原文

不管我们相信有鬼或无鬼，我们的话里免不了有鬼。我们话里不但有鬼，并且铸造了鬼的性格，描画了鬼的形态，赋予了鬼的才智。凭我们的话，鬼是有的，并且是活的。这个来历很多，也很古老，我们有的是鬼传说，鬼艺术，鬼文学。但是一句话，我们照自己的样子创出了鬼，正如宗教家的上帝照他自己的样子创出了人一般。鬼是人的化身，人的影子。我们讨厌这影子，有时可也喜欢这影子。正因为是自己的化身，才能说得活灵活现的，才会老挂在嘴边儿上。

“鬼”通常不是好词儿。说“这个鬼！”是在骂人，说“死鬼”也是的。还有“烟鬼”、“酒鬼”、“馋鬼”等，都不是好话。不过骂人有怒骂，也有笑骂；怒骂是恨，笑骂却是爱——俗话道，“打是疼，骂是爱”，就是明证。这种骂尽管骂的人装得牙痒痒的，挨骂的人却会觉得心痒痒的。女人喜欢骂人“鬼……”“死鬼！”大概就是这个道理。至于“刻薄鬼”、“吝啬鬼”、“小气鬼”等，虽然不大惹人爱似的，可是笑嘻嘻地骂着，也会给人一种热，光却不会有——鬼怎么会有光？光天化日之下怎么会有鬼呢？固然也有“白日见鬼”这句话，那跟“见鬼”，“活见鬼”一样，只是说你“与鬼为邻”，说你是个鬼。鬼没有阳气，所以没有光。所以只有“老鬼”，“小鬼”，没有“少鬼”，“壮鬼”，老年人跟小孩儿阳气差点儿，凭他们的年纪就可以是鬼，青年人，中年人阳气正盛，不能是鬼。青年人，中年人也可以是鬼，但是别有是鬼之道，不关年纪。“阎王好见，小鬼难当”，那“小”的是地位，所以可怕可恨；若凭年纪，“老鬼”跟“小鬼”倒都是恨也成，爱也成。——若说“小鬼头”，那简直还亲亲儿的，热热儿的。又有人爱说“鬼东西”，那也还只是鬼，“鬼”就是“东西”，“东西”就是“鬼”。总而言之，鬼贪，鬼小，所以“有钱使得鬼推磨”；鬼是一股阴气，是黑暗的东西。人也贪，也小，也有黑暗处，鬼其实是代人受过的影子。所以我们只说“好人”、“坏人”，却只说“坏鬼”；恨也罢，爱也罢，从来没有人说“好鬼”。

“好鬼”不在话下，“美鬼”也不在话下，“丑鬼”倒常听见。说“鬼相”，说“像个鬼”，也都指鬼而言。不过丑的未必就不可爱，特别像一个女人说“你看我这副鬼相！”“你看我像个鬼！”她真会想教人讨厌她吗？“做鬼脸”也是鬼，可是往往惹人爱，引人笑。这些都是丑得有意思。“鬼头鬼脑”不但丑，并且丑得小气。“鬼胆”也是小的，“鬼心眼儿”也是小的。“鬼胎”不用说的怪胎，“怀着鬼胎”不用说得担惊害怕。还有，书上说，“冷如鬼手馨！”鬼手是冰凉的，尸体原是冰凉的。“鬼叫”、“鬼哭”都刺耳难听。——“鬼胆”和“鬼心眼儿”却有人爱，为的是怪可怜见的。从我们话里所见的鬼的身体，大概就是这一些。

再说“鬼鬼祟祟的”虽然和“鬼头鬼脑”差不多，可只描画那小气而不光明的态度，没有指出身体部分。这就跟着“出了鬼！”“其中有鬼！”固然，“鬼”，“诡”同音，但是究竟因“鬼”而“诡”，还是因“诡”而“鬼”，似乎是个兜不完的圈子。我们也说“出了花样”，“其中有花样”，“花样”正是“诡”，是“谲”；鬼是诡谲不过的，所以花样多的人，我们说他“鬼得很”！书上的“鬼蜮伎俩”，口头的“鬼技多端”，指的就是这一类人。这种人只惹人讨厌招人恨，谁爱上了他们才怪！这种人的话自然常是“鬼话”。不过“鬼话”未必都是这种人的话，有些居然娓娓可听，简直是“昵昵儿女语”，或者是“海外奇谈”。说是“鬼话”！尽管不信可是爱听的，有的是。寻常诳语也叫做“鬼话”，王尔德说得有理，诳原可以是很美的，只要撒得好。鬼并不老是那么精明，也有马虎的时候，说这种“无关心”的“鬼话”，就是他马虎的时候。写不好字叫做“鬼画符”，做不好活也叫做“鬼画符”，都是马马虎虎的，敷敷衍衍的。若连不相干的“鬼话”都不爱说，“符”也不爱“画”，那更是“懒鬼”。“懒鬼”还可以希望他不懒，最怕的是“鬼混”，“鬼混”就简直没出息了。

从来没有听见过“笨鬼”，鬼大概总有点儿聪明，所谓“鬼聪明”。“鬼聪明”虽然只是不正经的小聪明，却也有了不起处。“什么鬼玩意儿！”尽管你瞧不上眼，他的可是一套玩意儿。你笑，你骂，你有时笑不得，哭不得，总之，你不免让“鬼玩意儿”耍一回。“鬼聪明”也有正经的，书上叫做“鬼才”。李贺是惟一的号为“鬼才”的诗人，他的诗浓丽和幽险，森森然有鬼气。更上一层的“鬼聪明”，书上叫做“鬼工”；“鬼工”险而奇，非人力所及。这词儿用来夸赞佳山水，大自然的创作，但似乎更多用来夸赞人们文学的和艺术的创作。还有“鬼斧神工”，自然奇妙，也是这一类颂辞。借了“神”的光，“鬼”才能到这“自然奇妙”的一步，不然只是“险而奇”罢了。可是借光也不大易，论书画的将“神品”列在第一，绝不列“鬼品”，“鬼”到底不能上品，真也怪可怜的。

英译

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.