the expression of emotion in man and animals-第55章

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ender　is　so　insignificant　that　he　excites　only　amusement；　but　the　amusement　is　generally　a　pretence。　Gaika　in　his　answers　to　my　queries　remarks；　that　contempt　is　commonly　shown　by　his　countrymen；　the　Kafirs；　by　smiling；　and　the　Rajah　Brooke　makes　the　same　observation　with　respect　to　the　Dyaks　of　Borneo。　　As　laughter　is　primarily　the　expression　of　simple　joy；　very　young　children　do　not；　I　believe；　ever　laugh　in　derision。

The　partial　closure　of　the　eyelids；　as　Duchenne＇2＇　insists；　or　the　turning　away　of　the　eyes　or　of　the　whole　body；　are　likewise　highly　expressive　of　disdain。　　These　actions　seem　to　declare　that　the　despised　person　is　not　worth　looking　at　or　is　disagreeable　to　behold。　　The　accompanying　photograph　（Plate　V。　fig。　　1）　by　Mr。　Rejlander；　shows　this　form　of　disdain。　It　represents　a　young　lady；　who　is　supposed　to　be　tearing　up　the　photograph　of　a　despised　lover。

The　most　common　method　of　expressing　contempt　is　by　movements　about　the　nose；　or　round　the　mouth；　but　the　latter　movements；　when　strongly　pronounced；　indicate　disgust。　　The　nose　may　be　slightly　turned　up；　which　apparently　follows　from　the　turning　up　of　the　upper　lip；　or　the　movement　may　be　abbreviated　into　the　mere　wrinkling　of　the　nose。　The　nose　is　often　slightly　contracted；　so　as　partly　to　close　the　passage；＇3＇　and　this　is　commonly　accompanied　by　a　slight　snort　or　expiration。　All　these　actions　are　the　same　with　those　which　we　employ　when　we　perceive　an　offensive　odour；　and　wish　to　exclude　or　expel　it。　In　extreme　cases；　as　Dr。　Piderit　remarks；＇4＇　we　protrude　and　raise　both　lips；　or　the　upper　lip　alone；　so　as　to　close　the　nostrils　as　by　a　valve；　the　nose　being　thus　turned　up。　　We　seem　thus　to　say　to　the　despised　person　that　he　smells　offensively；＇5＇　in　nearly　the　same　manner　as　we　express　to　him　by　half…closing　our　eyelids；　or　turning　away　our　faces；　that　he　is　not　worth　looking　at。　It　must　not；　however；　be　supposed　that　such　ideas　actually　pass　through　the　mind　when　we　exhibit　our　contempt；　but　as　whenever　we　have　perceived　a　disagreeable　odour　or　seen　a　disagreeable　sight；　actions　of　this　kind　have　been　performed；　they　have　become　habitual　or　fixed；　and　are　now　employed　under　any　analogous　state　of　mind。


＇1＇　‘De　In　Physionomie　et　la　Parole；'　1865；　p。　　89。

＇2＇　‘Physionomie　Humaine；'　Album；　Legende　viii。　　p。　　35。　Gratiolet　also　speaks　（De　la　Phys。　　1865；　p。　　52）　of　the　turning　away　of　the　eyes　and　body。


＇3＇　Dr。　W。　Ogle；　in　an　interesting　paper　on　the　Sense　of　Smell　（‘Medico…Chirurgical　Transactions；'　vol。　　liii。　　p。　　268）；　shows　that　when　we　wish　to　smell　carefully；　instead　of　taking　one　deep　nasal　inspiration；　we　draw　in　the　air　by　a　succession　of　rapid　short　sniffs。　If　〃the　nostrils　be　watched　during　this　process；　it　will　be　seen　that；　so　far　from　dilating；　they　actually　contract　at　each　sniff。　The　contraction　does　not　include　the　whole　anterior　opening；　but　only　the　posterior　portion。〃　　He　then　explains　the　cause　of　this　movement。　When；　on　the　other　hand；　we　wish　to　exclude　any　odour；　the　contraction；　I　presume；　affects　only　the　anterior　part　of　the　nostrils。

＇4＇　‘Mimik　und　Physiognomik；'　ss。　　84；　93。　　Gratiolet　（ibid。　p。　155）　takes　nearly　the　same　view　with　Dr。　Piderit　respecting　the　expression　of　contempt　and　disgust。

＇5＇　Scorn　implies　a　strong　form　of　contempt；　and　one　of　the　roots　of　the　word　‘scorn'　means；　according　to　Mr。　Wedgwood　（Dict。　of　English　Etymology；　vol。　　iii。　　p。　　125）；　ordure　or　dirt。　A　person　who　is　scorned　is　treated　like　dirt。

Various　odd　little　gestures　likewise　indicate　contempt；　for　instance；　_snapping　one's　fingers_。　　This；　as　Mr。　Taylor　remarks；＇6＇　〃is　not　very　intelligible　as　we　generally　see　it；　but　when　we　notice　that　the　same　sign　made　quite　gently；　as　if　rolling　some　tiny　object　away　between　the　finger　and　thumb；　or　the　sign　of　flipping　it　away　with　the　thumb…nail　and　forefinger；　are　usual　and　well…understood　deaf…and…dumb　gestures；　denoting　anything　tiny；　insignificant；　contemptible；　it　seems　as　though　we　had　exaggerated　and　conventionalized　a　perfectly　natural　action；　so　as　to　lose　sight　of　its　original　meaning。　　There　is　a　curious　mention　of　this　gesture　by　Strabo。〃　　Mr。　Washington　Matthews　informs　me　that；　with　the　Dakota　Indians　of　North　America；　contempt　is　shown　not　only　by　movements　of　the　face；　such　as　those　above　described；　but　〃conventionally；　by　the　hand　being　closed　and　held　near　the　breast；　then；　as　the　forearm　is　suddenly　extended；　the　hand　is　opened　and　the　fingers　separated　from　each　other。　If　the　person　at　whose　expense　the　sign　is　made　is　present；　the　hand　is　moved　towards　him；　and　the　head　sometimes　averted　from　him。〃　This　sudden　extension　and　opening　of　the　hand　perhaps　indicates　the　dropping　or　throwing　away　a　valueless　object。

The　term　‘disgust；'　in　its　simplest　sense；　means　something　offensive　to　the　taste。　　It　is　curious　how　readily　this　feeling　is　excited　by　anything　unusual　in　the　appearance；　odour；　or　nature　of　our　food。　In　Tierra　del　Fuego　a　native　touched　with　his　finger　some　cold　preserved　meat　which　I　was　eating　at　our　bivouac；　and　plainly　showed　utter　disgust　at　its　softness；　whilst　I　felt　utter　disgust　at　my　food　being　touched　by　a　naked　savage；　though　his　hands　did　not　appear　dirty。　　A　smear　of　soup　on　a　man's　beard　looks　disgusting；　though　there　is　of　course　nothing　disgusting　in　the　soup　itself。　I　presume　that　this　follows　from　the　strong　association　in　our　minds　between　the　sight　of　food；　however　circumstanced；　and　the　idea　of　eating　it。



＇6＇　‘Early　History　of　Mankind；'　2nd　edit。　　1870；　p。　　45。

As　the　sensation　of　disgust　primarily　arises　in　connection　with　the　act　of　eating　or　tasting；　it　is　natural　that　its　expression　should　consist　chiefly　in　movements　round　the　mouth。　But　as　disgust　also　causes　annoyance；　it　is　generally　accompanied　by　a　frown；　and　often　by　gestures　as　if　to　push　away　or　to　guard　oneself　against　the　offensive　object。　　In　the　two　photographs　（figs。　2　and　3；　on　Plate　V。）　Mr。　Rejlander　has　simulated　this　expression　with　some　success。　　With　respect　to　the　face；　moderate　disgust　is　exhibited　in　various　ways；　by　the　mouth　being　widely　opened；　as　if　to　let　an　offensive　morsel　drop　out；　by　spitting；　by　blowing　out　of　the　protruded　lips；　or　by　a　sound　as　of　clearing　the　throat。　　Such　guttural　sounds　are　written　_ach_　or　_ugh_；　and　their　utterance　is　sometimes　accompanied　by　a　shudder；　the　arms　being　pressed　close　to　the　sides　and　the　shoulders　raised　in　the　same　manner　as　when　horror　is　experienced。＇7＇　Extreme　disgust　is　expressed　by　movements　round　the　month　identical　with　those　preparatory　to　the　act　of　vomiting。　The　mouth　is　opened　widely；　with　the　upper　lip　strongly　retracted；　which　wrinkles　the　sides　of　the　nose；　and　with　the　lower　lip　protruded　and　everted　as　much　as　possible。　　This　latter　movement　requires　the　contraction　of　the　muscles　which　draw　downwards　the　corners　of　the　mouth。＇8＇


＇7＇　See；　to　this　effect；　Mr。　Hensleigh　Wedgwood's　Introduction　to　the　‘Dictionary　of　English　Etymology；'　2nd　edit。　1872；　p。　　xxxvii。

It　is　remarkable　how　readily　and　instantly　retching　or　actual　vomiting　is　induced　in　some　persons　by　the　mere　idea　of　having　partaken　of　any　unusual　food；　as　of　an　animal　which　is　not　commonly　eaten；　although　there　is　nothing　in　such　food　to　cause　the　stomach　to　reject　it。　When　vomiting　results；　as　a　reflex　action；　from　some　real　cause　as　from　too　rich　food；　or　tainted　meat；　or　from　an　emeticit　does　not　ensue　immediately；　but　generally　after　a　considerable　interval　of　time。　Therefore；　to　account　for　retching　or　vomiting　being　so　quickly　and　easily　excited　by　a　mere　idea；　the　suspicion　arises　that　our　progenitors　must　formerly　have　had　the　power　（like　that　possessed　by　ruminants　and　some　other　animals）　of　voluntarily　rejecting　food　which　disagreed　with　them；　or　which　they　thought　would　disagree　with　them；　and　now；　though　this　power　has　been　lost；　as　far　as　the　will　is　concerned；　it　is　called　into　involuntary　action；　through　the　force　of　a　formerly　well…established　habit；　whenever　the　mind　revolts　at　the　idea　of　having　partaken　of　any　kind　of　food；　or　at　anything　disgusting。　This　suspicion　receives　support　from　the　fact；　of　which　I　am　assured　by　Mr。　Sutton；　that　the　monkeys　in　the　Zoological　Gardens　often　vomit　whilst　in　pe