精彩导读
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When Dr. Mateer was putting his Mandarin Lessons through the press, he conceived the idea that a rhyme might be useful in learning the meaning and order of the radicals, It was at his instigation, and with the benefit of his helpful criticism, that the following nonsense was perpetrated: in fact, the first stanza was the Doctor’s own production. The ode has been found helpful as a mnemonic contrivance, and is printed in Dr. Mateer’s Lessons with the following note:—
“The following ode will relieve the student of much labor in learning the meaning and order of the radicals. It will serve as a continuous ladder, with suggestive and ever-varying rounds, which the student can mount with vastly greater ease than he can climb the bare pole of arithmetical numbers. Not only is the first acquirement made easier, but the memory will retain the ode more firmly and recall it more readily than it will the bare number.”
HOW TO BEGIN
One Stroke.—Numbers 1-6.
Beginning with unity 一, just as you ought,
You next make an upright丨, and then make a dot丶;
Make a stroke to the left丿, then a curve 乙, and a crook亅;
And you’ve summed up the use of one stroke in a book.
A RIDDLE
Two Strokes. —Numbers 7-29.
Two二 hats丄 on one man 人! See, that tramp儿, walking fast,
Enters入 slyly at eight八, and the limit冂 is passed.
A cov’ring 冖 of ice 冫hides a bench几 and a box 凵;
A sword刀 of great strength力 is wrapped up 勹 in old socks;
A spoon匕in a case匚 is concealed 匸 with ten 十 knives.
Divine 卜 what this means, and then ask the old wives
Why that seal卩 on the cliff 厂, made by some selfish 厶 hoax.
Should let a conjunction 又 end up the two stroked!
CONSOLATION FOR AN UNFORTUNATE WIDOW
Three Strokes.—Numbers 30-60.
Three smacks on the mouth口! an enclosure 囗 so sweet
That earth’s 土 greatest sage 士 follows 夂 slowly夊tohis breath气;
Through water水and fire火 he’ll defend it till death.
The claws爪of a kitten, my father父once said,
Should never scratch crosswise爻, nor climb on a bed爿;
And a splint片twixt the teeth牙puts an end to all jokes,
While an ox牛and a dog犬will end up the four strokes.
SAD DEATH OF TWO JEWELERS
Five Strokes. —Numbers 95-117.
Two sombre玄gem玉merchants once ate a cucumber瓜:
They slept on some tiles瓦, and how sweet甘was their slumber!
But to live生was no use用; in a field田, at their ease,
In dry goods疋rolled up, they were killed by disease疒.
Back to back癶they were laid, dressed in white白,—’twas their wish,—
With the skin皮of the cucumber placed in a dish皿!
Then an eye目, lance矛and dart矢were engraved on a stone石,
As an emblem divine of the foot-prints禸now flown;
This stone, midst the grain禾in a cavernous den穴,
Was erected立to finish five strokes of the pen.
AN ECCENTRIC OLD STATESMAN
Six Strokes.—Numbers 118-146.
“Our bamboo竹and rice米, silk糸and crocks缶, I am told,
Our nets网, sheep羊and quills羽must be taxed as of old老.
And yet而we plow耒on for this fool with long ears耳!”
“Stick a pen聿in his flesh肉!” cried a boatman with jeers.
The statesman臣himself自now arrived至with a mortar臼:
Thu tongue舌that opposed舛him he’d smash and make shorter!
The boat’s舟perverse艮skipper, with red colored色face,
He tied up with grass艸, and dismissed in disgrace.
But when tigers虍and insects虫. drew blood血, he thought best
To travel行for clothing衣and skip to the west西.
BEWARE OF THE SERPENT
Seven Strokes.—Numbers 147-166.
Seven strokes we now see見, and a horn角,—fateful word 言!
In the valley谷beans豆grow, and of pigs豕a whole herd;
Great reptiles豸their precious貝young offspring are feeding;
With legs bare and naked赤a lad walks走unheeding;
His foot足gets a sting and his body身soon dies;
A coach車brings his mother: how bitter辛her cries!
’Tis high time辰to run辵from a region邑so vile,
Where wine酉plucks采its victims for many a mile里.
FLEETING RICHES
Eight Strokes.—Numbers 167-175.
Eight strokes! and now gold金, after long長labor gained,
Doth open the doorway門of plenty阜attained隶.
But riches, like birds隹, when the rain 雨 hides the blue 青.
If I am not wrong非, will fly quickly from you.
FOOLISH ANGER
Nine Strokes.—Numbers 176-186.
Nine strokes on the face面with a raw-hide革or leather韋.
Or e’en with a leek韭, will raise sounds音in all weather.
For leaves頁in the wind風, when they fly飛far away,
Don’t eat食off your head首, nor burn incense香all day.
GOOD ADVICE
Ten Strokes.—Numbers 187-194.
Ten strokes on a horse馬, with a bone骨raised on high高,
Will wear off his hair髟，and soon cause him to shy.
Don’t fight鬥about essences鬯cooked in an urn鬲,
Or you’ll find yourself doomed with the demons鬼to burn.
FISHING AND HUNTING.
Eleven Strokes.—Numbers 105-200.
Eleven fresh fish魚and a bird鳥caught with salt鹵;
A deer鹿which eats wheat麥, tied with hemp 麻, calls a halt.
GOING TO MARKET
Twelve Strokes.—Numbers 201-204.
Twelve yellow 黄 millet 黍 stalks next you will see,
And black 黑silk embroidery黹purchased by me.
EXPLOIT OF SOME FROGS
Thirteen Strokes.—Numbers 205-208.
Thirteen little frogs黽on a tripod鼎once sat,
But jumped on a drum鼓, when they saw a big rat鼠.
RESULT OF A FIGHT
Fourteen and Fifteen Strokes.—Numbers 209-211.
Fourteen were tho noses鼻, all even齊in height,
Fifteen were the teeth齒, which were lost in a fight.
THE DRAGONS END IT
Sixteen and Seventeen Strokes.—Numbers 212-214.
Sixteen dragons龍sat on a tortoise龜last June,
Playing seventeenflutes龠; and that winds up my tune.
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