一条巨大的海蛇怪
WHEN the World was young and people believed in sea-serpents they used to say there was a huge sea-serpent a thousand miles long in the sea near China.Wherever the humps on the sea-serpent’s back stuck out of the water they looked like islands，and whenever the sea-serpent twisted or turned in his age-long sleep the islands would shake.Yet，long ago people from China went to these islands on the sea-serpent’s back and made their homes there，in spite of the fact that he was squirming in his sleep.We now know that these islands are simply old volcanoes in the water，most of which have burned out，and when they shake，as they still do almost every day，we know that the shakes are just earthquakes.We call these islands on the sea-serpent “Japan”and the people “Japanese.”The Japanese，however，don’t call their island Japan；they call their country of islands “Nippon，”which means the Land of the Rising Sun.Of course，the sun rises in other lands too，but when the Japanese went to Japan it was，for them，the land where the sun rose.So their white flag has on it the picture of a red sun with rays.
The Chinese and the Japanese both belong to the yellow race.But the Japanese are as different from the Chinese in most ways as the white people of our country are different from the white people of India.The Japanese are quick to learn and quick to copy.The Japanese used to copy the Chinese writing，the Chinese Buddha，the Chinese way of eating with chop-sticks，for they knew no other people and no other country but China and，like the Chinese，they kept all others out of their country.It was as if they had put up a sign，“No Admittance.”
Now，for some reason or other，most people whenever they see a sign
“Keep Out”want to “Go in”—like Mary，Mary quite contrary，they want to do what they are told they mustn’t.They are curious or inquisitive and they want to know and see why there is “No Admittance.”So，over a hundred years ago，an American naval officer named Commodore Perry went to Japan and tried to get in.He took with him a shipload of presents from our country for the Japanese Emperor，presents such as the Emperor had never seen or known of before.The Emperor was so pleased with the presents that he wanted to buy more and to know more about countries that could make such things.So Commodore Perry said to the Emperor，“Let the American people come in to your country and we will sell you these things and buy other things from you.”The Emperor agreed，and so the country was opened for trade and the eyes of the Japanese were opened too，for until then they had had no idea of what was going on in other countries except China.They were amazed to hear about railroad trains，the telegraph，and the marvelous machines that we had.Then Japan sent thousands of her brightest young men to our country and to the countries of Europe to learn about such things，and they returned and taught their own people，who were extraordinarly quick to learn.It was not long before they had copies of everything that we had.They made their country an up-to-date country and in a hundred years they jumped ahead of the Chinese a thousand years.But if some one sets out to copy some one else he is apt to copy the bad things as well as the good.And that’s what the Japanese did.They not only copied trolley-cars，electric lights，and automobiles.They copied battleships and airplanes and tanks and guns.They built a great big up-to-date army.Then they started a great big up-to-date war by dropping bombs on American ships in Hawaii.After the Japanese were beaten in the war they were not allowed to have a big army nor to build war machines like battle-ships，tanks，and guns.
One of the first things the Japanese copied was a baby carriage to carry grown-up people.In Japan they have very few horses，because horses eat too much.So an American sailor，living in Japan，made for his wife a large baby carriage that could be pulled by a man，for in Japan a man was
cheaper than a horse.The Japanese called it a Jinrikisha，which means a “man pull car，”or a Pullman car.It seems strange that the parlor cars on our trains are also called Pullman cars.This “rickshaw，”as it is called for short，seemed such a good idea that the Japanese made thousands of them，and they are now used instead of taxis or private cars，not only in Japan but in China and other countries of the East.The men who pull them are called coolies，and a coolie will dog-trot almost all day long，pulling a rickshaw behind him，without getting tired.As you see a rickshaw going away from you down the street，the coolie is hidden all but his legs，so that it looks as if the rickshaw itself were trotting along with a pair of legs of its own.
In the cities many of the men wear clothes like ours，but most of the people，both men and women，still wear kimonos like those our mothers and sisters often wear in their own homes.
There are two important holidays for Japanese boys and girls.The one for girls comes on the third day of the third month，that is March third.It is called Doll Day and the girls get out all their dolls，arrange them nicely，and play with them.The one for the boys is on the fifth day of the fifth month，that is May fifth.It is called Flag Day or Kite Day.Big paper kites in the form of a fish called the carp are hung out on poles in front of the houses where there are boys.The carp is a fish that swims upstream against the current，which is a hard thing to do，instead of downstream，which is easy.So the carp is a model for boys—to do the hardest thing，not the easiest.
The Japanese love flowers perhaps more than any people i.t.w.W.and they have holidays when the flowers are in bloom.One holiday comes when the cherry-trees，plum-trees，and peach-trees bloom in the spring，and another when the chrysanthemums bloom in the fall.Every house in Japan has a garden，no matter how small it may be—a tiny imitation of the country-side，with tiny lakes and tiny mountains，and tiny rivers with tiny bridges over them—all so perfectly made that a photograph of such a garden looks like a picture of real mountains and lakes and rivers—like a doll garden.The Japanese grow dwarf trees—oaks and maples—which look in a picture as if they were a hundred feet tall and a hundred years old，but which
are actually only a foot or so tall，but may be a hundred years old.
The Japanese school-boys seem to “hunger and thirst”after knowledge.I was looking into a shop window where beautiful Japanese umbrellas were displayed，when a school-boy came up to me and asked me in English if he couldn’t act as my guide for a day without charge.
“Why，”said I，“do you want to show me around？”“Just to practise speaking English，”he replied.
I visited a Japanese school，and a dozen boys gave me their calling cards and asked me to write them when I reached home，promising to reply in English if I did so.
【中文阅读】
在人类历史的早期阶段，人们相信世界上有海蛇怪，他们常说在中国海域附近，有一条巨大的海蛇怪，1，000英里长。凡是在海蛇怪背部隆肉拱出水面的地方，看起来就像岛屿；海蛇怪长期沉睡不醒，每当它偶尔扭动或翻转身体的时候，这些岛屿就会晃动。然而，很久以前，中国人来到海蛇怪背部上的这些岛屿，并在那儿定居下来，尽管海蛇怪会在沉睡中时不时扭动一下。现在我们都知道这些岛屿只是海里古老的火山，大多数火山已经熄灭了；当岛屿晃动的时候——现在差不多每天都会发生，我们知道这些晃动只不过是地震。我们称海蛇怪背上的这些岛屿为“日本”，称那儿的人为“日本人”。然而，日本人并不称他们的岛为“日本”，而是称为“立邦”，意思是“太阳升起的大地”。当然，太阳也从世界各地升起，但是，当初日本人朝着日本前行的时候，对他们来说，这片土地就是太阳升起的地方。所以他们白色国旗的图案是一轮光四射的红太阳。
中国人和日本人都属于黄种人。但是，在很多方面，日本人与中国人差别很大，就像美国的白种人与印度的白种人差别很大一样。日本人学东西很快，仿效别人也很快。日本人过去仿效中国的文字、中国的佛教、中国人用筷子吃饭的方法等，因为他们对其他民族毫不了解，而且，除了中国，他们也毫不解世界上其他国家。像中国人一样，日本人不允许其他国家的人踏入他们的国家，好像他们也竖起一块“禁止入内”的告示牌。
然而，不知什么原因，大多数人每次看到“禁止入内”的告示，他们就想“进去”——就像玛丽，那个好与人作对的玛丽。你告诫他们不可做的事情，他们偏想去做。他们很好奇，对别人的私事爱刨根问底。他们就想知道和弄明白为什么“禁止入内”。所以，一百多年前，一位名叫佩里的美国海军准将来到本，设法进入日本。他从美国为日本天皇带来了满满一船的礼物，这些礼物都是日本天皇以前从未见过或者从未听过的东西。日本天皇很喜欢这些礼物，就想买更多这样的东西，还想进一步了解造出这些东西的国家，于是海军准将里就对天皇说，“让美国人到你们国家来吧。我们把美国生产的东西卖给你，也从你这儿买日本生产的东西。”天皇同意了。这样，这个国家的贸易对外开放了。日本人民的眼界也开阔了，因为在此之前除了中国，他们一点也不了解其他国家所发生的事。于是，日本就派出了成千上万最有才华的年轻人到美国欧洲各国去学习先进的技术。这些年轻人学成归国后，再把学到的技术传授给自己的同胞。日本人很快就学会了。不久，日本就仿制出美国人拥有的所有东西。他们将自己的国家建成一个现代化的国家。日本100年的时间就超过了中国。但是，当一个人力图仿效另一个人的时候，他学到了有益的东西，也会了有害的东西。日本人正是这样。他们不仅学会制造无轨电车、电灯和汽车，还学会制造战舰、飞机、坦克和枪炮。他们建立了一支强大而庞大的现代化军队。然后，他们将炸弹丢向停在夏威夷的美国船只，发动了一场大规模的现化战争。日本人战败之后，被禁止拥有一支庞大的军队，也禁止建造诸如战舰、坦克和枪炮之类的战争武器。
日本人最早学到的东西之一就是成人坐的“婴儿车”。日本没有什么马，因为马吃得太多了。于是，一位生活在日本的美国水手，给他的妻子做了一辆以用人来拉的大婴儿车，因为在日本雇佣人比马便宜。日本人把这种车称为“人力车”，意思是“人拉的车”，或称为“人力客车”。奇怪的是，火车上的等车厢也叫“普耳曼式客车”（源自美国设计者普耳曼之名）。这种“人力车”，日本人似乎觉得挺有创意，就制造了数千辆。现在，不仅在日本，而且在中国还有其他一些东方国家仍在使用这种人力车，以代替出租车或私家车。拉车的人被称为“苦力”。苦力几乎整天都在小跑，不知疲倦地拉着身后的人力车。你看着人力车沿着街道离你而去的时候，苦力被车身遮住，你只能看到他的两条腿，于是，看起来好像是人力车自己长了两条腿在向前跑着。在日本的城市里，许多人穿的衣服与我们穿的没有区别。但是大多数人，不论是男人还是女人，仍然穿“和服”，一种像我们的妈妈和姐妹们在自己的房间里经常穿的那种衣服。
日本有两个专门让孩子们过的重要节日。一个是女孩子的节日，在第三的第三天，也就是33日，叫做“玩偶节”。女孩子们拿出自己所有的玩偶，整整齐齐摆放在一起，然后玩玩偶。另一个是男孩子的节日，在第五个月的五天，也就是55日，叫做“国旗节”或“风筝节”。有男孩子的人家，在房前的杆子上悬挂鲤鱼形状的大型纸风筝。鲤鱼是一种逆流而上的鱼，逆流而比顺流而下，要困难得多。所以，鲤鱼为男孩子们树立了一个榜样——去做最难的事情，而不是最容易的。
日本人也许比世界上其他任何一个民族都更喜欢花，当鲜花盛开的时候，他们都有专门的节日。一个是在春季，这时樱桃树、李树还有桃树的花都竞开放；另一个是在秋季，这时各种各样的菊花盛开。在日本，每户人家都会有一个花园，不管这个花园有多小——它就是一个微型的乡村，有小小的湖泊、小小的山、小小的河流，河流上还有小小的桥——所有这一切都做得栩栩如生把这样的一座花园拍成照片，照片里的山、湖泊、河流看起来就像是真的——这样的花园像是一个玩偶花园。日本人种植矮生树木——橡树和枫树——在片中它们看起来好像有10英尺高，有100年的树龄，但实际上大约只1英尺高，不过也许100年的树龄。
似乎日本男生的求知欲“如饥似渴”。有一次，我正在看商店橱窗里展示漂亮的日本伞，一个小男生走到我跟前，用英语问我，是否可以免费给我当一天导游。
“为什？”我问，“你想带我参观这里吗？”。“只是想锻炼一下英语口语。”他回答道。我参观了一所日本学校，有十几名男孩给了我他们的名片，请求我回家后给他们写信，还答应收到我的信，他们一定用英语回信。