Gesticulation真正的世界语

无字无声的世界语

20200307

Natural gesticulation, such as commonly accompanies any lively talk, is a language of its own, more widespread, even, than the language of words——so far, I mean, as it is independent of words and like in all nations. It is true that nations make use of it in proportion as they are vivacious, and that in particular cases, amongst the Italian, for instance, it is supplemented by certain peculiar gestures which are merely conventional, and therefore possessed of nothing more than a local value.

世界各国的人们在讲话时都会伴有自然而然的手势——一种无字的、流传更广的语言。由于手势很活泼，所以各国都在一定限度内使用它。在某些特殊的情况下，如在意大利，人们的表达会用某些仅仅约定俗成、因而只在当地才有意义的手势进行补充。

In the universal use made of it, gesticulation has some analogy with logic and grammar, in that it has to do with the form, rather than with the matter of conversation; but on the other hand it is distinguishable from them by the fact that it has more of a moral than of an intellectual bearing; in other words, it reflects the movements of the will. As an accompaniment of conversation it is like the bass of the melody; and if, as in music, it keeps true to the progress of the treble, it serves to heighten the effect.

在随处可见的使用中，手势涉及的是形式而非交谈的实质，这样的话，手势就和逻辑和语法好有一比；但从另一个方面看，手势的道德修养意味胜过智力意味的事实又使手势与逻辑和语法鲜明区分开来；换言之，手势反映出的是意愿的运行过程。如同讲话的一种伴奏一样，手势就是一只抒情乐曲的低音部；如同在音乐里，如果手势忠实于高音的行进，它就起到了烘托讲话效果的作用。

In a conversation, the gesture depends upon the form in which the subject-matter is conveyed; and it is interesting to observe that, whatever that subject-matter maybe, with a recurrence of the form, the very same gesture is repeated. So if I happen to see ——from my window, say——two persons carrying on a lively conversation, without my being able to catch a word, I can, nevertheless, understand the general nature of it perfectly well; I mean, the kind of thing that is being said and the form it takes. There is no mistake about it. The speaker is arguing about something, advancing his reasons, then limiting their application, thendriving them home and drawing the conclusion in triumph; or he is recounting his experiences, proving, perhaps, beyond the shadow of a doubt, how much he has been injured, but bringing the clearest and most damning evidence to show that his opponents were foolish and obstinate people who could not be convinced; or else he is telling of his splendid plan he laid, and how he carried it to a successful issue, or perhaps failed because the luck was against him; or, it may be, he is saying that he was completely at a loss to know what to do, or that he was quick in seeing some traps set for him, and that by insisting on his rights or by applying a little force, he succeed in frustrating and punishing his enemies; and so on in hundreds of cases of a similar kind.

在交谈中，手势依靠的是传达讲话主题的形式；观察这一点很有趣，即无论讲话主题是什么，随着形式的复现，刚好相同的手势不断地被重复。所以，比如说，如果我从窗口碰巧看到两个人在进行一场交谈，我一个词也听不到，但是，我却能完整地明白讲话的性质；我想说的是，（我能明白）正在被谈及的事情的类型以及交谈所采用的形式。这些是不会搞错的。说者正在争辩着什么，推进着他的推理，限定它们的适用范围，接着表达得淋漓尽致，成功地得出结论；抑或，他在述说他的经历，也许充满自信地在证实着，他受到了怎样的伤害，但是提供着最确凿和最应该谴责的证据来表明他的对手们是无法说服的愚蠢和固执的人；也许他在谈论他制定的雄伟的计划以及他是如何将它变成一个成功的重要事项的，或者由于时运不济，他失败了；或者他在诉说着对下一步该怎么做感到一头雾水，或者他迅速发现了给他设定的一些陷阱，以及通过坚持他的权利或者通过施加一点力量，他成功地挫败和惩罚了他的对手；或者是数以百计的类似的情形。

Strictly speaking, however, what I get from gesticulation alone is an abstract notion of the essential drift of what is being said, and that, too, whether I judge from a moral or an intellectual point of view. It is the quintessence, the true substance of the conversation, and this remains identical, no matter what may have given rise to the conversation, or what it may be about; the relation between the two being that of a general idea or class-name to the individuals which it covers.

但是，严格地讲，我单独从手势中获得的是对进行中交谈内容的基本性的展开的一个抽象的理解， 那也是无论我从道德修养还是智力的观点判断也会获得的情况。那是讲话的精华所在，即交谈的真正的实质部分，而不论是什么引起了交谈，或者交谈是关于什么内容的，这一点始终不变；两个人之间的关系是基本主题或者冠之于交谈个体的阶层的名称的关系。

As I have said, the most interesting and amusing part of the matter is the complete identity and solidarity of the gestures used to denote the same set of circumstances, even though by people of very different temperament; so that the gestures become exactly like words of language, alike for every one, and subject only to such small modifications as depend upon variety of accent and education. And yet there can be no doubt but that these standing gestures, which every one uses, are the result of no convention or collusion. They are original and innate——a true language of nature; consolidated, it may be, by imitation and the influence of custom.

正如我所言，手势最有趣和最好玩的部分是，用来阐释同一套情形的各种手势的完整辨识性和一致性，即便手势使用者的脾气秉性迥异；这样，手势就变成了与词汇语言完全一样了，对于每一个人都是相同的，只会根据口音和教育程度的变化出现那么小小的调整。除了非惯例或者串通的结果外，还没有过对这些现行的人人使用的手势的其他质疑。这些手势都是原装的和天生的——一种大自然的语言；它可以通过模仿和风俗的影响得以巩固。

It is well known that it is part of an actor’s duty to make a careful study of gesture; and the same thing is true, to a somewhat smaller degree, of a public speaker. This study must consist chiefly in watching others and imitating their movements, for there are no abstract rules fairly applicable to the matter, with the exception of some very general leading principles, such as——to take an example ——that the gesture must not follow the word, but rather come immediately before it, by way of announcing its approach and attracting the hearer’s attention.

众所周知，认真学习手势是一个演员的必修课程之一；对于一个公众讲话人而言，要求程度略有降低，情况基本也是相同的。这种学习主要包括观察他人和模仿他们的动作，因为这方面没有抽象的可以恰当适用的规则，除了一些非常普遍的引导性的原则外，举个例子，比如那种没有言语紧随其后，反倒是讲话之前马上要做出的手势，旨在通知手势将至和吸引听者的注意力。

Englishmen entertain a peculiar contempt for gesticulation, and look upon it as something vulgar and undignified. This seems to me a silly prejudice on their part, and the outcome of their general prudery. For here we have a language which nature has given to every one, and which every one understands; and to do away with and forbid it for no better reason than that it is opposed to that much-lauded thing, gentlemanly feeling, is a very questionable proceeding.

英国人乐于对手势表现出一种特别的蔑视，把它看成是一种粗俗和不庄重的东西。这对我而言倒是他们自身的一种可笑的偏见，一种他们普遍的谨小慎微的必然结果。因为我们在这里有了一种大自然赋予每一个人的且每一个人都理解的语言；仅由于没有比它与那种备受称赞的绅士般的感觉相比更好的理由就废止和禁止它，这可是一个非常有问题的处理事情的过程。

【借词发挥】

gesticulation：UK /dʒesˌtɪk.jəˈleɪ.ʃən/ US /dʒesˌtɪk.jəˈleɪ.ʃən/ 这个词，我们在前边的章节中已经学过了。这里，我想给大家一个引申的用法，如，在这个句子里：The true history is beyond our gesticulation in deed. 真正的历史是用不着我们指手画脚的。

vivacious英[vɪˈveɪʃəs] 美[vɪˈveɪʃəs] 为了加深第一印象，我们先看一个例句：He brought along his wife, a vivacious blonde, some 20 years his junior. 他带着比他小20岁的活泼可爱的金发妻子在身边。Vivacious 通常用在这样的场合，即形容女孩子活泼、可爱、灵动，活力四射的，有点像《还珠格格》里的小燕子的神态。所以，a vivacious person is lively 富于活力的and spirited 精神抖擞的 : 当你在舞台上看到一名vivacious舞者的话，TA 一般都是不闲着的那种，一会做一个后空翻do a back-flip 紧接着跳入舞伴的怀抱里jump into the arms of his/her partner，总之，在舞台上闲不住的那类人，就是vivacious的样子。

有些人生来就能带给人快乐 naturally fun to be around，总能点燃sparkle和激活animate所在的团队，这些人总是full of life。实际上，这个词的词根root——vivere，源自拉丁语，今天的意大利语，又叫“新拉丁语”，依然在这个含义上使用这个vivere的词汇，"to live" 的意思。从语感上说，人们听到这个词时更多的感到的是“喜气洋洋、高高兴兴”的样子，而把“富有活力”和“跃跃欲试”放在其次。小燕子给人的第一印象就是 a sense of playfulness。这句话大家一定要背下来： Even the most sedentary slob can feel revitalized in the presence of a vivacious soul. 即便是久坐不动的懒虫也会在活泼可爱的灵魂面前恢复活力的。

Bearing 还有很多常用的意思。其实，我们总感觉没学好英语，表现在哪里？当我们有想法要表达时总是找不到合适的词汇和方法。其实，这主要是我们的课本太陈旧了，太脱离生活实际了。所以，如果我们以生活为母本学习语言，学习过程就变成了我们认识生活，认识世界，和认识自己的过程！可不仅仅再是“痛苦不堪地背单词，被语法”的过程啦！我们每个人都比较熟悉的含义是“ I cannot bear it!” 传统的学英语的方法，我受不了啦！bear就是扛住，忍受，支撑，保持的意思。”滚珠/轴承“ball bearing。家里装修时，为了改变空间格局，我们要拆墙，但是承重墙/梁是绝对不能碰的（bearings are walls or beams）。你保持风度时，也是你在carry your body, you are bearing yourself up,对不对？Bearing 也被要来表示”行进中的方向”, 如， you could jump off the road barrier and nearly be run over by a car bearing south.

Treble: UK /ˈtrebəl/ US /ˈtrebəl/ 因为这里谈的是music，所以，treble的意思就是高音，soprano的意思。此外，它还有数量上“三倍的“意思。He earns almost treble the amount that I do.

Quintessence：英[kwɪnˈtesns] 美[kwɪnˈtesns] quintessence 这个词中有quint essence, quint是五的意思，第五的意思，essence 本质的意思。古希腊也认为世界是由五大元素【土 (γῆ)，水 (ὕδωρ )，空气(ἀήρ)，火(πῦρ ) 和以太(αἰθήρ ) “以太”是古希腊哲学家亚里士多德所设想的一种物质。】组成的，其中每一个都是“精华、精髓、典范”。所以，quintessence 就用来说明“完美和可心、称心如意的”事物something is its perfect, ideal example。例如，People say that the quintessence of Peking cuisine is the Beijing roast duck. But other people may say it should be Hot Pot. You may also say the quintessence of Italian cuisine is Spaghetti or Pizza.

Collusion：英[kəˈluːʒn] 美[kəˈluːʒn] 密谋、串通、勾结、共谋，这个词基本上是个贬义词。

Prudery：excessive or affected modesty，or being marked of a prude, excessive propriety or modesty in speech or conduct. 大家都学过了prude, adj. 谨慎的、仔细的、小心翼翼的、拘谨的，prudery是它的名词形式，意为“过分谦虚或者受到谦虚影响很重的”，尤指在讲话和行为方面。在英国，人们适用prudishness，表示同样的意思外，特别容易被粗略、无礼的言行感到震惊的人，尤其还特别之谈性色变的人的意思。例如，I loved his simplicity and the old-fashioned prudishness that stops him even from spelling out 'hell', which he writes as 'h-l'. 我爱他的简单和不会让他拼出“hell”一词的老式的拘谨，他用”h-l”替代。