the expression of emotion in man and animals-第54章

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The　expression　of　a　half…playful　sneer　graduates　into　one　of　great　ferocity　when；　together　with　a　heavily　frowning　brow　and　fierce　eye；　the　canine　tooth　is　exposed。　A　Bengalee　boy　was　accused　before　Mr。　Scott　of　some　misdeed。　The　delinquent　did　not　dare　to　give　vent　to　his　wrath　in　words；　but　it　was　plainly　shown　on　his　countenance；　sometimes　by　a　defiant　frown；　and　sometimes　〃by　a　thoroughly　canine　snarl。〃　When　this　was　exhibited；　〃the　corner　of　the　lip　over　the　eye…tooth；　which　happened　in　this　case　to　be　large　and　projecting；　was　raised　on　the　side　of　his　accuser；　a　strong　frown　being　still　retained　on　the　brow。〃　　Sir　C。　Bell　states＇15＇　that　the　actor　Cooke　could　express　the　most　determined　hate　〃when　with　the　oblique　cast　of　his　eyes　he　drew　up　the　outer　part　of　the　upper　lip；　and　discovered　a　sharp　angular　tooth。〃


＇14＇　Transact。　　Philosoph。　　Soc。；　Appendix；　1746；　p。　　65。

The　uncovering　of　the　canine　tooth　is　the　result　of　a　double　movement。　The　angle　or　corner　of　the　mouth　is　drawn　a　little　backwards；　and　at　the　same　time　a　muscle　which　runs　parallel　to　and　near　the　nose　draws　up　the　outer　part　of　the　upper　lip；　and　exposes　the　canine　on　this　side　of　the　face。　The　contraction　of　this　muscle　makes　a　distinct　furrow　on　the　cheek；　and　produces　strong　wrinkles　under　the　eye；　especially　at　its　inner　corner。　The　action　is　the　same　as　that　of　a　snarling　dog；　and　a　dog　when　pretending　to　fight　often　draws　up　the　lip　on　one　side　alone；　namely　that　facing　his　antagonist。　　Our　word　_sneer_　is　in　fact　the　same　as　_snarl_；　which　was　originally　_snar_；　the　_l_　〃being　merely　an　element　implying　continuance　of　action。〃＇16＇

I　suspect　that　we　see　a　trace　of　this　same　expression　in　what　is　called　a　derisive　or　sardonic　smile。　　The　lips　are　then　kept　joined　or　almost　joined；　but　one　corner　of　the　mouth　is　retracted　on　the　side　towards　the　derided　person；　and　this　drawing　back　of　the　corner　is　part　of　a　true　sneer。　　Although　some　persons　smile　more　on　one　side　of　their　face　than　on　the　other；　it　is　not　easy　to　understand　why　in　cases　of　derision　the　smile；　if　a　real　one；　should　so　commonly　be　confined　to　one　side。　I　have　also　on　these　occasions　noticed　a　slight　twitching　of　the　muscle　which　draws　up　the　outer　part　of　the　upper　lip；　and　this　movement；　if　fully　carried　out；　would　have　uncovered　the　canine；　and　would　have　produced　a　true　sneer。


＇15＇　‘Anatomy　of　Expression；'　p。　　136。　　Sir　C。　Bell　calls　（p。　131）　the　muscles　which　uncover　the　canines　the　snarling　muscles。

＇16＇　Hensleigh　Wedgwood；　‘Dictionary　of　English　Etymology；'　1865；　vol。　　iii。　　pp。　　240；　243。

Mr。　Bulmer；　an　Australian　missionary　in　a　remote　part　of　Gipps'　Land；　says；　in　answer　to　my　query　about　the　uncovering　of　the　canine　on　one　side；　〃I　find　that　the　natives　in　snarling　at　each　other　speak　with　the　teeth　closed；　the　upper　lip　drawn　to　one　side；　and　a　general　angry　expression　of　face；　but　they　look　direct　at　the　person　addressed。〃　　Three　other　observers　in　Australia；　one　in　Abyssinia；　and　one　in　China；　answer　my　query　on　this　head　in　the　affirmative；　but　as　the　expression　is　rare；　and　as　they　enter　into　no　details；　I　am　afraid　of　implicitly　trusting　them。　It　is；　however；　by　no　means　improbable　that　this　animal…like　expression　may　be　more　common　with　savages　than　with　civilized　races。　　Mr。　Geach　is　an　observer　who　may　be　fully　trusted；　and　he　has　observed　it　on　one　occasion　in　a　Malay　in　the　interior　of　Malacca。　　The　Rev。　S。　O。　Glenie　answers；　〃We　have　observed　this　expression　with　the　natives　of　Ceylon；　but　not　often。〃　Lastly；　in　North　America；　Dr。　Rothrock　has　seen　it　with　some　wild　Indians；　and　often　in　a　tribe　adjoining　the　Atnahs。

Although　the　upper　lip　is　certainly　sometimes　raised　on　one　side　alone　in　sneering　at　or　defying　any　one；　I　do　not　know　that　this　is　always　the　case；　for　the　face　is　commonly　half　averted；　and　the　expression　is　often　momentary。　The　movement　being　confined　to　one　side　may　not　be　an　essential　part　of　the　expression；　but　may　depend　on　the　proper　muscles　being　incapable　of　movement　excepting　on　one　side。　I　asked　four　persons　to　endeavour　to　act　voluntarily　in　this　manner；　two　could　expose　the　canine　only　on　the　left　side；　one　only　on　the　right　side；　and　the　fourth　on　neither　side。　Nevertheless　it　is　by　no　means　certain　that　these　same　persons；　　if　defying　any　one　in　earnest；　would　not　unconsciously　have　uncovered　their　canine　tooth　on　the　side；　whichever　it　might　be；　towards　the　offender。　　For　we　have　seen　that　some　persons　cannot　voluntarily　make　their　eyebrows　oblique；　yet　instantly　act　in　this　manner　when　affected　by　any　real；　although　most　trifling；　cause　of　distress。　　The　power　of　voluntarily　uncovering　the　canine　on　one　side　of　the　face　being　thus　often　wholly　lost；　indicates　that　it　is　a　rarely　used　and　almost　abortive　action。　It　is　indeed　a　surprising　fact　that　man　should　possess　the　power；　or　should　exhibit　any　tendency　to　its　use；　for　Mr。　Sutton　has　never　noticed　a　snarling　action　in　our　nearest　allies；　namely；　the　monkeys　in　the　Zoological　Gardens；　and　he　is　positive　that　the　baboons；　though　furnished　with　great　canines；　never　act　thus；　but　uncover　all　their　teeth　when　feeling　savage　and　ready　for　an　attack。　Whether　the　adult　anthropomorphous　apes；　in　the　males　of　whom　the　canines　are　much　larger　than　in　the　females；　uncover　them　when　prepared　to　fight；　is　not　known。

The　expression　here　considered；　whether　that　of　a　playful　sneer　or　ferocious　snarl；　is　one　of　the　most　curious　which　occurs　in　man。　It　reveals　his　animal　descent；　for　no　one；　even　if　rolling　on　the　ground　in　a　deadly　grapple　with　an　enemy；　and　attempting　to　bite　him；　would　try　to　use　his　canine　teeth　more　than　his　other　teeth。　We　may　readily　believe　from　our　affinity　to　the　anthropomorphous　apes　that　our　male　semi…human　progenitors　possessed　great　canine　teeth；　and　men　are　now　occasionally　born　having　them　of　unusually　large　size；　with　interspaces　in　the　opposite　jaw　for　their　reception。＇17＇　We　may　further　suspect；　notwithstanding　that　we　have　no　support　from　analogy；　that　our　semi…human　progenitors　uncovered　their　canine　teeth　when　prepared　for　battle；　as　we　still　do　when　feeling　ferocious；　or　when　merely　sneering　at　or　defying　some　one；　without　any　intention　of　making　a　real　attack　with　our　teeth。


＇17＇　‘The　Descent　of　Man；'　1871；　vol。　　L　p。　　126。　　CHAPTER　XI。

DISDAINCONTEMPTDISGUST…GUILTPRIDE；　ETC。HELPLESSNESSPATIENCE　AFFIRMATION　AND　NEGATION。

Contempt；　scorn　and　disdain；　variously　expressedDerisive　smile　Gestures　expressive　of　contemptDisgustGuilt；　deceit；　pride；　&c。　Helplessness　or　impotencePatienceObstinacyShrugging　the　shoulders　common　to　most　of　the　races　of　manSigns　of　affirmation　and　negation。


SCORN　and　disdain　can　hardly　be　distinguished　from　contempt；　excepting　that　they　imply　a　rather　more　angry　frame　of　mind。　Nor　can　they　be　clearly　distinguished　from　the　feelings　discussed　in　the　last　chapter　under　the　terms　of　sneering　and　defiance。　Disgust　is　a　sensation　rather　more　distinct　in　its　nature　and　refers　to　something　revolting；　primarily　in　relation　to　the　sense　of　taste；　as　actually　perceived　or　vividly　imagined；　and　secondarily　to　anything　which　causes　a　similar　feeling；　through　the　sense　of　smell；　touch；　and　even　of　eyesight。　Nevertheless；　extreme　contempt；　or　as　it　is　often　called　loathing　contempt；　hardly　differs　from　disgust。　　These　several　conditions　of　the　mind　are；　therefore；　nearly　related；　and　each　of　them　may　be　exhibited　in　many　different　ways。　Some　writers　have　insisted　chiefly　on　one　mode　of　expression；　and　others　on　a　different　mode。　　From　this　circumstance　M。　Lemoine　has　argued＇1＇　that　their　descriptions　are　not　trustworthy。　But　we　shall　immediately　see　that　it　is　natural　that　the　feelings　which　we　have　here　to　consider　should　be　expressed　in　many　different　ways；　inasmuch　as　various　habitual　actions　serve　equally　well；　through　the　principle　of　association；　for　their　expression。

Scorn　and　disdain；　as　well　as　sneering　and　defiance；　may　be　displayed　by　a　slight　uncovering　of　the　canine　tooth　on　one　side　of　the　face；　and　this　movement　appears　to　graduate　into　one　closely　like　a　smile。　Or　the　smile　or　laugh　may　be　real；　although　one　of　derision；　and　this　implies　that　the　offender　is　so　insignificant　that　he　e