TheChineseCharacter中国人的性格Word格式文档下载.docx
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SubtleOriental"
:
IamconvincedthatinagameofmutualdeceptionanEnglishmanorAmericancanbeataChineseninetimesoutoften.ButasmanycomparativelypoorChinesehavedealingswithrichwhitemen,thegameisoftenplayedonlyononeside.Then,nodoubt,thewhitemanisdeceivedandswindled;
butnotmorethanaChinesemandarinwouldbeinLondon.
OneofthemostremarkablethingsabouttheChineseistheirpowerofsecuringtheaffectionofforeigners.AlmostallEuropeanslikeChina,boththosewhocomeonlyastouristsandthosewholivethereformanyyears.InspiteoftheAnglo-JapaneseAlliance,IcanrecallhardlyasingleEnglishmanintheFarEastwholikedtheJapaneseaswellastheChinese.Thosewhohavelivedlongamongthemtendtoacquiretheiroutlookandtheirstandards.Newarrivalsarestruckbyobviousevils:
thebeggars,theterriblepoverty,theprevalenceofdisease,theanarchyandcorruptioninpolitics.EveryenergeticWesternerfeelsatfirstastrongdesiretoreformtheseevils,andofcoursetheyoughttobereformed.
ButtheChinese,eventhosewhoarethevictimsofpreventablemisfortunes,showavastpassiveindifferencetotheexcitementoftheforeigners;
theywaitforittogooff,liketheeffervescenceofsoda-water.Andgraduallystrangehesitationscreepintothemindofthebewilderedtraveller;
afteraperiodofindignation,hebeginstodoubtallthemaximshehashithertoacceptedwithoutquestion.Isitreallywisetobealwaysguardingagainstfuturemisfortune?
Isitprudenttoloseallenjoymentofthepresentthroughthinkingofthedisastersthatmaycomeatsomefuturedate?
Shouldourlivesbepassedinbuildingamansionthatweshallneverhaveleisuretoinhabit?
TheChineseanswerthesequestionsinthenegative,andthereforehavetoputupwithpoverty,disease,andanarchy.But,tocompensatefortheseevils,theyhaveretained,asindustrialnationshavenot,thecapacityforcivilizedenjoyment,forleisureandlaughter,forpleasureinsunshineandphilosophicaldiscourse.TheChinese,ofallclasses,aremorelaughter-lovingthananyotherracewithwhichIamacquainted;
theyfindamusementineverything,andadisputecanalwaysbesoftenedbyajoke.
Irememberonehotdaywhenapartyofuswerecrossingthehillsinchairs--thewaywasroughandverysteep,theworkforthecooliesverysevere.Atthehighestpointofourjourney,westoppedfortenminutestoletthemenrest.Instantlytheyallsatinarow,broughtouttheirpipes,andbegantolaughamongthemselvesasiftheyhadnotacareintheworld.Inanycountrythathadlearnedthevirtueofforethought,theywouldhavedevotedthemomentstocomplainingoftheheat,inordertoincreasetheirtip.We,beingEuropeans,spentthetimeworryingwhethertheautomobilewouldbewaitingforusattherightplace.Well-to-doChinesewouldhavestartedadiscussionastowhethertheuniversemovesincyclesorprogressesbyarectilinearmotion;
ortheymighthavesettoworktoconsiderwhetherthetrulyvirtuousmanshows_complete_self-abnegation,ormay,onoccasion,considerhisowninterest.
OnecomesacrosswhitemenoccasionallywhosufferunderthedelusionthatChinaisnotacivilizedcountry.Suchmenhavequiteforgottenwhatconstitutescivilization.ItistruethattherearenotramsinPeking,andthattheelectriclightispoor.Itistruethatthereareplacesfullofbeauty,whichEuropeansitchtomakehideousbydiggingupcoal.ItistruethattheeducatedChinamanisbetteratwritingpoetrythanatrememberingthesortoffactswhichcanbelookedupin_Whitaker'
sAlmanac_.AEuropean,inrecommendingaplaceofresidence,willtellyouthatithasagoodtrainservice;
thebestqualityhecanconceiveinanyplaceisthatitshouldbeeasytogetawayfrom.ButaChinamanwilltellyounothingaboutthetrains;
ifyouask,hewilltellyouwrong.Whathetellsyouisthatthereisapalacebuiltbyanancientemperor,andaretreatinalakeforscholarswearyoftheworld,foundedbyafamouspoetoftheTangdynasty.ItisthisoutlookthatstrikestheWesternerasbarbaric.
TheChinese,fromthehighesttothelowest,haveanimperturbablequietdignity,whichisusuallynotdestroyedevenbyaEuropeaneducation.Theyarenotself-assertive,eitherindividuallyornationally;
theirprideistooprofoundforself-assertion.TheyadmitChina'
smilitaryweaknessincomparisonwithforeignPowers,buttheydonotconsiderefficiencyinhomicidethemostimportantqualityinamanoranation.Ithinkthat,atbottom,theyalmostallbelievethatChinaisthegreatestnationintheworld,andhasthefinestcivilization.AWesternercannotbeexpectedtoacceptthisview,becauseitisbasedontraditionsutterlydifferentfromhisown.Butgraduallyonecomestofeelthatitis,atanyrate,notanabsurdview;
thatitis,infact,thelogicaloutcomeofaself-consistentstandardofvalues.ThetypicalWesternerwishestobethecauseofasmanychangesaspossibleinhisenvironment;
thetypicalChinamanwishestoenjoyasmuchandasdelicatelyaspossible.ThisdifferenceisatthebottomofmostofthecontrastbetweenChinaandtheEnglish-speakingworld.
WeintheWestmakeafetishof"
progress,"
whichistheethicalcamouflageofthedesiretobethecauseofchanges.Ifweareasked,forinstance,whethermachineryhasreallyimprovedtheworld,thequestionstrikesusasfoolish:
ithasbroughtgreatchangesandthereforegreat"
progress."
Whatwebelievetobealoveofprogressisreally,inninecasesoutoften,aloveofpower,anenjoymentofthefeelingthatbyourfiatwecanmakethingsdifferent.Forthesakeofthispleasure,ayoungAmericanwillworksohardthat,bythetimehehasacquiredhismillions,hehasbecomeavictimofdyspepsia,compelledtoliveontoastandwater,andtobeamerespectatorofthefeaststhatheofferstohisguests.Butheconsoleshimselfwiththethoughtthathecancontrolpolitics,andprovokeorpreventwarsasmaysuithisinvestments.ItisthistemperamentthatmakesWesternnations"
progressive."
Thereare,ofcourse,ambitiousmeninChina,buttheyarelesscommonthanamongourselves.Andtheirambitiontakesadifferentform--notabetterform,butoneproducedbythepreferenceofenjoymenttopower.ItisanaturalresultofthispreferencethatavariceisawidespreadfailingoftheChinese.Moneybringsthemeansofenjoyment,thereforemoneyispassionatelydesired.Withus,moneyisdesiredchieflyasameanstopower;
politicians,whocanacquirepowerwithoutmuchmoney,areoftencontenttoremainpoor.InChina,the_tuchuns_（militarygovernors）,whohavetherealpower,almostalwaysuseitforthesolepurposeofamassingafortune.TheirobjectistoescapetoJapanatasuitablemoment;
withsufficientplundertoenablethemtoenjoylifequietlyfortherestoftheirdays.Thefactthatinescapingtheylosepowerdoesnottroublethemintheleast.Itis,ofcourse,obviousthatsuchpoliticians,whospreaddevastationonlyintheprovincescommittedtotheircare,arefarlessharmfultotheworldthanourown,whoruinwholecontinentsinordertowinanelectioncampaign.
ThecorruptionandanarchyinChinesepoliticsdomuchlessharmthanonewouldbeinclinedtoexpect.ButforthepredatorydesiresoftheGreatPowers--especiallyJapan--theharmwouldbemuchlessthanisdonebyourown"
efficient"
Governments.Nine-tenthsoftheactivitiesofamodernGovernmentareharmful;
thereforetheworsetheyareperformed,thebetter.InChina,wheretheGovernmentislazy,corrupt,andstupid,thereisadegreeofindividuallibertywhichhasbeenwhollylostintherestoftheworld.
Thelawsarejustasbadaselsewhere;
occasionally,underforeignpressure,amanisimprisonedforBolshevistpropaganda,justashemightbeinEnglandorAmerica.Butthisisquiteexceptional;
asarule,inpractice,thereisverylittleinterferencewithfreespeechandafreePress.[96]Theindividualdoesnotfeelobligedtofollowtheherd,ashehasinEuropesince1914,andinAmericasince1917.Menstillthinkforthemselves,andarenotafraidtoannouncetheconclusionsatwhichtheyarrive.IndividualismhasperishedintheWest,butinChinaitsurvives,forgoodaswellasforevil.Self-respectandpersonaldignityarepossibleforeverycoolieinChina,toadegreewhichis,amongourselves,possibleonlyforafewleadingfinanciers.
Thebusinessof"
savingface,"
whichoftenstrikesforeignersinChinaasludicrous,isonlythecarrying-outofrespectforpersonaldignityinthesphereofsocialmanners.Everybodyhas"
face,"
eventhehumblestbeggar;
therearehumiliationsthatyoumustnotinflictuponhim,ifyouarenottooutragetheChineseethicalcode.IfyouspeaktoaChinamaninawaythattransgressesthecode,hewilllaugh,becauseyourwordsmustbetakenasspokeninjestiftheyarenottoconstituteanoffence.
OnceIthoughtthatthestudentstowhomIwaslecturingwerenotasindustriousastheymightbe,andItoldthemsoinjustthesamewordsthatIshouldhaveusedtoEnglishstudentsinthesamecircumstan
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