暖冬cool夏
這裏一年四季溫暖如春，沒有酷暑沒有嚴寒......
Excerpt
She watched his tall, firm stride and would have wept aloud, her heart near breaking, but then, as always, she heard the so-many-times-said words in her memory, kindly spoken, wisely spoken. “Why do you weep, child? We of the Floating World live only for the moment, giving all our time to the pleasures of cherry blossoms and snow and maple leaves, the calling of a cricket, the beauty of the moon, waning and growing and being reborn, singing our songs and drinking cha and sake, knowing perfumes and the touch of silks, caressing for pleasure, and drifting, always drifting. Listen, child: never sad, always drifting as a lily on the current in the stream of life.
He did not look back at her because there was no need. He knew that he had left all his life’s passion, and everything that he had adored, at her feet. He was sure he would never know passion again, the spirit-joining ecstasy that ignited man and woman. But this did not displease him. On the contrary, he thought with a newfound icy clarity, I bless Toranaga for releasing me from servitude. Now nothing binds me. Neither father nor mother nor Kiku. Now I can be patient too. I’m twenty-one. I am almost daimyo of Izu, and I’ve a world to conquer.
Our journey here has brought me more joy than I have the right to expect in twenty life-times.
He saw Kiku coming across the sun-baked courtyard, her little feet in white tabi, almost dancing, so sweet and elegant with her silks and crimson sunshade, the envy of every man in sight. Ah, Kiku, he thought, I cannot afford that envy, so sorry. I can’t afford you in this life, so sorry. You should have remained where you were in the Floating World, courtesan of the First Class. Or even better, gei-sha. What a fine idea that old hag came up with! Then you’d be safe, the property of many, the adored of many, the central point of tragic suicides and violent quarrels and wonderful assignations, fawned on and feared, showered with money that you’d treat with disdain, a legend-while your beauty lasts. But now? Now I can’t keep you, so sorry. Any samurai I give you to as consort takes to his bed a double-edged knife: a complete distraction and the envy of every other man.
To weep lost lovers and lost youth in barrels of sake, watered with tears.
From which life you were born-the rare, sudden flower that appears in the wilderness for no reason other than karma, to blossom quickly and to vanish quickly.
You keep her for the rest of your life, his secret heart told him. She merits it. Don’t fool yourself like you fool others. The truth is you could keep her easily, taking her a little, leaving her a lot, just like your favorite Tetsu-ko, or Kogo. Isn’t Kiku just a falcon to you? Prized yes, unique yes, but just a falcon that you feed from your fist, to fly at a prey and call back with a lure, to cast adrift after a season or two, to vanish forever? Don’t lie to yourself, that’s fatal. Why not keep her? She’s only just another falcon, though very special, very high-flying, very beautiful to watch, but nothing more, rare certainly, unique certainly, and, oh, so pillowable…
昨晚寫的時候有點犯困，發現一些錯誤，我也談不了深層的，但是小錯誤還是改一下比較好，現在重新post一下。
你提的問題是思考過的，有深度。不知我能不能回答你，因為我對日本的曆史和中國的曆史都了解不多的。下麵的回答很多是基於小說。
說起韓國人，以前不是笑話他們把什麽(好)東西都說成是源於韓國。原來的韓國人還學中文，估計現在沒有繼承下來，所以更多的是韓國人的自大和霸道。日本人有一點比我們好(至少在清朝時候)，他們願意接受新東西、先進的東西，哪怕這東西開始時情緒上是抵觸的。也可以說是一種自信。
我們應該比其他國家的人更了解日本人，很多相同之處，尤其是文化上。但是就如小說所提到的，日本人比較隱蔽，內心裹得比較緊。
書中好像沒有提到Integrity的推崇，更多的是強調忠誠，loyal, 中國人的愚忠，不管統治者的決策對錯，貫徹執行。
你說對了，是這樣的。日本雖然對基督教始終排斥，但是他們對印度教、佛教又是非常崇尚、敬畏、虔誠的，虔誠上確實可以跟基督教媲美。我沒有去過日本，但是估計日本有很多大小寺廟。中國自破四舊後，文化和信仰的破壞很大，中國目前雖然經濟發展了，人是富裕的，但問題確實也很多。就算有宗教信仰，也是求保平安富貴的。現在有時還好像走倒退路, 文化上也一樣，把一些實際上某種程度上的糟粕東西在宣傳推廣。
小說裏寫到的日本人崇尚的和諧(wa): 日本因為地小，很擁擠，但是大家相處，會盡量是把耳朵關起來，否則鄰裏之間，一牆(紙)之隔，如何生存下去？日本人的幹淨在小說裏也有提到，折服了那時的這些洋人。還有，我覺得日本人的精益求精的態度和精神也都值得我們學習的。
同意子燕說的，日本和我們的文化裏是缺少點愛，更強調其他的，如孝順等等 (忠、孝)。
再次感謝子燕這麽認真的留言和閱讀，有你(們)真好！再祝節日快樂！
謝謝你的分享，很有含金量，古人說與君一席話，勝讀十年書，大概就是意思。沒有十年，也有十星期了，謝謝。
從你的第一點看，是不是可以怎麽認為，日本和韓國都受中國影響，但是日本保留漢字，是不是他們更有民族自信心？
是不是中國人應該比西方人更容易理解日本人？ 因為儒家思想和其他中國文化的滲透。
好像日本和西方相同的地方主要是對integrity，對誠信的至高無上的推崇？雖然中國文化中也有這兩樣，但是中國幾千年實際上是法家文化統治，也就是弱民化，就是反integrity，反誠信的明哲保身，賣身求榮的小人文化。
另外我去日本印象最深還有一點就是他們對宗教的虔誠，隔一條大街就是一個寺院，名副其實是一尺頭上有神明。而中國在49年後全國大眾是沒有敬畏心的，大家可以為所欲為，活在當下：）我總的感覺是日本和西方相同的價值觀是建立在同等虔誠的宗教信仰之上的。
日本大概是最奇怪的文明綜合體：東方的等級服從觀念，西方的不屈的騎士精神，以及兩者結合成變成極端的武士精神，加上宗教裏的karma，“職責、忠誠、尊嚴、尊重、欲望。”。
而我們中國的文明就在日本文明做做減肥就是了： 東方的等級服從觀念，“職責、欲望。”。我們和日本的共同點是我們的文化裏都缺乏愛。
再次謝謝暖冬的分享，學習了很多東西。
日本的洋島獨特位置，決定了她的民族性。寧為玉碎，不為瓦全。19世紀中期，他們公開提出寧可脫亞入歐，也不願和沉迷於孔孟之道的東方古國為伍。
日本曾經以盛唐為師，但是由兩樣東西沒有學。 1，科舉製度 2，太監製度
同佩服暖暖！感覺女性的地位在日本還是非常低下的。
謝謝暖暖的好分享，周末快樂！
謝謝暖冬分享讀書筆記！
近幾年陪先生也看過幾部日本電影，他們的文化源於中國又很不同。
If the author used "consciousless," I think it would mean unaware. It's not moral or immoral, but amoral.
"沒有良心" makes a moral judgement and therefore does not mean the same thing.
Indeed but you did it. Very informative and well-written. Great job!
I think karma is through Bodhidarma (達摩祖師）by way of China. The
Japanese elite seemed to take the Hindu/Buddhism ideas very seriously.
Another thing from the book that impressed me was the enmity between
British/Dutch/Protestant and Spanish/Portuguese/Catholic during that period.
子喬，我說的勤奮是指你文筆的勤奮喔：))
日本人的文化是有些特別。 consciousless 這是個詞用得很準。貌似自律、禮節、溫和的大和民族，大武士道精神的鼓舞下，殺人、傷己。極大地超出了常人的正常思維。有時就會變成對人類的傷害。
日本人真的是一個很特殊的民族，雖然離中國那麽近，受中國文化影響那麽深，的民族性跟中國人實在太不一樣了。