the soul of the far east(远东的灵魂)-第14章
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from a man that which he hath not。 So contumacious a thing is custom。
It is indeed lucky that popular prejudice interposes some limit to this
fictitious method of acquiring children。 A trifling predilection for the real
thing in sonships is absolutely vital； even to the continuance of the
artificial variety。 For if one generation ever went in exclusively for
adoption； there would be no subsequent generation to adopt。
As it to give the finishing touch to so conventional a system of society；
a man can leave it under certain circumstances with even greater ease than
he entered it。 He can become as good as dead without the necessity of
making way with himself。 Theoretically； he can cease to live while still
practically existing； for it is always open to the head of a family to
abdicate。
The word abdicate has to our ears a certain regal sound。 We
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instinctively associate the act with a king。 Even the more democratic
expression resign suggests at once an office of public or quasi public
character。 To talk of abdicating one's private relationships sounds absurd；
one might as well talk of electing his parents； it would seem to us。 Such
misunderstanding of far…eastern social possibilities comes from our having
indulged in digressions from our more simple nomadic habits。 If in
imagination we will return to our ancestral muttons and the then existing
order of things； the idea will not strike us as so strange； for in those early
bucolic days every father was a king。 Family economics were the only
political questions in existence then。 The clan was the unit。 Domestic
disputes were state disturbances； and clan…claims the only kind of
international quarrels。 The patriarch was both father to his people and
king。
As time widened the family circle it eventually reached a point where
cohesion ceased to be possible。 The centrifugal tendency could no longer
be controlled by the centripetal force。 It split up into separate bodies；
each of them a family by itself。 In their turn these again divided； and so
the process went on。 This principle has worked universally； the only
difference in its action among different races being the greater or less
degree of the evolving motion。 With us the social system has been
turning more and more rapidly with time。 In the Far East its force；
instead of increasing； would seem to have decreased； enabling the nebula
of its original condition to keep together as a single mass； so that to…day a
whole nation； resembling a nebula indeed in homogeneity； is swayed by a
single patriarchal principle。 Here； on the contrary； so rapid has the
motion become that even brethren find themselves scattered to the four
winds。
An Occidental father and an Oriental head of a family are no longer
really correlative terms。 The latter more closely resembles a king in his
duties； responsibilities； and functions generally。 Now； in the Middle
Ages in Europe； when a king grew tired of affairs of state； he abdicated。
So in the Far East； when the head of a family has had enough of active life；
he abdicates； and his eldest son reigns in his stead。
From that moment he ceases to belong to the body politic in any active
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sense。 Not that he is no longer a member of society nor unamenable to
its general laws； but that he has become a respectable declasse； as it were。
He has entered； so to speak； the social nirvana； a not unfitting first step； as
he regards it； toward entering the eventual nirvana beyond。 Such
abdication now takes place without particular cause。 After a certain time
of life； and long before a man grows old； it is the fashion thus to make
one's bow。
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CHAPTER 4。 Language。
A man's personal equation； as astronomers call the effect of his
individuality； is kin； for all its complexity； to those simple algebraical
problems which so puzzled us at school。 To solve either we must begin
by knowing the values of the constants that enter into its expression。
Upon the a b c's of the one； as upon those of the other； depend the
possibilities of the individual x。
Now the constants in any man's equation are the qualities that he has
inherited from the past。 What a man does follows from what he is； which
in turn is mostly dependent upon what his ancestors have been； and of all
the links in the long chain of mind…evolution； few are more important and
more suggestive than language。 Actions may at the moment speak louder
than words； but methods of expression have as tell…tale a tongue for
bygone times as ways of doing things。
If it should ever fall to my lot to have to settle that exceedingly vexed
Eastern question；not the emancipation of ancient Greece from the
bondage of the modern Turk； but the emancipation of the modern college
student from the bond of ancient Greek；I should propose； as a solution of
the dilemma； the addition of a course in Japanese to the college list of
required studies。 It might look； I admit； like begging the question for the
sake of giving its answer； but the answer； I think； would justify itself。
It is from no desire to parade a fresh hobby…horse upon the university
curriculum that I offer the suggestion； but because I believe that a study of
the Japanese language would prove the most valuable of ponies in the
academic pursuit of philology。 In the matter of literature； indeed； we
should not be adding very much to our existing store； but we should gain
an insight into the genesis of speech that would put us at least one step
nearer to being present at the beginnings of human conversation。 As it is
now； our linguistic learning is with most of us limited to a knowledge of
Aryan tongues； and in consequence we not only fall into the mistake of
thinking our way the only way； which is bad enough； but； what is far
worse； by not perceiving the other possible paths we quite fail to
appreciate the advantages or disadvantages of following our own。 We are
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the blind votaries of a species of ancestral language…worship； which； with
all its erudition； tends to narrow our linguistic scope。 A study of
Japanese would free us from the fetters of any such family infatuation。
The inviolable rules and regulations of our mother…tongue would be found
to be of relative application only。 For we should discover that speech is a
