"Dr. Legge quotes Marco Polo, the greatest traveller of the Middle Ages, who visited China in the thirteenth century," the speaker began, taking a paper from the table, and reading as follows in regard to the Grand Canal: "'Kublâi caused a water communication to be made in the shape of a wide and deep channel dug between stream and stream, between lake and lake, forming as it were a great river on which large vessels2 can ply3.' Kublâi was the first sovereign of one of the old dynasties.
"The canal extended from Peking, the capital, in the north, to the south of the empire, a distance of six hundred miles; and it was in use all the way in former times. The Chinese were not distinguished4 as navigators; but in modern times steamers ply between Canton and the ports of the Gulf5 of Pe-chi-li, so that the canal is less necessary, and much of it is in bad condition.[301]
"The Great Wall is better known to all the world than the Grand Canal as a peculiarly Chinese wonder, and every school boy and girl has heard of it. It was built as a defence against the raids of the northern tribes, though for this purpose it was a failure; but it still stands, though some of the English newspapers only a few years ago treated it as a myth; yet there is no doubt whatever of its existence, for it has been visited by many reliable English and American travellers. It was begun two hundred and fourteen years before the Christian7 era.
"Our artist has indicated the wall on the map;" and Mr. Gaskette pointed8 it out on the west shore of the Gulf of Liau-tung, properly a part of the Gulf of Pe-chi-li, and traced it some distance to the west. "Its length, following its numerous twists and bends, through valleys and over mountains, is fifteen hundred miles. It is twenty-five feet wide at the base, and fifteen at the top. It is formed by two walls of brick, different from those we use, weighing from forty to sixty pounds; and the space between them is filled with earth and stones. It varies in height from fifteen to thirty feet.
"The top of the wall is paved with brick, but is now overgrown with grass. Along the wall, and not on it, are towers of brick at intervals9. You observe that at Peking the wall makes a sweep to the north, perhaps thirty miles or more, enclosing a square of land of this extent outside of the general[302] course of the structure. I met an American gentleman who had been to the capital of China, and he told me he had been to the Great Wall. Dr. Legge may take the conceit10 out of some travellers when he says: 'What foreigners go to visit from Peking is merely a loop-wall of later formation, enclosing portions of Chih-li and Shan-hsî.'
"Leaving the Grand Canal and the Great Wall, we will pass on to the lakes of China. They are not on a large scale, like the rivers; and they are insignificant12 compared with those of our own country. The Tung-ting Hû appears to be the largest, mostly in the province of Hunan, which is sixty-five or seventy miles long. The others are Po-yang Hû, in Chiang-hsî, and the Tai Hû, which is noted13 for its romantic scenery and numerous islets.
"The temperature of the various provinces is on the average lower than any other country in the same latitude14. There is every variety of climate in the vast territory of China. The natives consider the three southern provinces, including the island of Hainan, less healthy than the other portions of the country; but foreigners find no difficulty in residing in them. In a region taking in over twenty degrees of latitude, the productions vary from those of the tropics to those in the latitude of central New York, from bananas and pineapples in the south to wheat and Indian corn in the north.
"About all the common grains are raised in the north, and rice is the staple15 product of the south.[303] All sorts of vegetables and herbs, ginger16, and various condiments17, are produced and largely used; though I believe the people are not so hot, gastronomically18, in their taste as we found them in Batavia and some other places in the islands. They raise the cane19 and make sugar in Formosa and the southern provinces. All the fruits of our own country, including Florida and Louisiana, are grown in different parts of China. Opium20, which formerly21 came into the country only from India, is now produced even in Manchuria.
"The Chinese are pre-eminently agriculturists, and farming is their occupation above anything else. In the spring the emperor turns over a few furrows22 in a sacred field, introducing the work of the season; and the chief official in every province does the same, keeping the importance of farming pursuits always before the people. The tools they use are very primitive23; the hoe being the principal hand-tool, and the plough of ancient use for animal power. There is an extensive application of irrigation, which is found to be so necessary in some of our extreme Western States. In the north wells are used; and various simple machinery24 is employed to raise water when the canal or river is below the level of the field where it is needed, which you may have an opportunity to see.
"No kind of fertilizer is wasted, and some are used which are often neglected in other countries. A great deal of fun and sarcasm25 is applied26 to the[304] food of the Chinese, but most of us rather approved the dishes set before us by our host of the Flowery Nation in Singapore. In some articles used for culinary purposes, Parisians go beyond the Chinese, as in the use of horse-beef. I have been in a provision store in Paris where nothing else was sold; and every part of the animal was economized27, including the liver, kidneys, and tongue, and sausages of this meat were on view and for sale to epicures28 in this flesh. But I believe the Chinese do not eat the horse, unless it be in a season of famine; and they had to eat cats in Paris during the siege of 1870.
"When you go into the markets you may see whole dogs dressed for food, or cut up into pieces ready for cooking. These are not common yellow dogs, such as you saw in the capital of the Turkish empire; but they are the peculiar6 Chinese breed, sleek29 and hairless, which are carefully fatted, and prepared for market. I have no doubt that your stomachs revolt at the very idea of eating dog; but I cannot see that it is any worse than eating pork and fowls30, which feed more or less on animal food. However, I do not hanker after dog-meat.
"The Buddhist31 religion prevails to a great extent here, which diminishes the quantity of beef used, though not so much as the kindly32 feeling towards the creature that is so useful in tilling the soil. Pork is the most common in use for meat, and the number of pigs raised is enormous. Geese and ducks are abundant, artificially hatched as in ancient Egypt,[305] and to a considerable extent in America, and are largely used for food.
"The sea, rivers, and lakes supply fish in all needed quantities. They are taken in nets, and also by a novel method of fishing with which you cannot be familiar. A boat goes out with a number of cormorants33 trained for the purpose, which are fishers by nature. The birds dive and bring up the fish, which they deposit in the hand-nets of the boatman.
"Dr. Legge says the Chinese are not gross feeders, as generally represented, except the very poor, and that a Chinese dinner of twenty-seven courses 'may hold its own with the most luxurious34 tables.' He adds that the famous bird's-nest soup is a misnomer35; but he admits that nests from the Indian Archipelago are sliced into other soups, in his opinion without improving the flavor.
"For a drink, tea has superseded36 every other beverage37, and is taken without sugar or milk. It was not used at all in ancient times, but its use is universal at the present time. The plant is not grown in the north. Black tea comes from the central provinces, and green from two eastern mainly. Next to silk, if not equal to it, tea is the principal article of export. The doctor says that tea-drinking promotes the temperance of the people more than any other influence. Alcoholic38 liquors are distilled39 from rice and millet40.
"From the twelfth century b.c. the literature of[306] the nation abounds41 in temperance lectures, warning the people against the injury of strong drinks; but tea has done vastly more to prevent their use than anything else. As a people at home the Chinese make little use of liquors, though that is not always the case with those who live in New York. They do not sit down to tea as we do, but keep it at hand at all times, and treat their visitors with it. Tea is written in the vernacular42 of the natives ch'â. When it was first imported into England it was called t'ay; but those who gave it the name were doubtless Irishmen, and they still stick to it.
"There is no doubt that silk was first produced in China; and silk, linen43, and cotton form the clothing of the people. A ceremony like that with the plough is performed by the emperor over the silkworms and mulberry-trees, whose leaves are the food of the worm. From before the twenty-third century b.c., the care of the silkworm, and the spinning and weaving of the thread from the cocoon44, has been the particular labor45 of the women. The mulberry-tree grows everywhere in the country, and silk is manufactured in greater or less quantities in every province.
"The cotton-plant has been propagated in China; and the cloth is largely used there, though not equal in finish to the imported article, but is heavier and more lasting46 in wear. Nankeen comes from Nanking. There are no fireplaces in the houses; and the people keep warm, if they can, by increasing their[307] clothing. Woollen goods are not manufactured to any great extent.
"I will not describe the pagodas47, pavilions, bridges, and palaces; for you will see them for yourselves. The streets of the cities in the south and some in the north are no better than mere11 lanes; and the crowds of people hustling48 through them fill them about full, and make you think the place is vastly more populous49 than it really is. As a set-off to this idea, you will wonder what has become of the women, for you rarely meet any of them.
"The streets are paved with stone slabs50, badly drained, and abounding51 in bad odors, and you are not likely to enjoy your walks through them; but they have magnificent names, which you will not read at the corners, such as the street of Benevolence52, Righteousness, etc. When you go into the house of a tolerably well-to-do family, you will find the quantity of furniture rather scanty53, and not luxurious. The floor may be covered with matting, but you will find no carpets or rugs. A table and some straight-backed chairs are the principal pieces. On the walls you may find Chinese pictures, which will not challenge your admiration54, though they may be artistic55 in China. Some jars and specimens56 of fine porcelain57 may adorn58 the room, with writings on the walls expressing moral sentiments. There may be a couch, or more of them, of bamboo and rattan59.
"The bamboo is quite as important a production in China as we have found it in India and the islands;[308] and it is used for all the purposes here, and more in addition than have been mentioned to you before. The bastinado of the magistrate60 and the schoolmaster's instrument of torture are both bamboos.
"Our Nimrods would not find much sport here; for the country is too densely61 populated to afford hiding-places for wild animals, though a bear or a tiger may sometimes appear, and is quickly killed. There are elephants, rhinoceroses62, and tapirs in the forests of Yun-nan; and the emperor has tame elephants at Peking for state purposes. The brown and the black bear are found in certain localities, as well as varieties of deer.
"The domestic four-footed animals are small horses and small cattle, which have not been improved. The donkey is a livelier beast than in England or America. About the capital there are very fine mules63, which are fashionable there as they are in some parts of Spain. Birds of prey64 are common, and magpies65 are sacred birds which the Nimrods must not shoot. The people are very fond of song-birds and flowers, which proves their good taste.
"There are vast quantities of minerals beneath the soil of the country, yet little had been done in mining; though, since the government has steamers of its own, they are doing more to develop the mines. The currency of the country is nowhere; for the only coin that is legally current is the copper66 cash, of which it takes ten to make our cent. Large payments are made in silver by weight, and the housekeeper67 has to[309] keep a pair of scales handy to ascertain68 the value of the silver she receives or expends69.
"But I know, my friends, that I have wearied you; and though I have something more to say about this very interesting country, I shall defer70 it till such time as the commander shall appoint."
The professor bowed and retired71; but, as an offset72 to his last remark, the applause was more prolonged and vigorous than usual.
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1
promenade
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| n./v.散步 | |
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vessels
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| n.血管( vessel的名词复数 )；船；容器；（具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的）人 | |
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ply
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| v.(搬运工等)等候顾客，弯曲 | |
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distinguished
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| adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的 | |
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gulf
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| n.海湾；深渊，鸿沟；分歧，隔阂 | |
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peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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Christian
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| adj.基督教徒的；n.基督教徒 | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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intervals
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| n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 )；间隔时间；[数学]区间；（戏剧、电影或音乐会的）幕间休息 | |
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conceit
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| n.自负，自高自大 | |
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mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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insignificant
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| adj.无关紧要的，可忽略的，无意义的 | |
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noted
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| adj.著名的，知名的 | |
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latitude
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| n.纬度，行动或言论的自由(范围)，(pl.)地区 | |
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staple
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| n.主要产物，常用品，主要要素，原料，订书钉，钩环；adj.主要的，重要的；vt.分类 | |
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16
ginger
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| n.姜，精力，淡赤黄色；adj.淡赤黄色的；vt.使活泼，使有生气 | |
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condiments
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| n.调味品 | |
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gastronomically
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| adj.美食法的，美食学的 | |
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cane
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| n.手杖，细长的茎，藤条；v.以杖击，以藤编制的 | |
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opium
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| n.鸦片；adj.鸦片的 | |
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21
formerly
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| adv.从前，以前 | |
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furrows
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| n.犁沟( furrow的名词复数 )；（脸上的）皱纹v.犁田，开沟( furrow的第三人称单数 ) | |
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23
primitive
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| adj.原始的；简单的；n.原(始)人，原始事物 | |
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machinery
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| n.(总称)机械，机器；机构 | |
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sarcasm
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| n.讥讽，讽刺，嘲弄，反话 （adj.sarcastic） | |
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applied
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| adj.应用的；v.应用，适用 | |
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economized
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| v.节省，减少开支( economize的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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epicures
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| n.讲究饮食的人( epicure的名词复数 ) | |
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sleek
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| adj.光滑的，井然有序的；v.使光滑，梳拢 | |
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fowls
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| 鸟( fowl的名词复数 )； 禽肉； 既不是这； 非驴非马 | |
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31
Buddhist
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| adj./n.佛教的，佛教徒 | |
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32
kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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cormorants
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| 鸬鹚，贪婪的人( cormorant的名词复数 ) | |
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luxurious
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| adj.精美而昂贵的；豪华的 | |
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misnomer
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| n.误称 | |
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superseded
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| [医]被代替的，废弃的 | |
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beverage
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| n.(水，酒等之外的)饮料 | |
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alcoholic
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| adj.（含）酒精的，由酒精引起的；n.酗酒者 | |
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distilled
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| adj.由蒸馏得来的v.蒸馏( distil的过去式和过去分词 )；从…提取精华 | |
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40
millet
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| n.小米，谷子 | |
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41
abounds
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| v.大量存在，充满，富于( abound的第三人称单数 ) | |
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42
vernacular
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| adj.地方的，用地方语写成的；n.白话；行话；本国语；动植物的俗名 | |
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43
linen
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| n.亚麻布，亚麻线，亚麻制品；adj.亚麻布制的，亚麻的 | |
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44
cocoon
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| n.茧 | |
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45
labor
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| n.劳动，努力，工作，劳工；分娩；vi.劳动，努力，苦干；vt.详细分析；麻烦 | |
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46
lasting
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| adj.永久的，永恒的；vbl.持续，维持 | |
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47
pagodas
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| 塔，宝塔( pagoda的名词复数 ) | |
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48
hustling
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| 催促（hustle的现在分词形式） | |
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49
populous
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| adj.人口稠密的，人口众多的 | |
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50
slabs
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| n.厚板，平板，厚片( slab的名词复数 )；厚胶片 | |
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51
abounding
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| adj.丰富的，大量的v.大量存在，充满，富于( abound的现在分词 ) | |
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52
benevolence
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| n.慈悲，捐助 | |
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53
scanty
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| adj.缺乏的，仅有的，节省的，狭小的，不够的 | |
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54
admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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55
artistic
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| adj.艺术(家)的，美术(家)的；善于艺术创作的 | |
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56
specimens
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| n.样品( specimen的名词复数 )；范例；（化验的）抽样；某种类型的人 | |
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57
porcelain
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| n.瓷；adj.瓷的，瓷制的 | |
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58
adorn
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| vt.使美化，装饰 | |
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59
rattan
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| n.藤条，藤杖 | |
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60
magistrate
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| n.地方行政官，地方法官，治安官 | |
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61
densely
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| ad.密集地；浓厚地 | |
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62
rhinoceroses
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| n.钱，钞票( rhino的名词复数 )；犀牛(=rhinoceros)；犀牛( rhinoceros的名词复数 )；脸皮和犀牛皮一样厚 | |
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63
mules
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| 骡( mule的名词复数 )； 拖鞋； 顽固的人； 越境运毒者 | |
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64
prey
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| n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨 | |
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magpies
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| 喜鹊（magpie的复数形式） | |
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66
copper
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| n.铜；铜币；铜器；adj.铜(制)的；(紫)铜色的 | |
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housekeeper
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| n.管理家务的主妇，女管家 | |
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68
ascertain
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| vt.发现，确定，查明，弄清 | |
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69
expends
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| v.花费( expend的第三人称单数 )；使用（钱等）做某事；用光；耗尽 | |
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70
defer
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| vt.推迟，拖延；vi.(to)遵从，听从，服从 | |
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71
retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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offset
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| n.分支，补偿；v.抵消，补偿 | |
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