the soul of the far east-第12章

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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　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　effusive　epistles　of　a　certain　type　of　young　woman　to　her　most　intimate　girl　friends；　in　which　every　other　word　is　emphatically　underlined。

For　the　most　part；　the　absolutely　necessary　personal　references　are　introduced　by　honorifics；　that　is；　by　honorary　or　humble　expressions。　Such　is　a　portion　of　the　latter's　duty。　　They　do　a　great　deal　of　unnecessary　work　besides。

These　honorifics　are；　taken　as　a　whole；　one　of　the　most　interesting　peculiarities　of　Japanese；　as　also　of　Korean；　just　as；　taken　in　detail；　they　are　one　of　its　most　dangerous　pitfalls。　　For　silence　is　indeed　golden　compared　with　the　chagrin　of　discovering　that　a　speech　which　you　had　meant　for　a　compliment　was；　in　fact；　an　insult；　or　the　vexation　of　learning　that　you　have　been　industriously　treating　your　servant　with　the　deference　due　a　superior；two　catastrophes　sure　to　follow　the　attempts　of　even　the　most　cautious　of　beginners。　The　language　is　so　thoroughly　imbued　with　the　honorific　spirit　that　the　exposure　of　truth　in　all　its　naked　simplicity　is　highly　improper。　Every　idea　requires　to　be　more　or　less　clothed　in　courtesy　before　it　is　presentable；　and　the　garb　demanded　by　etiquette　is　complex　beyond　conception。　　To　begin　with；　there　are　certain　preliminary　particles　which　are　simply　honorific；　serving　no　other　purpose　whatsoever。　In　addition　to　these　there　are　for　every　action　a　small　infinity　of　verbs；　each　sacred　to　a　different　degree　of　respect。　　For　instance；　to　our　verb　〃to　give〃　corresponds　a　complete　social　scale　of　Japanese　verbs；　each　conveying　the　idea　a　shade　more　politely　than　its　predecessor；　only　the　very　lowest　meaning　anything　so　plebeian　as　simply　〃to　give。〃　Sets　of　laudatory　or　depreciatory　adjectives　are　employed　in　the　same　way。　　Lastly；　the　word　for　〃is；〃　which　strictly　means　〃exists；〃　expresses　this　existence　under　three　different　forms；in　a　matter…of…fact；　a　flowing；　or　an　inflated　style；　the　solid；　liquid；　and　gaseous　states　of　conversation；　so　to　speak；　to　suit　the　person　addressed。　　But　three　forms　being　far　too　few　for　the　needs　of　so　elaborate　a　politeness；　these　are　supplemented　by　many　interpolated　grades。

Terms　of　respect　are　applied　not　only　to　those　mortals　who　are　held　in　estimation　higher　than　their　fellows；　but　to　all　men　indiscriminately　as　well。　　The　grammatical　attitude　of　the　individual　toward　the　speaker　is　of　as　much　importance　as　his　social　standing；　I　being　beneath　contempt；　and　you　above　criticism。

Honorifics　are　used　not　only　on　all　possible　occasions　for　courtesy；　but　at　times；　it　would　seem；　upon　impossible　ones；　for　in　some　instances　the　most　subtle　diagnosis　fails　to　reveal　in　them　a　relevancy　to　anybody。　　That　the　commonest　objects　should　bear　titles　because　of　their　connection　with　some　particular　person　is　comprehensible；　but　what　excuse　can　be　made　for　a　phrase　like　the　following；　〃It　respectfully　does　that　the　august　seat　exists；〃　all　of　which　simply　means　〃is；〃　and　may　be　applied　to　anything；　being　the　common　wordin　Japanese　it　is　all　one　word　nowfor　that　apparently　simple　idea。　　It　would　seem　a　sad　waste　of　valuable　material。　　The　real　reason　why　so　much　distinguished　consideration　is　shown　the　article　in　question　lies　in　the　fact　that　it　is　treated　as　existing　with　reference　to　the　person　addressed；　and　therefore　becomes　ipso　facto　august。

Here　is　a　still　subtler　example。　　You　are；　we　will　suppose；　at　a　tea…house；　and　you　wish　for　sugar。　　The　following　almost　stereotyped　conversation　is　pretty　sure　to　take　place。　　I　translate　it　literally；　simply　prefacing　that　every　tea…house　girl；　usually　in　the　first　blush　of　youth；　is　generically　addressed　as　〃elder　sister；〃　another　honorific；　at　least　so　considered　in　Japan。

　You　clap　your　hands。　　（Enter　tea…house　maiden。）

　You。　　Hai；　elder　sister；　augustly　exists　there　sugar？

　The　T。　H。　M。　　The　honorable　sugar；　augustly　is　it？

　You。　　So；　augustly。

　The　T。　H。　M。　He　（indescribable　expression　of　assent）。　　（Exit　tea…house　maiden　to　fetch　the　sugar。）

Now；　the　〃augustlies〃　go　almost　without　saying；　but　why　is　the　sugar　honorable？　　Simply　because　it　is　eventually　going　to　be　offered　to　you。　　But　she　would　have　spoken　of　it　by　precisely　the　same　respectful　title；　if　she　had　been　obliged　to　inform　you　that　there　was　none；　in　which　case　it　never　could　have　become　yours。　　Such　is　politeness。　　We　may　note；　in　passing；　that　all　her　remarks　and　all　yours；　barring　your　initial　question；　meant　absolutely　nothing。　She　understood　you　perfectly　from　the　first；　and　you　knew　she　did；　but　then；　if　all　of　us　were　to　say　only　what　were　necessary；　the　delightful　art　of　conversation　would　soon　be　nothing　but　a　science。

The　average　Far　Oriental；　indeed；　talks　as　much　to　no　purpose　as　his　Western　cousin；　only　in　his　chit…chat　politeness　replaces　personalities。　　With　him；　self　is　suppressed；　and　an　ever…present　regard　for　others　is　substituted　in　its　stead。

A　lack　of　personality　is；　as　we　have　seen；　the　occasion　of　this　courtesy；　it　is　also　its　cause。

That　politeness　should　be　one　of　the　most　marked　results　of　impersonality　may　appear