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！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
38
… Page 39…
The Soul of the Far East
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。
39
… Page 40…
The Soul of the Far East
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
40
… Page 41…
The Soul of the Far East
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
much less categorical matter than we had been led to suppose。 We
should actually come to doubt the fundamental necessity of some of our
most sacred grammatical constructions； and even our reverenced Latin
grammars would lose that air of awful absoluteness which so impressed us
in boyhood。
An encouraging estimate of a certain missionary puts the amount of
study needed by the Western student for the learning of Japanese as
sufficient； if expended nearer home； to equip him with any three modern
European languages。 It is certainly true that a completely strange
vocabulary； an utter inversion of grammar； and an elaborate system of
honorifics combine to render its acquisition anything but easy。 In its
fundamental principles； however； it is alluringly simple。
In the first place； the Japanese language is pleasingly destitute of
personal pronouns。 Not only is the obnoxious 〃I〃 conspicuous only by
its absence； the objectionable antagonistic 〃you〃 is also entirely
suppressed； while the intrusive 〃he〃 is evidently too much of a third
person to be wanted。 Such invidious distinctions of identity apparently
never thrust their presence upon the simple early Tartar minds。 I； you；
and he； not being differences due to nature； demanded； to their thinking；
no recognition of man。
There is about this vagueness of expression a freedom not without its
charm。 It is certainly delightful to be able to speak of yourself as if you
were somebody else； choosing mentally for the occasion any one you may
happen to fancy； or； it you prefer； the possibility of soaring boldly forth
into the realms of the unconditioned。
To us； at first sight； however； such a lack of specification appears
wofully incompatible with any intelligible transmission of ideas。 So
communistic a want of discrimination between the meum and the tuumto
say nothing of the claims of a possible third partywould seem to be as
41
… Page 42…
The Soul of the Far East
fatal to the interchange of thoughts as it proves destructive to the
trafficking in commodities。 Such； nevertheless； is not the result。 On the
contrary； Japanese is as easy and as certain of comprehension as is English。
On ninety occasions out of a hundred； the context at once makes clear the
person meant。
In the very few really ambiguous cases； or those in which； for the sake
of emphasis； a pronoun is wanted； certain consecrated expressions are
introduced for the purpose。 For eventually the more complex social
relations of increasing civilization compelled some sort of distant
recognition。 Accordingly； compromises with objectionable personality
were effected by circumlocutions promoted to a pronoun's office；
becoming thus pro…pronouns； as it were。 Very noncommittal expressions
they are； most of them； such as： 〃the augustness；〃 meaning you； 〃that
honorable side；〃 or 〃that corner；〃 denoting some third person； the exact
term employed in any given instance scrupulously betokening the relative
respect in which the individual spoken of is held； while with a candor； an
indefiniteness； or a humility worthy so polite a people； the I is known as
〃selfishness；〃 or 〃a certain person；〃 or 〃the clumsy one。〃
Pronominal adjectives are manufactured in the same way。 〃The stupid
father；〃 〃the awkward son；〃 〃the broken…down firm；〃 are 〃mine。〃 Were
they 〃yours；〃 they would instantly become 〃the august； venerable father；〃
〃the honorable son；〃 〃the exalted firm。〃 ＇1＇
Even these lame substitutes for pronouns are paraded as sparingly as
possible。 To the Western student； who brings to the subject a brain
throbbing with personality； hunting in a Japanese sentence for personal
references is dishearteningly like 〃searching in the dark for a black hat
which is n't there；〃 for the brevet pronouns are commonly not on duty。
To employ them with the reckless prodigality that characterizes our
conversation would strike the Tartar mind like interspersing his talk with
unmeaning italics。 He would regard such discourse much as we do those
effusi