the mirror of kong ho-第7章

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challenge　coupled　with　the　name　of　one　recognisable　spot；　replied　to



by　the　haphazard　retort　of　another　place；　frequently　in　no　way　joined



to　it；　was　regarded　as　an　exceptionally　fascinating　sit…round　game　by



a　company　of　elderly　barbarians！







〃What　couldn't　Walbrook？〃　it　might　be；　and　〃Such　Cheapside；〃　would　be



deemed　a　praiseworthy　solution。　〃When　did　King's　Bench　Walk？〃　would　be



asked；　and　to　reply；　〃When　Gray's　Inn　Road；〃　covered　the　one　with



overpowering　acclamation。　〃Bevis　Marks　only　an　Inner　Circle　at　The



Butts；　why？〃　was　a　demand　of　such　elaborate　complexity　that　（although



this　person　was　lured　out　of　his　self…imposed　restraint　by　the　silence



of　all　round；　and　submerging　his　intelligence　to　an　acquired　level；



unobtrusively　suggested；　〃Because　Aylesbury　ducks；　perchance〃）　it　fell



to　the　one　propounding　to　announce；　〃Because　St。　John's　Wood　Shoot…up



Hill。〃







Admittedly　it　is　written；　〃When　the　shutter　is　fastened　the　girdle　is



loosened；〃　but　it　is　as　truly　said；　〃Not　in　the　head；　nor　yet　in　the



feet；　but　in　the　organs　of　digestion　does　wisdom　reside；〃　and　even　in



jesting　the　middle　course　of　neither　an　excessive　pride　nor　an



absolute　weak…mindedness　is　to　be　observed。　With　what　concrete　pangs



of　acute　mental　distress　would　this　person　ever　behold　his　immaculate



progenitor　taking　part　in　a　similar　sit…round　game　with　an　assembly　of



worthy　mandarins；　the　one　asking　questions　of　meaningless　import；　as



〃Why　did　they　Hangkow？〃　and　another　replying　in　an　equal　strain　of　no



consecutiveness；　〃In　order　to　T'in　Tung！〃







At　length　a　person　who　is　spoken　of　as　having　formerly　been　the



captain　of　a　band　of　warriors　turned　to　me　with　an　unsuspected　absence



of　ferocity　and　said；　〃Your　countrymen　are　very　proficient　in　the　art



of　epigram；　are　they　not；　Mr。　Kong？　Will　you　not；　in　turn；　therefore；



favour　us　with　an　example？〃　Whereupon　several　maidens　exclaimed　with



engaging　high　temper；　〃Oh　yes；　do　ask　us　some　funny　Chinese　riddles；



Mr。　Kong！〃







〃Assuredly　there　are　among　us　many　classical　instances　of　the　light



sayings　which　require　matching；〃　I　replied；　gratified　that　I　should



have　the　opportunity　of　showing　their　superiority。　〃One；　harmonious



beyond　the　blend　of　challenge　and　retort；　is　as　follows'The　Phoenix



embroidered　upon　the　side　of　the　shoe：　When　the　shoe　advances　the



Phoenix　leaps　forward。'〃







〃Oh！〃　cried　several　of　the　maidens；　and　from　the　nature　of　their



glances　it　might　reasonably　be　gathered　that　already　they　began　to



recognise　the　inferiority　of　their　own　sayings。







〃Is　that　the　question；　or　the　answer；　or　both？〃　asked　a　youth　of



unfledged　maturity；　and　to　hide　their　conscious　humiliation　several



persons　allowed　their　faces　to　melt　away。







〃That　which　has　been　expressed；〃　replied　this　person　with　an



ungrudging　toleration；　〃is　the　first　or　question　portion　of　the



contrast。　The　answer　is　that　which　will　be　supplied　by　your　honourable



condescension。〃







〃But；〃　interposed　one　of　the　maidens；　〃it　isn't　really　a　question；　you



know；　Mr。　Kong。〃







〃In　a　way　of　regarding　it；　it　may　be　said　to　be　question；　inasmuch　as



it　requires　an　answer　to　establish　the　comparison。　The　most　pleasing



answer　is　that　which　shall　be　dissimilar　in　idea；　and　yet　at　the　same



time　maintain　the　most　perfect　harmony　of　parallel　thought；〃　I



replied。　〃Now　permit　your　exceptional　minds　to　wander　in　a　forest　of



similitudes：　'The　Phoenix　embroidered　upon　the　side　of　the　shoe：　When



the　shoe　advances　the　Phoenix　leaps　forward。'〃







〃Oh；　if　that's　all　you　want；〃　said　the　one　Herbert；　who　by　an　ill



destiny　chanced　to　be　present；　〃'The　red…hot　poker　held　before　the



Cat's　nose：　When　the　poker　advances　the　Cat　leaps　backwards。'〃







〃Oh；　very　good！〃　cried　several　of　those　around；　〃of　course　it



naturally　would。　Is　that　right；　Mr。　Kong？〃







〃If　the　high…souled　company　is　satisfied；　then　it　must　be；　for　there



is　no　conclusive　right　or　wrongonly　an　unending　search　for　that



which　is　most　gem…set　and　resourceful；〃　replied　this　person；　with　an



ever…deepening　conviction　of　no　enthusiasm　towards　the　sit…round　game。



〃But；〃　he　added；　resolved　to　raise　for　a　moment　the　canopy　of　a　mind



swan…like　in　its　crystal　many…sidedness；　and　then　leave　them　to　their



own　ineptitude；　〃for　five　centuries　nothing　has　been　judged　equal　to



the　solution　offered　by　Li　Tang。　At　the　time　he　was　presented　with　a



three…sided　banner　of　silk　with　the　names　of　his　eleven　immediate



ancestors　embroidered　upon　it　in　seven　colours；　and　his　own　name　is



still　handed　down　in　imperishable　memory。〃







〃Oh；　do　tell　us　what　it　was；〃　cried　many。　〃It　must　have　been　clever。〃







〃'The　Dragon　painted　upon　the　face　of　the　fan：　When　the　fan　is　shaken



the　Dragon　flies　upwards；'〃　replied　this　person。







It　cannot　be　denied　that　this　was　received　with　an　attitude　of



respectful　melancholy　strikingly　complimentary　to　the　wisdom　of　the



gifted　Li　Tang。　But　whether　it　may　be　that　the　time　was　too　short　to



assimilate　the　more　subtle　delicacies　of　the　saying；　or　whether　the



barbarian　mind　is　inherently　devoid　of　true　balance；　this　person　was



panged　most　internally　to　hear　one　say　to　another　as　he　went　out；　〃Do



you　know；　I　really　think　that　Herbert's　was　much　the　better　answer　of



the　twomore　realistic；　and　what　you　might　expect　at　the　pantomime。〃



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　*







A　like　inability　to　grasp　with　a　clear　and　uninvolved　vision；



permeates　not　only　the　triviality　of　a　sit…round　game　but　even　the



most　important　transactions　of　existence。







Shortly　after　his　arrival　in　the　Island；　this　person　was　initiated　by



the　widely…esteemed　Quang…Tsun　into　the　private　life　of　one　whose



occupation　was　that　of　a　Law…giver；　where　he　frequently　drank　tea　on



terms　of　mutual　cordiality。　Upon　such　an　occasion　he　was　one　day



present；　conversing　with　the　lesser　ones　of　the　householdthe　head



thereof　being　absent；　setting　forth　the　Law　in　the　Templewhen　one　of



the　maidens　cried　out　with　amiable　vivacity；　〃Why；　Mr。　Kong；　you　say



such　consistently　graceful　things　of　the　ladies　you　have　met　over



here；　that　we　shall　expect　you　to　take　back　an　English　wife　with　you。



But　perhaps　you　are　already　married　in　China？〃







〃The　conclusion　is　undeviating　in　its　accuracy；〃　replied　this　person；



unable　to　evade　the　allusion。　〃To　Ning；　Hia…Fa　and　T'ain　Yen；　as　the



matter　stands。〃







〃Ning　Hia…Fa　An　T'ain　Yen！〃　exclaimed　the　wife　of　the　Law…giver



pleasantly。　〃What　an　important　name。　Can　you　pardon　our　curiosity　and



tell　us　what　she　is　like？〃







〃Ning；　Hia…Fa　AND　T'ain　Yen；〃　repeated　this　person；　not　submitting　to



be　deprived　of　the　consequence　of　two　wives　without　due　protest。



〃Three　names；　three　wives。　Three　very　widely　separated　likes。〃







At　this　in　no　way　boastfully　uttered　statement　the　agreeably　outlined



surface　of　the　faces　around　variated　suddenly；　the　effect　being　one



which　I　have　frequently　observed　in　the　midst　of　my　politest



expressions　of　felicity。　For　a　moment；　indeed；　I　could　not　disguise



from　myself　that　the　one　who　had　made　the　inquiry　stretched　forth　her



lotus…like　hand　towards　the　secret　spring　by　which　it　is　customary　to



summon　the　attending　slaves　from　the　underneath　parts；　but　restraining



herself　with　the　manner　of　one　who　would　desire　to　make　less　of　a



thing　that　it　otherwise　might　seem；　she　turned　to　me　again。







〃How　nice！〃　she　murmured。　〃What　a　pity　you　did　not　bring　them　all　with



you；　Mr。　Kong。　They　would　have　been　a　great　acq