《中国人的性格》是美国传教士阿瑟·史密斯（明恩溥）基于1872年赴华传教期间的社会观察撰写的著作，首版英文名《Chinese Characteristics》于19世纪末问世，。作者在华生活逾五十年，书中融合人类学视角与传教士立场，记录了晚清民众的性格特征与文化形态。
全书以27个主题章节剖析中国人行为模式，包含“保全面子”“省吃俭用”等生活哲学，以及“漠视精确”“因循守旧”等社会现象。通过对比西方工业文明，着重探讨东方特有的生存韧性，如环境适应力与疼痛耐受性。书中案例多源自山东乡村生活经历，涉及衣食住行、孝悌观念等主题，部分结论因宗教立场存在视角争议。该著作开创西方研究中国国民性先河，被译成多国文字，成为近代中西文化互鉴的重要文本。
第二十章 缺乏同情
“仁”向来被中国人列为“五常”之首。“仁”字在汉字中由“人”和“二”两部分组成，可能是想表明，仁产生于两个人的相互交往。对文字本身的意义，我们没必要深究，因为它并不能代表生活——聪明的观察家应该了解的是现实生活。不过，尽管有一些本该了解真相的人常常作出浅薄的论断，认为中国人不具备仁慈的品质，这绝不是事实。孟子曰：“恻隐之心，人皆有之。”儒教教人温良，佛教劝人慈悲，这不能不对中国人产生显著的影响。更何况，中国人有强烈注重实际的天性。他们一旦要“行善”时，肯定会找到大量行善的机会，并做出各种“善事”来。
中国人引以为荣的慈善行为有设立保育堂，建立麻疯病院、老人收容院和免费学校等。因为中国缺乏实用的户口统计，现在可能还不知道这类机构究竟有多少。戴维·希尔牧师曾调查过中国中部的一些地方，发现杭州城有三十家慈善机构，每年的开支大约为八千英镑。但是，冒昧地说，这些慈善机构仍然相对不足，因为中国人口众多，尤其是大闹市区人口密集，他们需要大量慈善机构。
中国发大水或闹饥荒时，各地普遍设立施粥棚，也为穷人捐赠衣物。这些事也不全由政府来做，民众自己也互相帮助，共度难关。这类耗资巨大的事例并不罕见。灾荒年头，逃荒的灾民潮水般地涌进城市，相当必要时，他们被允许在车棚里、空房子里住下来。因为假如这些成群结队的灾民遭到拒绝，他们就会采取行动，实行报复。这时，让步是最明智的做法。
另外，各省在外地设立的同乡会也属于慈善机构。它主要照顾离乡在外，穷困潦倒的人，或者客死他乡、遗体无法运回家乡的人。这是一种保险性质的日常性事务机构，中国人大概也这样认为。
在一些劝人行“善”的书中。有的人对自己做过的恶事直言不讳，引以为耻，也宣扬自己做过的善事，并引以为荣，善恶的结果会在判官的生死簿上显示出来，并决定着他们的来世。这种简单的报应观念清楚地反映了中国人注重实际的天性，就像我们已经讨论过的，他们总是执着地为来世考虑。在他们眼里，来世不过是现世的伸展与延续。大部分中国人乐于行善的目的是期望获得回报。有时，公开善行背后利己的动机，会带来不可思议的后果。１８８９年４月，杭州的官吏为帮助因黄河泛滥而受灾的难民，试图通过对城中茶馆卖出的每杯茶水抽税来筹集资金。但古都的民众对这一做法的态度就像１７７３年波士顿市民对茶税的态度一样。官吏贴出告示：“行此无上善举，必得善报。”他们想以此来赢得民众的支持。可是，民众与茶馆联合起来，进行抵制，终于使这一计划彻底破产。满城居民如此团结一致，共同抵制强制人获得的“善报”，对我们来说，确实罕见。
为穷人提供棺材；把暴露野外的人骨头收集起来并重新埋葬；烧掉捡到的字纸，以免它们遭亵渎；买活鱼、活鸟，把它们放回大自然；还有些地方，为需要者赠送神秘的膏药，免费种痘，低价出售或赠送劝世良言，这些都成了中国人行善的主要内容。因此，也正如我们所看到的一样，真正对人怀有善良意愿的行为就退居其次了。而这些陈旧的做法又几乎如出一辙，千篇一律，做的人也极少动感情，动头脑。站在岸边，看渔人撒网、捡鱼，撤网、捡鱼，当然比帮助站在家门口的乞丐容易多了。
况且，对注重实际的中国人来说，有一点是十分重要的，那就是鱼一人水，鸟一出笼，它们就自谋生路去吧，他们应做的已经做完了。鸟儿或鱼儿们不能指望放回它们的人会为它们提供更好的生活条件。对人来说，他们只是在积德，在做自己的事，至于鱼或鸟以后的命运，他们可管不了。
在中国，“善门难开”，关上更难。没有谁能预料到愿望良好的行为在将来会有什么样的结果，也没人知道因此而招来承担更多责任的危险。明智的做法就是对自己的行为时刻谨慎。一个住在中国内地的传教士，曾应当地一些绅士的请求，帮助一个双目失明的乞丐，为他治眼，其实，不过是小小的白内障而已。后来，乞丐的眼痊愈了，他重获光明。然而，那些绅士知道之后，却说传教士砸了乞丐的饭碗，因为，他现在不能再讨饭了。因此，传教士应该养活他，雇他看门。有时，一个很少与其他人交往的慈善的老太太，款待其他的老太婆——她们看起来似乎应该得到周济，但是她却会成为这些人残酷榨取的牺牲品。我们曾听说过这类事情，虽然只有一例，但估计并不罕见。我们不能不承认，中国人很少有发自内心的仁慈，哪怕是那么一丁点儿也没有。
瘟疫、饥荒爆发或黄河大决口时，地方政府或中央政府迟早总会派人到灾区，试图帮助灾民。不过，他们从不采取长久性的、大规模的防范措施，仅仅是采取一些权宜之计，似乎这种事只会发生一次。对灾民的帮助也经常在关键时刻偏偏中止了。比如说，人们经过长期痛苦的煎熬，好不容易挺到了早春，这是个最容易发病的季节，可是政府只给一点儿救济就把他们打发了，要他们赶快回家，老实干活。理由不用说，谁都知道：政府的钱用完了，田里还正需要人干活。麦收前，只要他们有吃的，就足够了。政府也很清楚，如果不给一点救济，天气转暖，瘟疫就可能爆发，人们大批地死去要比小灾难更令人注意，更易引起麻烦。
“腊八舍粥”也一样，是典型中国式的慈善活动，它也只注重活动的表面形式。腊月初八这天，平时没机会行善的人，早已准备好要慷慨施舍。按照风俗，他们一整天会向所有来讨粥的人施舍，不过，这些粥都是最便宜、最难让人下咽的。这就是所谓的“行善”，人们以此来积德。如果某一年碰巧丰收，可能就没有人来讨粥了，因为即使穷光蛋在家里也可以吃到同样或更好的饭食。即便如此，仍不足以使施粥者停止舍粥，或换上更好的食物。一天过去了，没有一个人来讨粥，它们最终被倒进了猪槽。而行善的富人们也带着悠悠的满足感回屋睡觉去了。今年的义务他己尽了，良心也得到了满足，他是个仁慈的人。但假如遇到了坏年头，米价暴涨，他们就没心思行善积德了，因为他们“行不起善”。
前面，我们说过对乞丐的施舍，在中国，成群的乞丐随处可见。他们所得的施舍有点保险的性质。众所周知，城里的乞丐常常组成强大的帮派，他们远比与自己争斗的任何帮派都更强大，因为他们一无所失，也无所畏惧，这可是无与伦比的优势。如果一个小店主拒绝了一个乞丐的乞讨——他会像日内瓦仲裁那样镌而不舍，就会有成群的乞丐前来骚扰。就连一个精神麻木的中国人也会感到这是个沉重的负担，乞丐们要等到自己不断升级加码的要求完全满足之后，才让店主继续做生意。店主和乞丐对拒绝的结果都很清楚，因而使得这类善行就像涓涓细流，绵延不绝。
对经常可以看到的，川流不息的难民，人们也同样对待。通过这些，你将认识，这不仅仅是使难民受惠，更重要的是行善者以为自己因此可以获得福报，中国人施惠的每一个对象，都可被看成“小情人”，行善者的一切行为目的只是使自己在现在或未来生活得更好些。
对于中国人这种扭曲的慈善行为，应该再加上重要的一点，即无论何种事情，好事也罢，恶事也罢，都不能逃脱日益萎缩衰退的中国政体的压榨，而且这种压榨和政府的其他计划一样组织严密。想知道一个中国人把赈济款据为己有的全部细节，简直比登天还难。不过，在一些紧急关头，如大饥荒中，可以充分肯定，即使民众的深重苦难也不能阻止元耻的官吏侵吞手中的赈济款。此时，人们的注意力都集中在民众的苦难及赈济款上，如果外界既不知道款子的筹集情况，也不知道其使用情况，结果就可想而知了。
当中国人开始更多地了解西方文明的时候，他们所了解的只是西方人强迫他们接受的西方文明中最坏的成分。在他们看来，基督教世界遍布非基督教世界无法比拟的慈善机构，这肯定是件了不起的事。这也可能会促使他们去探求隐藏在这一意味深长的事实背后的东西。我们还应该提醒中国人去注意一个令人深思的细节：表示“仁”的汉字与其他和感情有关的汉字不同，它没有以心字作偏旁，这说明，它代表的美德通常是缺少诚意的，其结果，我们已经知道了。慈善活动应是一种本能，无论有无明确的必要，都要找机会表现出来。中国人完全缺乏这种精神，这的确不是人类的进步。如果中国人想创造出真正的慈善，就必须经历西方人过去的经历，把仁慈变成人生的重要成分。
英文原版：
XXI.THE ABSENCE OFSYMPATHY
ATTENTION has been directed to that aspect of Chinese life which is represented by the term"benevolence,"the very first of the so-called Constant Virtues.Benevolence is well-wishing.Sympathy is fellow-feeling.Our present object, having premised that the Chinese do practise a certain amount of benevolence,is to illustrate the proposition that they are conspicuous for a deficiency of sympathy.
It must ever be borne in mind that the population of China is dense.The disasters of flood and famine are of periodical occurrence in almost all parts of the Empire.The Chinese desire for posterity is so overmastering a passion that circum- stances which ought to operate as an effectual check upon population,and which in many other countries would do so, appear to be in China relatively inefficient for that purpose. The very poorest people continue to marry their children at an early age,and these children bring up large families,just as if there were any provision for their maintenance.The result of these and other causes is that a large proportion of the population lives,in the most literal sense,from hand to mouth.This may be said to be the universal condition of day-labourers,and it is a condition from which there appears to be no possibility of escape.No foreigner can long deal with the ordinary Chinese whom he everywhere meets,without at once becoming aware of the fact that hardly any one has any ready money.The moment that anything whatever is to be done,the first demand is for cash,that those who are to do it may get something to eat,the presumption being that as yet they have had nothing.It is often very hard even for well-to-do people to raise the most moderate sums of money when it suddenly becomes necessary to do so.There is a most significant expression commonly employed on such oc- casions,which speaks of a man who is obliged to collect a sum with which to prosecute a lawsuit,to arrange for a funeral,and the like,as"putting through a famine,"that is,acting like a -,0 and the bearing of this fact upon the relations of the people to one another must be evident to the most careless observer. The result of the pressure for the means of subsistence,and of the habits which this pressure cultivates and fixes,even after the immediate demand is no longer urgent,is to bring life down to a hard materialistic basis,in which there are but two prominent facts.Money and food are twin foci of the Chinese ellipse,and it is about them as centres that the whole social life of the people revolves.
The deep poverty of the masses of the people of the Chinese Empire,and the terrible struggle constantly going on to secure even the barest subsistence,have familiarised them with the most pitiable exhibitions of suffering of every conceivable variety.Whatever might be the benevolent impulses of any Chinese,he is from the nature of the case wholly helples to relieve even a thousandth part of the misery which he sees about him all the time—misery multiplied many times in any year of special distress.A thoughtful Chinese must recognise the utter futility of the means which are employed to alleviate distress,whether by individual kindness or by government in- terference.All these methods,even when taken at their best, amount simply to a treatment of the symptoms,and do abso- lutely nothing towards removing disease.Their operation is akin to that of societies which should distribute smallpieces of ice among the victims of typhoid fever—so many ounces to each patient,with no hospitals,no dieting,no medicine,and no nursing.It is not,therefore,strange that the Chinese are not in practical ways more benevolent,but rather that,with the total lack of system,of prevision,and of supervision,be- nevolence continues at all.We are familiar with the phenom- enon of the effect,upon the most cultivated persons,of con- stant contact with misery which they have no power either to hinder or to help,for this is illustrated in every modern war. The first sight of blood causes a sinking of the epigastric nerves, and makes an indelible impression;but this soon wears away, and is succeeded by a comparative callousness,which, even to him who experiences it,is a perpetual surprise.In China there is always a social war,and every one is too accustomed to its sickening effects to give them more than a momentary attention.
One of the manifestations of Chinese lack of sympathy is their attitude towards those who are in any way physically de- formed.According to the popular belief,the lame,the blind, especially those who are blind of but one eye,the deaf,the bald,the cross-eyed,are all persons to be avoided.It appears to be the assumption that since the physical nature is defective, the moral nature must be so likewise. So far as our obser- vation extends,such persons are not treated with cruelty,but they excite very little of that sympathy which in Western lands is so freely and so spontaneously extended.They are looked upon as having been overtaken by a punishment for some secret sin,a theory exactly accordant with that of the ancient Jews.
The person who is so unfortunate as to be branded with some natural defect or some acquired blemish will not go long without being reminded of the fact.One of the mildest forms of this practice is that in which the peculiarity is employed as a description in such a way as to attract to it public attention. "Great elder brother with the pockmarks,"says an attendant in a dispensary to a patient,“from what village do you come?” It will not be singular if the man whose eyes are afflicted with strabismus hears an observation to the effect that“when the eyes look asquint,the heart is askew";or if the man who has no hair is reminded that“out of ten bald men,nine are de- ceitful,and the other would be so also,were he not dumb.” Such freaks of nature as albinos form an unceasing butt for a species of cheap wit,which appears never for an instant to be intermitted.The unfortunate possessor of peculiarities like this must resign himself (or herself)to a lifetime of this treat- ment,and happy will he be if his temperament admits of his listening to such talk in perpetual reiteration without becoming by turns furious and sullen.
The same excess of frankness is displayed towards those who exhibit any mental defects."This boy,"remarks a bystander, "is idiotic."The lad is probably not at all"idiotic,"but his undeveloped mind may easily become blighted by the con- stant repetition in his presence of the proposition that he has no mind at all.This is the universal method of treating all patients afficted with nervous diseases,or indeed with any other.A ll their peculiarities,the details of their behaviour, the method in which the disease is supposed to have originated, the symptoms which attend its exacerbations,are all public property,and are all detailed in the presence of the patient, who must be thoroughly accustomed to hearing himself de- scribed as“crazy,""half-witted,"“besotted in his intellect,” etc.,etc.
Among a people to whom the birth of male children is so vital a matter,it is not surprising that the fact of childlessness is a constant occasion of reproach and taunts,just as in the ancient days,when it was said of the mother of the prophet Samuel that“her adversary also provoked her sore,for to make her fret.”If it is supposed for any reason,or without reason,that a mother has quietly smothered one of her children, it will not be strange if the announcement of the same is pub- licly made to a stranger.
One of the most characteristic methods in which the Chinese lack of sympathy is manifested is in the treatment which brides receive on their wedding-day.They are often very young,are always timid,and are naturally terror-stricken at being sud- denly thrust among strangers. Customs vary widely,but there seems to be a general indifference to the feelings of the poor child thus exposed to the public gaze.In some places it is allowable for any one who chooses to turn back the curtains of the chair and stare at her.In other regions,the unmarried girls find it a source of keen enjoyment to post themselves at a convenient position as the bride passes,to throw upon her handfuls of hay-seed or chaff,which will obstinately adhere to her carefully oiled hair for a long time.Upon her emerg- ence from the chair at the house of her new parents,she is subjected to the same kind of criticism as a newly bought horse,with what feelings on her part it is not difficult to imagine.
Side by side with the punctilious ceremony which is so dear to the Chinese heart is the apparent inability to perceive that some things must be disagreeable to other persons,and should for that reason be avoided.A Chinese friend,who had not the smallest idea of saying what would be deficient in politeness,remarked to the writer that when he first saw foreigners it seemed most extraordinary that they should have beards that reached all round their faces just like those of monkeys, but he added,reassuringly,“I am quite used to it now!”The teacher who is asked in the presence of his pupils as to their capacity,replies before them all that the one nearest the door is much the brightest,and will be a graduate by the time he is twenty years of age,but the two at the next table are certainly the stupidest children he ever saw.That such observations have any reflex effect upon the pupils,never for a moment enters into the thought of any one.
The whole family life of the Chinese illustrates their lack of sympathy.While there are great differences in different households,and while from the nature of the case generalisa- tion is precarious,it is easy to see that most Chinese homes which are seen at all are by no means happy homes.It is impossible that they should be so,for they are deficient in that unity of feeling which to us seems so essential to real home life.A Chinese family is generally an association of individuals who are indissolubly tied together,having many of their interests the same,and many of them very different. The result is not our idea of a home,and it is not sympathy.
Daughters in China are from the beginning of their existence more or less unwelcome. This fact has a most important bearing on their whole subsequent career,and furnishes many significant illustrations of the absence of sympathy.
Mothers and daughters who pass their days in the nar- row confinement of a Chinese court under the conditions of Chinese life,are not likely to lack topics of disagreement,in which abusive language is indulged in with a freedom which the unconstraint of everyday life tends to promote.It is a popular saying,full of significance to those who know Chi- nese homes,that a mother cannot by reviling her own daughter make her cease to be her own daughter! When a daughter is once married she is regarded as having no more relations with her family than those which are inseparable from com- munity of origin.T here is a deep-seated reason for omitting daughters from all family registers.She is no longer our daughter,but the daughter-in-law of some one else.Human nature will assert itself in requiring visits to the mother’s home,at more or less frequent intervals,according to the local usage.I n some districts these visits are very numerous and very prolonged,while in others the custom seems to be to make them as few as possible,and liable to almost com- plete suspension for long periods in case of a death in the family.But whatever the details of usage,the principle holds good that the daughter-in-law belongs to the family of which she has become a part.When she goes to her mother's home, she goes on a strictly business basis.She takes with her it may be a quantity of sewing for her husband's family,which the wife's family must help her get through with. She is ac- companied on each of these visits by as many of her children as possible,both to have her take care of them and to have them out of the way when she is not at hand to look after them,and most especially to have them fed at the expense of the family of the maternal grandmother for as long a time as possible.In regions where visits of this sort are frequent,and where there are many daughters in a family,their constant raids on the old home are a source of perpetual terror to the whole family,and a serious tax on the common resources. For this reason these visits are often discouraged by the fathers and the brothers,while secretly favoured by the mothers. But as local custom fixes for them certain epochs, such as a definite date after the New-Year,special feast-days, etc.,the visits cannot be interdicted.
When the daughter-in-law returns to her mother-in-law,it is true of her,as the adage says of a thief,that she never comes back empty-handed.She must take a present of some sort for her mother-in-law,generally food.Neglect of this established rite,or inability to comply with it,will soon result in dramatic scenes.If the daughter is married into a family which is poor,or which has become so,and if she has brothers who are married,she will find that her visits to her mother are,in the language of the physicians,"contra-indicated."
热门跟贴