第 60 节
作者:指环王      更新:2024-01-24 16:00      字数:9322
  foreign tongues; or are of an origin at which; in many instances;
  it is impossible to arrive。  That which is most calculated to
  strike the philosophic mind when considering this dialect; is
  doubtless the fact of its being formed everywhere upon the same
  principle … that of metaphor; in which point all the branches
  agree; though in others they differ as much from each other as the
  languages on which they are founded; for example; as the English
  and German from the Spanish and Italian。  This circumstance
  naturally leads to the conclusion that the robber language has not
  arisen fortuitously in the various countries where it is at present
  spoken; but that its origin is one and the same; it being probably
  invented by the outlaws of one particular country; by individuals
  of which it was; in course of time; carried to others; where its
  principles; if not its words; were adopted; for upon no other
  supposition can we account for its general metaphorical character
  in regions various and distant。  It is; of course; impossible to
  state with certainty the country in which this jargon first arose;
  yet there is cogent reason for supposing that it may have been
  Italy。  The Germans call it Rothwelsch; which signifies 'Red
  Italian;' a name which appears to point out Italy as its
  birthplace; and which; though by no means of sufficient importance
  to determine the question; is strongly corroborative of the
  supposition; when coupled with the following fact。  We have already
  intimated; that wherever it is spoken; this speech; though composed
  for the most part of words of the language of the particular
  country; applied in a metaphorical sense; exhibits a considerable
  sprinkling of foreign words; now of these words no slight number
  are Italian or bastard Latin; whether in Germany; whether in Spain;
  or in other countries more or less remote from Italy。  When we
  consider the ignorance of thieves in general; their total want of
  education; the slight knowledge which they possess even of their
  mother tongue; it is hardly reasonable to suppose that in any
  country they were ever capable of having recourse to foreign
  languages; for the purpose of enriching any peculiar vocabulary or
  phraseology which they might deem convenient to use among
  themselves; nevertheless; by associating with foreign thieves; who
  had either left their native country for their crimes; or from a
  hope of reaping a rich harvest of plunder in other lands; it would
  be easy for them to adopt a considerable number of words belonging
  to the languages of their foreign associates; from whom perhaps
  they derived an increase of knowledge in thievish arts of every
  description。  At the commencement of the fifteenth century no
  nation in Europe was at all calculated to vie with the Italian in
  arts of any kind; whether those whose tendency was the benefit or
  improvement of society; or those the practice of which serves to
  injure and undermine it。  The artists and artisans of Italy were to
  be found in all the countries of Europe; from Madrid to Moscow; and
  so were its charlatans; its jugglers; and multitudes of its
  children; who lived by fraud and cunning。  Therefore; when a
  comprehensive view of the subject is taken; there appears to be
  little improbability in supposing; that not only were the Italians
  the originators of the metaphorical robber jargon; which has been
  termed 'Red Italian;' but that they were mainly instrumental in
  causing it to be adopted by the thievish race in various countries
  of Europe。
  It is here; however; necessary to state; that in the robber jargon
  of Europe; elements of another language are to be discovered; and
  perhaps in greater number than the Italian words。  The language
  which we allude to is the Rommany; this language has been; in
  general; confounded with the vocabulary used among thieves; which;
  however; is a gross error; so gross; indeed; that it is almost
  impossible to conceive the manner in which it originated:  the
  speech of the Gypsies being a genuine language of Oriental origin;
  and the former little more than a phraseology of convenience;
  founded upon particular European tongues。  It will be sufficient
  here to remark; that the Gypsies do not understand the jargon of
  the thieves; whilst the latter; with perhaps a few exceptions; are
  ignorant of the language of the former。  Certain words; however; of
  the Rommany have found admission into the said jargon; which may be
  accounted for by the supposition that the Gypsies; being themselves
  by birth; education; and profession; thieves of the first water;
  have; on various occasions; formed alliances with the outlaws of
  the various countries in which they are at present to be found;
  which association may have produced the result above alluded to;
  but it will be as well here to state; that in no country of Europe
  have the Gypsies forsaken or forgotten their native tongue; and in
  its stead adopted the 'Germania;' 'Red Italian;' or robber jargon;
  although in some they preserve their native language in a state of
  less purity than in others。  We are induced to make this statement
  from an assertion of the celebrated Lorenzo Hervas; who; in the
  third volume of his CATALOGO DE LAS LENGUAS; trat。 3; cap。 vi。; p。
  311; expresses himself to the following effect:… 'The proper
  language of the Gitanos neither is nor can be found amongst those
  who scattered themselves through the western kingdoms of Europe;
  but only amongst those who remained in the eastern; where they are
  still to be found。  The former were notably divided and disunited;
  receiving into their body a great number of European outlaws; on
  which account the language in question was easily adulterated and
  soon perished。  In Spain; and also in Italy; the Gitanos have
  totally forgotten and lost their native language; yet still wishing
  to converse with each other in a language unknown to the Spaniards
  and Italians; they have invented some words; and have transformed
  many others by changing the signification which properly belongs to
  them in Spanish and Italian。'  In proof of which assertion he then
  exhibits a small number of words of the 'Red Italian;' or
  allegorical tongue of the thieves of Italy。
  It is much to be lamented that a man like Hervas; so learned; of
  such knowledge; and upon the whole well…earned celebrity; should
  have helped to propagate three such flagrant errors as are
  contained in the passages above quoted:  1st。  That the Gypsy
  language; within a very short period after the arrival of those who
  spoke it in the western kingdoms of Europe; became corrupted; and
  perished by the admission of outlaws into the Gypsy fraternity。
  2ndly。  That the Gypsies; in order to supply the loss of their
  native tongue; invented some words; and modified others; from the
  Spanish and Italian。  3rdly。  That the Gypsies of the present day
  in Spain and Italy speak the allegorical robber dialect。
  Concerning the first assertion; namely; that the Gypsies of the
  west lost their language shortly after their arrival; by mixing
  with the outlaws of those parts; we believe that its erroneousness
  will be sufficiently established by the publication of the present
  volume; which contains a dictionary of the Spanish Gitano; which we
  have proved to be the same language in most points as that spoken
  by the eastern tribes。  There can be no doubt that the Gypsies have
  at various times formed alliances with the robbers of particular
  countries; but that they ever received them in considerable numbers
  into their fraternity; as Hervas has stated; so as to become
  confounded with them; the evidence of our eyesight precludes the
  possibility of believing。  If such were the fact; why do the
  Italian and Spanish Gypsies of the present day still present
  themselves as a distinct race; differing from the other inhabitants
  of the west of Europe in feature; colour; and constitution?  Why
  are they; in whatever situation and under whatever circumstances;
  to be distinguished; like Jews; from the other children of the
  Creator?  But it is scarcely necessary to ask such a question; or
  indeed to state that the Gypsies of Spain and Italy have kept
  themselves as much apart as; or at least have as little mingled
  their blood with the Spaniards and Italians as their brethren in
  Hungaria and Transylvania with the inhabitants of those countries;
  on which account they still strikingly resemble them in manners;
  customs; and appearance。  The most extraordinary assertion of
  Hervas is perhaps his second; namely; that the Gypsies have
  invented particular words to s