study of the king james bible(钦印〈圣经〉研究)-第17节
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there is a sense of degradation in the use of fine literary powers for the
description of purely transient local events。 It is always regrettable when
men with literary skill are available for the description of a ball game； or
are exploited as worthy writers about a prize…fight。 If a man has power to
express ideas well； he ought to use that power for the expression of great
ideas。
Many of us have seen a dozen books hailed as classic novels sure to
live； each of them the great American novel at last； the author to be
compared with Dickens and Thackeray and George Eliot。 And the books
have gone the way of all the earth。 With some； the trouble is a weak；
involved； or otherwise poor style。 With most the trouble is lack of real
ideas。 Charles Dickens； to be sure； does deal with boarding…schools in
England； with conditions which in their local form do not recur and are not
familiar to us； but he deals with them as involving a great principle of the
relation of society to youth； and so David Copperfield or Oliver Twist
becomes a book for the life of all of us； and for all time。 And even here it
is evident that not all of Dickens's work will live； but only that which is
least narrowly local and is most broadly human。
There is a further striking illustration in a familiar event in American
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history。 Most young people are required to study Webster's speech in reply
to Robert Hayne in the United States Senate； using it as a model in literary
construction。 The speech of Hayne is lost to our interest； yet the fact is that
Hayne himself was gifted in expression； that by the standards of simple
style his speech compares favorably with that of Webster。 Yet reading
Webster's reply takes one not to the local condition which was concerning
Hayne； but to a great principle of liberty and union。 He shows that
principle emerging in history； the local touches are lost to thought as he
goes on； and a truth is expressed in terms of history which will be valid
until history is ended。 It is not simply Webster's style； it is that with his
great idea which made his reply memorable。
That neither ideas nor style alone can keep literature alive is shown by
literary history after Shakespeare。 Just after him you have the 〃mellifluous
poets〃 of the next period on the one hand； with style enough； but with such
attenuated ideas that their work has died。 Who knows Drayton or Brown
or Wither？ On the other hand； there came the metaphysicians with ideas in
abundance； but not style； and their works have died。
Here； then； is the English Bible becoming the chief English classic by
the wedding of great ideas to worthy expression。 From one point of view
this early seventeenth century was an opportune time for making such a
classic。 Theology was a popular subject。 Men's minds had found a new
freedom； and they used it to discuss great themes。 They even began to sing。
The reign of Elizabeth had prepared the way。 The English scholar Hoare
traces this new liberty to the sailing away of the Armada and the releasing
of England from the perpetual dread of Spanish invasion。 He says that the
birds felt the free air； and sang as they had never sung before and as they
have not often sung since。 But this was not restricted to the birds of
English song。 It was a period of remarkable awakening in the whole
intellectual life of England； and that intellectual life was directing itself
among the common people to religion。 Another English writer； Eaton； says
a profounder word in tracing the awakening to the reformation； saying that
it 〃could not fail； from the very nature of it； to tinge the literature of the
Elizabethan era。 It gave a logical and disputatious character to the age and
produced men mighty in the Scriptures。〃＇1＇ A French visitor went home
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disgusted because people talked of nothing but theology in England。
Grotius thought all the people of England were theologians。 James's chief
pride was his theological learning。 It did not prove difficult to find half a
hundred men in small England instantly recognized as experts in Scripture
study。 The people were ready to welcome a book of great ideas。 Let us
pass by those ideas a moment； remembering that they are not enough in
them… selves to give the work literary value； and turn our minds to the
style of the English Bible。
＇1＇ T。 R。 Eaton； Shakespeare and the Bible； p。 2。
From this point of view the times were not perfectly opportune for a
piece of pure English literature； though it was the time which produced
Shakespeare。 A definite movement was on to refine the language by
foreign decorations。 Not even Shakespeare avoids it always。 No writer of
the time avoids it wholly。 The dedication of the King James version shows
that these scholars themselves did not avoid it。 In that dedication； and their
preface； they give us fine writing； striving for effect； ornamental phrases
characteristic of the time。 Men were feeling that this English language was
rough and barbarous； insufficient； needing enlargement by the addition of
other words constructed in a foreign form。 The essays of Lord Bacon are
virtually contemporaneous with this translation。 Macaulay says a rather
hard word in calling his style 〃odious and deformed；〃＇1＇ but when one
turns from Bacon to the English Bible there is a sharp contrast in mere
style； and it favors the Bible。 The contrast is as great as that which Carlyle
first felt between the ideas of Shakespeare and those of the Bible when he
said that 〃this world is a catholic kind of place； the Puritan gospel and
Shakespeare's plays： such a pair of facts I have rarely seen save out of one
chimerical generation。〃＇2＇ And that gives point to the word already quoted
from Hallam that the English of the King James version is not the English
of James I。
＇1＇ Essay on John Dryden。
＇2＇ Historical Sketches； Hampton Court Conference。
Four things helped to determine the simplicity and pure English
unornamented Englishof the King James version； made it； that is； the
English classic。 Two of these things have been dealt with already in other
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connections。 First； that it was a Book for the people； for the people of the
middle level of language； a work by scholars； but not chiefly for scholars；
intended rather for the common use of common people。 Secondly； that the
translators were constantly beholden to the work of the past in this same
line。 Where Wiclif's words were still in use they used them。 That tended to
fix the language by the use which had already become natural。
The other two determining influences must be spoken of now。 The
third lies in the fact that the English language was still plastic。 It had not
fallen into such hard forms that its words were narrow or restricted。 The
truth is that from the point of view of pure literature the Bible is better in
English than it is in Greek or Hebrew。 That is； the English of the King
James version as English is better than the Greek of the New Testament as
Greek。 As for the Hebrew there was little development for many
generations； Renan thinks there was none at all。 The difference comes
from the point of time in the growth of the tongue when the Book was
written。 The Greek was written when the language was old； when it had
differentiated its terms； when it had become corrupted by outside
influence。 The English version was written when the language was new
and fresh； when a word could be taken and set in its meaning without
being warped from some earlier usage。 The study of the Greek Testament
is always being complicated by the effort to bring into its words the
classical meaning； when so far as the writers of the New Testament w
