第3章

类别:其他 作者:Isabella Lucy Bird字数:4683更新时间:18/12/27 09:01:20
hadseenthemallbefore,solikearetheytotheirpicturesontrays,fans,andtea-pots。Thehairofthewomenisalldrawnawayfromtheirfaces,andisworninchignons,andthemen,whentheydon’tshavethefrontoftheirheadsandgathertheirbackhairintoaquaintqueuedrawnforwardovertheshavenpatch,weartheircoarsehairaboutthreeincheslonginarefractoryundividedmop。 Davies,anorderlyfromtheLegation,metme,——oneoftheescortcutdownandseverelywoundedwhenSirH。ParkeswasattackedinthestreetofKiyotoinMarch1868onhiswaytohisfirstaudienceoftheMikado。Hundredsofkurumas,andcoveredcartswithfourwheelsdrawnbyonemiserablehorse,whicharetheomnibusesofcertaindistrictsofTokiyo,werewaitingoutsidethestation,andanEnglishbroughamforme,witharunningbetto。TheLegationstandsinKojimachionveryelevatedgroundabovetheinnermoatofthehistoric“CastleofYedo,“butIcannottellyouanythingofwhatIsawonmywaythither,exceptthatthereweremilesofdark,silent,barrack-likebuildings,withhighlyornamentalgateways,andlongrowsofprojectingwindowswithscreensmadeofreeds——thefeudalmansionsofYedo——andmilesofmoatswithloftygrassembankmentsorwallsofmassivemasonry50feethigh,withkiosk- liketowersatthecorners,andcurious,roofedgateways,andmanybridges,andacresoflotusleaves。Turningalongtheinnermoat,upasteepslope,thereare,ontheright,itsdeepgreenwaters,thegreatgrassembankmentsurmountedbyadismalwalloverhungbythebranchesofconiferoustreeswhichsurroundedthepalaceoftheShogun,andontheleftsundryyashikis,asthemansionsofthedaimiyowerecalled,nowinthisquartermostlyturnedintohospitals,barracks,andGovernmentoffices。Onaheight,themostconspicuousofthemall,isthegreatredgatewayoftheyashiki,nowoccupiedbytheFrenchMilitaryMission,formerlytheresidenceofIiKamonnoKami,oneofthegreatactorsinrecenthistoricevents,whowasassassinatednotfaroff,outsidetheSakarudagateofthecastle。Besidesthese,barracks,parade-grounds,policemen,kurumas,cartspulledandpushedbycoolies,pack-horsesinstrawsandals,anddwarfish,slatternly-lookingsoldiersinEuropeandress,madeuptheTokiyothatIsawbetweenShinbashiandtheLegation。 H。B。M。’sLegationhasagoodsituationneartheForeignOffice,severaloftheGovernmentdepartments,andtheresidencesoftheministers,whicharechieflyofbrickintheEnglishsuburbanvillastyle。Withinthecompound,withabrickarchwaywiththeRoyalArmsuponitforanentrance,aretheMinister’sresidence,theChancery,twohousesforthetwoEnglishSecretariesofLegation,andquartersfortheescort。 ItisanEnglishhouseandanEnglishhome,though,withtheexceptionofavenerablenurse,therearenoEnglishservants。ThebutlerandfootmanaretallChinamen,withlongpig-tails,blacksatincaps,andlongbluerobes;thecookisaChinaman,andtheotherservantsareallJapanese,includingonefemaleservant,asweet,gentle,kindlygirlabout4feet5inheight,thewifeofthehead“housemaid。“Noneoftheservantsspeakanythingbutthemostaggravating“pidgun“English,buttheirdeficientspeechismorethanmadeupforbytheintelligenceandserviceoftheorderlyinwaiting,whoisrarelyabsentfromtheneighbourhoodofthehalldoor,andattendstothevisitors’bookandtoallmessagesandnotes。TherearetworealEnglishchildrenofsixandseven,withgreatcapacitiesforsuchinnocentenjoymentsascanbefoundwithinthelimitsofthenurseryandgarden。Theotherinmateofthehouseisabeautifulandattractiveterriercalled“Rags,“aSkyedog,whounbends“inthebosomofhisfamily,“butordinarilyisasimposinginhisdemeanourasifhe,andnothismaster,representedthedignityoftheBritishEmpire。 TheJapaneseSecretaryofLegationisMr。ErnestSatow,whosereputationforscholarship,especiallyinthedepartmentofhistory,issaidbytheJapanesethemselvestobethehighestinJapan{3}——anhonourabledistinctionforanEnglishman,andwonbytheperseveringindustryoffifteenyears。ThescholarshipconnectedwiththeBritishCivilServiceisnot,however,monopolisedbyMr。Satow,forseveralgentlemenintheconsularservice,whoarepassingthroughthevariousgradesofstudentinterpreters,aredistinguishingthemselvesnotalonebytheirfacilityincolloquialJapanese,butbytheirresearchesinvariousdepartmentsofJapanesehistory,mythology,archaeology,andliterature。Indeeditistotheirlabours,andtothoseofafewotherEnglishmenandGermans,thattheJapaneseoftherisinggenerationwillbeindebtedforkeepingalivenotonlytheknowledgeoftheirarchaicliterature,butevenofthemannersandcustomsofthefirsthalfofthiscentury。 “JohnChinaman“——EngagingaServant——FirstImpressionsofIto——A SolemnContract——TheFoodQuestion。 IwenttoYokohamaforaweektovisitDr。andMrs。HepburnontheBluff。BishopandMrs。BurdonofHongKongwerealsoguests,anditwasverypleasant。 OnecannotbeadayinYokohamawithoutseeingquiteadifferentclassoforientalsfromthesmall,thinly-dressed,andusuallypoor-lookingJapanese。Ofthe2500ChinamenwhoresideinJapan,over1100areinYokohama,andiftheyweresuddenlyremoved,businesswouldcometoanabrupthalt。Here,aseverywhere,theChineseimmigrantismakinghimselfindispensable。Hewalksthroughthestreetswithhisswinginggaitandairofcompleteself-complacency,asthoughhebelongedtotherulingrace。Heistallandbig,andhismanygarments,withahandsomebrocadedrobeoverall,hissatinpantaloons,ofwhichnotmuchisseen,tightattheankles,andhishighshoes,whoseblacksatintopsareslightlyturnedupatthetoes,makehimlookeventallerandbiggerthanheis。Hisheadismostlyshaven,butthehairatthebackisplaitedwithaquantityofblackpursetwistintoaqueuewhichreachestohisknees,abovewhich,setwellback,hewearsastiff,blacksatinskull-cap,withoutwhichheisneverseen。Hisfaceisveryyellow,hislongdarkeyesandeyebrowsslopeupwardstowardshistemples,hehasnotthevestigeofabeard,andhisskinisshiny。 Helooksthoroughly“well-to-do。“Heisnotunpleasing-looking,butyoufeelthatasaCelestialhelooksdownuponyou。Ifyouaskaquestioninamerchant’soffice,orchangeyourgoldintosatsu,ortakeyourrailroadorsteamerticket,orgetchangeinashop,theinevitableChinamanappears。Inthestreetheswingspastyouwithapurposeinhisface;ashefliespastyouinakurumaheisbentonbusiness;heissoberandreliable,andiscontentto“squeeze“hisemployerratherthantorobhim——hisoneaiminlifeismoney。Forthisheisindustrious,faithful,self- denying;andhehashisreward。 Severalofmykindnewacquaintancesinterestedthemselvesaboutthe(tome)vitalmatterofaservantinterpreter,andmanyJapanesecameto“seeaftertheplace。“ThespeakingofintelligibleEnglishisasinequanon,anditwaswonderfultofindthefewwordsbadlypronouncedandworseputtogether,whichwereregardedbythecandidatesasasufficientqualification。CanyouspeakEnglish?“Yes。“Whatwagesdoyouask?“Twelvedollarsamonth。“Thiswasalwayssaidglibly,andineachcasesoundedhopeful。Whomhaveyoulivedwith?Aforeignnamedistortedoutofallrecognition,aswasnatural,wasthengiven。Wherehaveyoutravelled?ThisquestionusuallyhadtobetranslatedintoJapanese,andtheusualanswerwas,“TheTokaido,theNakasendo,toKiyoto,toNikko,“namingthebeatentracksofcountlesstourists。 DoyouknowanythingofNorthernJapanandtheHokkaido?“No,“ withablankwonderinglook。AtthisstageineverycaseDr。 Hepburncompassionatelysteppedinasinterpreter,fortheirstockofEnglishwasexhausted。Threewereregardedaspromising。Onewasasprightlyyouthwhocameinawell-madeEuropeansuitoflight-colouredtweed,alaid-downcollar,atiewithadiamond(?) pin,andawhiteshirt,sostifflystarched,thathecouldhardlybendlowenoughforabowevenofEuropeanprofundity。Heworeagiltwatch-chainwithalocket,thecornerofaverywhitecambricpocket-handkerchiefdangledfromhisbreastpocket,andheheldacaneandafelthatinhishand。HewasaJapanesedandyofthefirstwater。Ilookedathimruefully。Tomestarchedcollarsaretobeanunknownluxuryforthenextthreemonths。Hisfineforeignclotheswouldenhancepriceseverywhereintheinterior,andbesidesthat,Ishouldfeelaperpetualdifficultyinaskingmenialservicesfromanexquisite。IwasthereforequiterelievedwhenhisEnglishbrokedownatthesecondquestion。 Thesecondwasamostrespectable-lookingmanofthirty-fiveinagoodJapanesedress。Hewashighlyrecommended,andhisfirstEnglishwordswerepromising,buthehadbeencookintheserviceofawealthyEnglishofficialwhotravelledwithalargeretinue,andsentservantsonaheadtopreparetheway。HeknewreallyonlyafewwordsofEnglish,andhishorroratfindingthattherewas“nomaster,“andthattherewouldbenowoman-servant,wassogreat,thatIhardlyknowwhetherherejectedmeorIhim。 Thethird,sentbyMr。Wilkinson,woreaplainJapanesedress,andhadafrank,intelligentface。ThoughDr。HepburnspokewithhiminJapanese,hethoughtthatheknewmoreEnglishthantheothers,andthatwhatheknewwouldcomeoutwhenhewaslessagitated。HeevidentlyunderstoodwhatIsaid,and,thoughIhadasuspicionthathewouldturnouttobethe“master,“IthoughthimsoprepossessingthatInearlyengagedhimonthespot。Noneoftheothersmeritanyremark。 However,whenIhadnearlymadeupmymindinhisfavour,acreatureappearedwithoutanyrecommendationatall,exceptthatoneofDr。Hepburn’sservantswasacquaintedwithhim。Heisonlyeighteen,butthisisequivalenttotwenty-threeortwenty-fourwithus,andonly4feet10inchesinheight,but,thoughbandy- legged,iswellproportionedandstrong-looking。Hehasaroundandsingularlyplainface,goodteeth,muchelongatedeyes,andtheheavydroopofhiseyelidsalmostcaricaturestheusualJapanesepeculiarity。Heisthemoststupid-lookingJapanesethatIhaveseen,but,fromarapid,furtiveglanceinhiseyesnowandthen,I thinkthatthestolidityispartlyassumed。HesaidthathehadlivedattheAmericanLegation,thathehadbeenaclerkontheOsakarailroad,thathehadtravelledthroughnorthernJapanbytheeasternroute,andinYezowithMr。Maries,abotanicalcollector,thatheunderstooddryingplants,thathecouldcookalittle,thathecouldwriteEnglish,thathecouldwalktwenty-fivemilesaday,andthathethoroughlyunderstoodgettingthroughtheinterior!