原文

不管我們相信有鬼或無鬼，我們的話里免不了有鬼。我們話里不但有鬼，并且鑄造了鬼的性格，描畫了鬼的形態，賦予了鬼的才智。憑我們的話，鬼是有的，并且是活的。這個來歷很多，也很古老，我們有的是鬼傳說，鬼藝術，鬼文學。但是一句話，我們照自己的樣子創出了鬼，正如宗教家的上帝照他自己的樣子創出了人一般。鬼是人的化身，人的影子。我們討厭這影子，有時可也喜歡這影子。正因為是自己的化身，才能說得活靈活現的，才會老掛在嘴邊兒上。

“鬼”通常不是好詞兒。說“這個鬼！”是在罵人，說“死鬼”也是的。還有“煙鬼”、“酒鬼”、“饞鬼”等，都不是好話。不過罵人有怒罵，也有笑罵；怒罵是恨，笑罵卻是愛——俗話道，“打是疼，罵是愛”，就是明證。這種罵盡管罵的人裝得牙癢癢的，挨罵的人卻會覺得心癢癢的。女人喜歡罵人“鬼……”“死鬼！”大概就是這個道理。至于“刻薄鬼”、“吝嗇鬼”、“小氣鬼”等，雖然不大惹人愛似的，可是笑嘻嘻地罵著，也會給人一種熱，光卻不會有——鬼怎么會有光？光天化日之下怎么會有鬼呢？固然也有“白日見鬼”這句話，那跟“見鬼”，“活見鬼”一樣，只是說你“與鬼為鄰”，說你是個鬼。鬼沒有陽氣，所以沒有光。所以只有“老鬼”，“小鬼”，沒有“少鬼”，“壯鬼”，老年人跟小孩兒陽氣差點兒，憑他們的年紀就可以是鬼，青年人，中年人陽氣正盛，不能是鬼。青年人，中年人也可以是鬼，但是別有是鬼之道，不關年紀。“閻王好見，小鬼難當”，那“小”的是地位，所以可怕可恨；若憑年紀，“老鬼”跟“小鬼”倒都是恨也成，愛也成。——若說“小鬼頭”，那簡直還親親兒的，熱熱兒的。又有人愛說“鬼東西”，那也還只是鬼，“鬼”就是“東西”，“東西”就是“鬼”。總而言之，鬼貪，鬼小，所以“有錢使得鬼推磨”；鬼是一股陰氣，是黑暗的東西。人也貪，也小，也有黑暗處，鬼其實是代人受過的影子。所以我們只說“好人”、“壞人”，卻只說“壞鬼”；恨也罷，愛也罷，從來沒有人說“好鬼”。

“好鬼”不在話下，“美鬼”也不在話下，“丑鬼”倒常聽見。說“鬼相”，說“像個鬼”，也都指鬼而言。不過丑的未必就不可愛，特別像一個女人說“你看我這副鬼相！”“你看我像個鬼！”她真會想教人討厭她嗎？“做鬼臉”也是鬼，可是往往惹人愛，引人笑。這些都是丑得有意思。“鬼頭鬼腦”不但丑，并且丑得小氣。“鬼膽”也是小的，“鬼心眼兒”也是小的。“鬼胎”不用說的怪胎，“懷著鬼胎”不用說得擔驚害怕。還有，書上說，“冷如鬼手馨！”鬼手是冰涼的，尸體原是冰涼的。“鬼叫”、“鬼哭”都刺耳難聽。——“鬼膽”和“鬼心眼兒”卻有人愛，為的是怪可憐見的。從我們話里所見的鬼的身體，大概就是這一些。

再說“鬼鬼祟祟的”雖然和“鬼頭鬼腦”差不多，可只描畫那小氣而不光明的態度，沒有指出身體部分。這就跟著“出了鬼！”“其中有鬼！”固然，“鬼”，“詭”同音，但是究竟因“鬼”而“詭”，還是因“詭”而“鬼”，似乎是個兜不完的圈子。我們也說“出了花樣”，“其中有花樣”，“花樣”正是“詭”，是“譎”；鬼是詭譎不過的，所以花樣多的人，我們說他“鬼得很”！書上的“鬼蜮伎倆”，口頭的“鬼技多端”，指的就是這一類人。這種人只惹人討厭招人恨，誰愛上了他們才怪！這種人的話自然常是“鬼話”。不過“鬼話”未必都是這種人的話，有些居然娓娓可聽，簡直是“昵昵兒女語”，或者是“海外奇談”。說是“鬼話”！盡管不信可是愛聽的，有的是。尋常誑語也叫做“鬼話”，王爾德說得有理，誑原可以是很美的，只要撒得好。鬼并不老是那么精明，也有馬虎的時候，說這種“無關心”的“鬼話”，就是他馬虎的時候。寫不好字叫做“鬼畫符”，做不好活也叫做“鬼畫符”，都是馬馬虎虎的，敷敷衍衍的。若連不相干的“鬼話”都不愛說，“符”也不愛“畫”，那更是“懶鬼”。“懶鬼”還可以希望他不懶，最怕的是“鬼混”，“鬼混”就簡直沒出息了。

從來沒有聽見過“笨鬼”，鬼大概總有點兒聰明，所謂“鬼聰明”。“鬼聰明”雖然只是不正經的小聰明，卻也有了不起處。“什么鬼玩意兒！”盡管你瞧不上眼，他的可是一套玩意兒。你笑，你罵，你有時笑不得，哭不得，總之，你不免讓“鬼玩意兒”耍一回。“鬼聰明”也有正經的，書上叫做“鬼才”。李賀是惟一的號為“鬼才”的詩人，他的詩濃麗和幽險，森森然有鬼氣。更上一層的“鬼聰明”，書上叫做“鬼工”；“鬼工”險而奇，非人力所及。這詞兒用來夸贊佳山水，大自然的創作，但似乎更多用來夸贊人們文學的和藝術的創作。還有“鬼斧神工”，自然奇妙，也是這一類頌辭。借了“神”的光，“鬼”才能到這“自然奇妙”的一步，不然只是“險而奇”罷了。可是借光也不大易，論書畫的將“神品”列在第一，絕不列“鬼品”，“鬼”到底不能上品，真也怪可憐的。

英譯

No matter whether we believe in ghosts or not, ghosts come into our daily expressions. We have many words and phrases related to ghosts, some are used for describing the characters of ghosts, some are for the forms, and some for the wits. Judging from our daily expressions, ghosts are really existed and alive. They come from many ancient origins, such as legends, stories, artistic plays and literary works. In a word, we have created ghosts according to ourselves, which, just like God has created Man by the figure of himself in the eyes of the believers. Ghosts are the incarnation of Man. And they.re the reflection of Man. We sometimes hate them, and sometimes like them, for they.re the reflection of Man that we can make them alive and often mention them in our daily expressions.

Generally speaking,“ghosts”in Chinese often involve evil connotations. If we say“This Ghost”or“the Devil”which concerns ghosts, they are all cursing words. What.s more, for no good meaning, Ghosts are usually used to describe those“Smoking Addict”,“Wine Addict”,“Can-not-wait-when-to-be-seduced”and so on. However, in Chinese the cursing words can be divided into two kinds, one is snarling, the other is deriding. The former shows one.s hatred, while the latter shows one.s love, it is proved by the Chinese old saying as“Physical punishment is from affection, and oral scolding is from love”. To this kind of cursing, the abuser always pretends to gnash his teeth with rage, but the hearer feels quite happy indeed. For this reason, many women in China like to address their lovers or husbands with the word“Ghost”or“Devil”. As to another kind of expressions such as caustics, misers or the cheapskates, they are not good language, but they can be spoken out in a joking way. This kind of expressions can make the hearer feel flushed or ashamed, but they can not make the hearer feel quite happy, because ghosts are always considered to appear at night and give people some ill association. In daily expressions we also say“See the Ghost in daytime”, just as the expressions like“See a Ghost”and“See a live Ghost”, it only refers that you are accompanied with a ghost and means sheer fantasy. Ghosts belong to the lunar world and lack brightness or vitality. Therefore, we have only the expressions like“Old Guy”and“Little Guy”, but we have no expressions like“Young Guy”or“Strong Guy”. Owning to their ages, the old people and the children lack vitality, so they can be addressed as“Old Guy”and“Little Guy”. For the young people and the middle-aged people, they are full of vitality, so they cannot be addressed as“Young Guy”and“Strong Guy”. The young people and the middle-aged people can also be addressed as ghosts, which in no relation to age but other interpretation. As the old Chinese saying goes“It is easy to meet the Hades but difficult to deal with the little demon (=The lackeys are even more difficult to deal with.)”, concerning his position, the little demon is powerful. As to age, the“Old Guy”and the“Little Guy”both can be used to express hatred and love. If we say“Little Guy”that means intimacy or a sense of passion. Some people like to say“shifty things”which concerns ghosts, it means“shifty ghost”is something and something is just like“shifty ghost”. In general meaning, ghosts are greedy and shifty, therefore we have the old saying“Money can make the Ghost work on a mill(=Money can make the mare go)”. Ghost belongs to the underworld and lives in the darkness.It is just like a gust of invisible wind. Man is also greedy and shifty. Like the ghost, he also has his seamy side. Ghost is just only a whipping boy of Man. So we only say“Kind Man”, but we use“Devil”to refer to those unkind ones. No matter you hate or love, we never use“Kind Devil”to address him.

“Kind Devil”and“Beautiful Devil”don.t appear in our daily expressions, but“Ugly Ghost”sounds common to us. Both“Grimace”and“Look like a Ghost”refer to ghosts.“Ugly Ghost”doesn.t mean it isn.t lovely; especially when a woman says“Look, my ugly face!”or“I look like a ghost!”, she can not be serious.“Make faces”is also in relation to ghosts, but it gives people a sense of loveliness and joyfulness. Though expressing ugliness, these phrases are interesting and lovely. When we say“hiding and peeping”, we mean that he is not only ugly but also stingy.“Ghost.s nerve”is small, so is“Ghost.s mind”. Needless to say,“Ghost.s fetus”is a geek. With misgivings in his heart, he will be fearful with a guilty conscience. In addition, the book says“as cold as Ghost.s hands!”Ghost.s hands are ice-cold, just like the corpse, which is cold and icy.“Ghost.s yelling”and“Ghost.s crying”are harsh and ugly. Out of pity, people love“Ghost.s nerve”and“Ghost.s mind”. The above is our impression of Ghost.

Though almost like“hiding and peeping”,“surreptitious”without pointing out Ghost.s body part, only describes its stingy and thievish attitude. It is the same with“What the hell!”and“There must be a catch!”It.s true that“gui (Ghost)”has the same pronunciation with“gui (uncanniness)”, but whether the word“Ghost”comes first or the word“uncanniness”comes first, it is a difficult question to answer. We also say“play tricks”and“there must be tricks”.“Trick”means“uncanniness”and“deceitfulness”. No one can be more sly or shrewder than ghosts, so we usually describe a scheming person“as crafty as ghosts”! The written expression“evil tactics”and the verbal expression“be brimful of mischief”both refer to such people. They just make others disgusted, and no one will exactly love them! Of course, what they say is usually outright lie. Besides them, others can also tell outright lies. Some of the lies, just like“sweet words between lovers”or“exciting stories of adventure”can please the listener. Though outright lies are unbelievable, many people love them. Falsehoods are regarded as outright lies also. Wilde holds the view that as long as you lie tactfully, lies can please listeners. Ghost can not always be so shrewd and it can also be careless.“Unconcerned words”are said when he is careless. We regard bad handwriting and poor workings as“Paintings by Ghost”, which means that work is done in a sloppy and perfunctory way. If a person even wouldn.t like to speak unconcerned words or draw paintings casually, he must be a“lazy Ghost (sluggard)”. We even hold hope that the“lazy Ghost”can become diligent. What we fear most is“fooling around”, and he is really a loser!

I have never heard“Silly Ghost”, maybe Ghost is a bit smart. And we have the expression“clever in a shallow way”. Though“clever in a shallow way”just shows wicked wits, it has something great.“What the hell”, though you will turn up your nose at his tricks, his tricks do take effect. No matter whether you laugh or curse, and sometimes you don.t know whether you should laugh or cry, in all, you.ll be fooled by his tricks. There also exist ghosts both decent and smart. In the book, they are called“wizards”. Li He, a famous poet in Tang dynasty (618-907AD), is the only one who is called“wizard”. His poems are full of flamboyance and mournful magnificence. The higher level of“clever in a shallow way”is“extraordinary as if done by the spirits”; beyond man.s ability, it is arduous and peculiar. It.s usually used to appreciate the beautiful landscapes and the secret workings of nature. But it is more popular to praise one.s literary and artistic creations. In addition,“uncanny workmanship”and“natural and fantastic”are also belong to such eulogium. Taking God.s light, Ghost can reach the state of wonderfulness and peacefulness, or it can just stay in the state of steepness and peculiarity. However, it isn.t so easy to take lights from God. The best paintings and calligraphy are called“superb work by God”rather than“masterpiece by Ghost”. It is so pity that Ghost cannot rank to the top grade.