　and　scan　them　as　they　find　expression　unconsciously　in　the　man's　doings；　or　seek　it　consciously　in　his　deeds。

To　the　Far　Oriental　there　is　one　subject　which　so　permeates　and　pervades　his　whole　being　as　to　be　to　him；　not　so　much　a　conscious　matter　of　thought　as　an　unconscious　mode　of　thinking。　　For　it　is　a　thing　which　shapes　all　his　thoughts　instead　of　constituting　the　substance　of　one　particular　set　of　them。　　That　subject　is　art。　To　it　he　is　born　as　to　a　birthright。　　Artistic　perception　is　with　him　an　instinct　to　which　he　intuitively　conforms；　and　for　which　he　inherits　the　skill　of　countless　generations。　　From　the　tips　of　his　fingers　to　the　tips　of　his　toes；　in　whose　use　he　is　surprisingly　proficient；　he　is　the　artist　all　over。　　Admirable；　however；　as　is　his　manual　dexterity；　his　mental　altitude　is　still　more　to　be　admired；　for　it　is　artistic　to　perfection。　　His　perception　of　beauty　is　as　keen　as　his　comprehension　of　the　cosmos　is　crude；　for　while　with　science　he　has　not　even　a　speaking　acquaintance；　with　art　he　is　on　terms　of　the　most　affectionate　intimacy。

To　the　whole　Far　Eastern　world　science　is　a　stranger。　　Such　nescience　is　patent　even　in　matters　seemingly　scientific。　　For　although　the　Chinese　civilization；　even　in　the　so…called　modern　inventions；　was　already　old　while　ours　lay　still　in　the　cradle；　it　was　to　no　scientific　spirit　that　its　discoveries　were　due。　　Notwithstanding　the　fact　that　Cathay　was　the　happy　possessor　of　gunpowder；　movable　type；　and　the　compass　before　such　things　were　dreamt　of　in　Europe；　she　owed　them　to　no　knowledge　of　physics；　chemistry；　or　mechanics。　　It　was　as　arts；　not　as　sciences；　they　were　invented。　　And　it　speaks　volumes　for　her　civilization　that　she　burnt　her　powder　for　fireworks；　not　for　firearms。　　To　the　West　alone　belongs　the　credit　of　manufacturing　that　article　for　the　sake　of　killing　people　instead　of　merely　killing　time。

The　scientific　is　not　the　Far　Oriental　point　of　view。　　To　wish　to　know　the　reasons　of　things；　that　irrepressible　yearning　of　the　Western　spirit；　is　no　characteristic　of　the　Chinaman's　mind；　nor　is　it　a　Tartar　trait。　　Metaphysics；　a　species　of　speculation　that　has　usually　proved　peculiarly　attractive　to　mankind；　probably　from　its　not　requiring　any　scientific　capital　whatever；　would　seem　the　most　likely　place　to　seek　it。　　But　upon　such　matters　he　has　expended　no　imagination　of　his　own；　having　quietly　taken　on　trust　from　India　what　he　now　professes。　　As　for　science　proper；　it　has　reached　at　his　hands　only　the　quasimorphologic　stage；　that　is；　it　consists　of　catalogues　concocted　according　to　the　ingenuity　of　the　individual　and　resembles　the　real　thing　about　as　much　as　a　haphazard　arrangement　of　human　bones　might　be　expected　to　resemble　a　man。　Not　only　is　the　spirit　of　the　subject　left　out　altogether；　but　the　mere　outward　semblance　is　misleading。　　For　pseudo…scientific　collections　of　facts　which　never　rise　to　be　classifications　of　phenomena　forms　to　his　idea　the　acme　of　erudition。　　His　mathematics；　for　example；　consists　of　a　set　of　empiric　rules；　of　which　no　explanation　is　ever　vouchsafed　the　taught　for　the　simple　reason　that　it　is　quite　unknown　to　the　teacher。　　It　is　not　even　easy　to　decide　how　much　of　what　there　is　is　Jesuitical。　　Of　more　recent　sciences　he　has　still　less　notion；　particularly　of　the　natural　ones。　　Physics；　chemistry；　geology；　and　the　like　are　matters　that　have　never　entered　his　head。　　Even　in　studies　more　immediately　connected　with　obvious　everyday　life；　such　as　language；　history；　customs；　it　is　truly　remarkable　how　little　he　possesses　the　power　of　generalization　and　inference。　　His　elaborate　lists　of　facts　are　imposing　typographically；　but　are　not　even　formally　important；　while　his　reasoning　about　them　is　as　exquisite　a　bit　of　scientific　satire　as　could　well　be　imagined。

But　with　the　arts　it　is　quite　another　matter。　　While　you　will　search　in　vain；　in　his　civilization；　for　explanations　of　even　the　most　simple　of　nature's　laws；　you　will　meet　at　every　turn　with　devices　for　the　beautifying　of　life；　which　may　stand　not　unworthily　beside　the　products　of　nature's　own　skill。　　Whatever　these　people　fashion；　from　the　toy　of　an　hour　to　the　triumphs　of　all　time；　is　touched　by　a　taste　unknown　elsewhere。　　To　stroll　down　the　Broadway　of　Tokio　of　an　evening　is　a　liberal　education　in　everyday　art。　　As　you　enter　it　there　opens　out　in　front　of　you　a　fairy…like　vista　of　illumination。　Two　long　lines　of　gayly　lighted　shops；　stretching　off　into　the　distance；　look　out　across　two　equally　endless　rows　of　torch…lit　booths；　the　decorous　yellow　gleam　of　the　one　contrasting　strangely　with　the　demoniacal　red　flare　of　the　other。　　This　perspective　of　pleasure　fulfils　its　promise。　　As　your　feet　follow　your　eyes　you　find　yourself　in　a　veritable　shoppers'　paradise；　the　galaxy　of　twinkle　resolving　into　worlds　of　delight。　　Nor　do　you　long　remain　a　mere　spectator；　for　the　shops　open　their　arms　to　you。　　No　cold　glass　reveals　their　charms　only　to　shut　you　off。　　Their　wares　lie　invitingly　exposed　to　the　public；　seeming　to　you　already　half　your　own。　　At　the　very　first　you　come　to　you　stop　involuntarily；　lost　in　admiration　over　what　you　take　to　be　bric…a…brac。　　It　is　only　afterwards　you　learn　that　the　object　of　your　ecstasy　was　the　commonest　of　kitchen　crockery。　　Next　door　you　halt　again；　this　time　in　front　of　some　leathern　pocket…books；　stamped　with　designs　in　color　to　tempt　you　instantly　to　empty　your　wallet　for　more　new　ones　than　you　will　ever　have　the　means　to　fill。　　If　you　do　succeed　in　tearing　yourself　away　purse…whole；　it　is　only　to　fall　a　victim　to　some　painted　fans　of　so　exquisite　a　make　and　decoration　that　escape　short　of　possession　is　impossible。　　Opposed　as　stubbornly　as　you　may　be　to　idle　purchase　at　home；　here　you　will　find　yourself　the　prey　of　an　acute　case　of　shopping　fever　before　you　know　it。　　Nor　will　it　be　much　consolation　subsequently　to　discover　that　you　have　squandered　your　patrimony　upon　the　most　ordinary　articles　of　every…day　use。　If　in　despair　you　turn　for　refuge　to　the　booths；　you　will　but　have　delivered　yourself　into　the　embrace　of　still　more　irresistible　fascinations。　　For　the　nocturnal　squatters　are　there　for　the　express　purpose　of　catching　the　susceptible。　　The　shops　were　modestly　attractive　from　their　nature；　but　the　booths　deliberately　make　eyes　at　you；　and　with　telling　effect。　　The　very　atmosphere　is　bewitching。　The　lurid　smurkiness　of　the　torches　lends　an