第 41 节
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忙 更新:2021-02-27 02:15 字数:9322
und;〃'19' and this may be an imitation of the act of swallowing savoury food。
'18' A ‘Dictionary of English Etymology;' 2nd edit。 1872; Introduction; p。 xliv。
Laughter is suppressed by the firm contraction of the orbicular muscles of the mouth; which prevents the great zygomatic and other muscles from drawing the lips backwards and upwards。 The lower lip is also sometimes held by the teeth; and this gives a roguish expression to the face; as was observed with the blind and deaf Laura Bridgman。'20' The great zygomatic muscle is sometimes variable in its course; and I have seen a young woman in whom the _depressores anguli oris_ were brought into strong action in suppressing a smile; but this by no means gave to her countenance a melancholy expression; owing to the brightness of her eyes。
Laughter is frequently employed in a forced manner to conceal or mask some other state of mind; even anger。 We often see persons laughing in order to conceal their shame or shyness。 When a person purses up his mouth; as if to prevent the possibility of a smile; though there is nothing to excite one; or nothing to prevent its free indulgence; an affected; solemn; or pedantic expression is given; but of such hybrid expressions nothing more need here be said。 In the case of derision; a real or pretended smile or laugh is often blended with the expression proper to contempt; and this may pass into angry contempt or scorn。 In such cases the meaning of the laugh or smile is to show the offending person that he excites only amusement。
_Love; tender feelings; &c_。Although the emotion of love; for instance that of a mother for her infant; is one of the strongest of which the mind is capable; it can hardly be said to have any proper or peculiar means of expression; and this is intelligible; as it has not habitually led to any special line of action。 No doubt; as affection is a pleasurable sensation; it generally causes a gentle smile and some brightening of the eyes。 A strong desire to touch the beloved person is commonly felt; and love is expressed by this means more plainly than by any other。'21' Hence we long to clasp in our arms those whom we tenderly love。 We probably owe this desire to inherited habit; in association with the nursing and tending of our children; and with the mutual caresses of lovers。
'19' Crantz; quoted by Tylor; ‘Primitive Culture;' 1871; Vol。 i。 P。 169。
'20' F。 Lieber; ‘Smithsonian Contributions;' 1851; vol。 ii。 p。 7。
With the lower animals we see the same principle of pleasure derived from contact in association with love。 Dogs and cats manifestly take pleasure in rubbing against their masters and mistresses; and in being rubbed or patted by them。 Many kinds of monkeys; as I am assured by the keepers in the Zoological Gardens; delight in fondling and being fondled by each other; and by persons to whom they are attached。 Mr。 Bartlett has described to me the behaviour of two chimpanzees; rather older animals than those generally imported into this country; when they were first brought together。 They sat opposite; touching each other with their much protruded lips; and the one put his hand on the shoulder of the other。 They then mutually folded each other in their arms。 Afterwards they stood up; each with one arm on the shoulder of the other; lifted up their heads; opened their mouths; and yelled with delight。
'21' Mr。 Bain remarks (‘Mental and Moral Science;' 1868; p。 239); 〃Tenderness is a pleasurable emotion; variously stimulated; whose effort is to draw human beings into mutual embrace。〃
We Europeans are so accustomed to kissing as a mark of affection; that it might be thought to be innate in mankind; but this is not the case。 Steele was mistaken when he said 〃Nature was its author; and it began with the first courtship。〃 Jemmy Button; the Fuegian; told me that this practice was unknown in his land。 It is equally unknown with the New Zealanders; Tahitians; Papuans; Australians; Somals of Africa; and the Esquimaux。〃 But it is so far innate or natural that it apparently depends on pleasure from close contact with a beloved person; and it is replaced in various parts of the world; by the rubbing of noses; as with the New Zealanders and Laplanders; by the rubbing or patting of the arms; breasts; or stomachs; or by one man striking his own face with the hands or feet of another。 Perhaps the practice of blowing; as a mark of affection; on various parts of the body may depend on the same principle。'23'
The feelings which are called tender are difficult to analyse; they seem to be compounded of affection; joy; and especially of sympathy。 These feelings are in themselves of a pleasurable nature; excepting when pity is too deep; or horror is aroused; as in hearing of a tortured man or animal。 They are remarkable under our present point of view from so readily exciting the secretion of tears。 Many a father and son have wept on meeting after a long separation; especially if the meeting has been unexpected。 No doubt extreme joy by itself tends to act on the lacrymal glands; but on such occasions as the foregoing vague thoughts of the grief which would have been felt had the father and son never met; will probably have passed through their minds; and grief naturally leads to the secretion of tears。 Thus on the return of Ulysses:〃Telemachus Rose; and clung weeping round his father's breast。 There the pent grief rained o'er them; yearning thus。 * * * * * * Thus piteously they wailed in sore unrest; And on their weepings had gone down the day; But that at last Telemachus found words to say。〃 _Worsley's Translation of the Odyssey_; Book xvi。 st。 27。
So again when Penelope at last recognized her husband:
〃Then from her eyelids the quick tears did start And she ran to him from her place; and threw Her arms about his neck; and a warm dew Of kisses poured upon him; and thus spake:〃 Book xxiii。 st。 27。
'22' Sir J。 Lubbock; ‘Prehistoric Times;' 2nd edit。 1869; p。 552; gives full authorities for these statements。 The quotation from Steele is taken from this work。
'23' See a full acount;{sic} with references; by E。 B。 Tylor; ‘Researches into the Early History of Mankind;' 2nd edit。 1870; p。 51。
The vivid recollection of our former home; or of long…past happy days; readily causes the eyes to be suffused with tears; but here; again; the thought naturally occurs that these days will never return。 In such cases we may be said to sympathize with ourselves in our present; in comparison with our former; state。 Sympathy with the distresses of others; even with the imaginary distresses of a heroine in a pathetic story; for whom we feel no affection; readily excites tears。 So does sympathy with the happiness of others; as with that of a lover; at last successful after many hard trials in a well…told tale。
Sympathy appears to constitute a separate or distinct emotion; and it is especially apt to excite the lacrymal glands。 This holds good whether we give or receive sympathy。 Every one must have noticed how readily children burst out crying if we pity them for some small hurt。 With the melancholic insane; as Dr。 Crichton Browne informs me; a kind word will often plunge them into unrestrained weeping。 As soon as we express our pity for the grief of a friend; tears often come into our own eyes。 The feeling of sympathy is commonly explained by assuming that; when we see or hear of suffering in another; the idea of suffering is called up so vividly in our own minds that we ourselves suffer。 But this explanation is hardly sufficient; for it does not account for the intimate alliance between sympathy and affection。 We undoubtedly sympathize far more deeply with a beloved than with an indifferent person; and the sympathy of the one gives us far more relief than that of the other。 Yet assuredly we can sympathize with those for whom we feel no affection。
Why suffering; when actually experienced by ourselves; excites weeping; has been discussed in a former chapter。 With respect to joy; its natural and universal expression is laughter; and with all the races of man loud laughter leads to the secretion of tears more freely than does any other cause excepting distress。 The suffusion of the eyes with tears; which undoubtedly occurs under great joy; though there is no laughter; can; as it seems to me; be explained through habit and association on the same principles as the effusion of tears from grief; although there is no screaming。 Nevertheless it is not a little remarkable that sympathy with the distresses of others should excite tears more freely than our own distress; and this certainly is the case。 Many a man; from whose eyes no suffering of his own could wring a tear; has shed tears at the sufferings of a beloved friend。 It is still more remarkable that sympathy with the happiness or good fortune of those whom we tenderly love should lead to the same result; whilst a similar happiness felt by ourselves would leave our eyes dry。 We should; however; bear in mind that the long…continued habit of restraint which is so powerful in checking the free flow of tears from bodily pain; has not been brought into play in preventing a moderate effusion of tears in sympath