the expression of emotion in man and animals-第38部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　powerfully　affected　by　music；　seems　to　bear　the　same　relation　to　the　above　trembling　of　the　body；　as　a　slight　suffusion　of　tears　from　the　power　of　music　does　to　weeping　from　any　strong　and　real　emotion。

_Devotion_。As　devotion　is；　in　some　degree；　related　to　affection；　though　mainly　consisting　of　reverence；　often　combined　with　fear；　the　expression　of　this　state　of　mind　may　here　be　briefly　noticed。　With　some　sects；　both　past　and　present；　religion　and　love　have　been　strangely　combined；　and　it　has　even　been　maintained；　lamentable　as　the　fact　may　be；　that　the　holy　kiss　of　love　differs　but　little　from　that　which　a　man　bestows　on　a　woman；　or　a　woman　on　a　man。＇25＇　Devotion　is　chiefly　expressed　by　the　face　being　directed　towards　the　heavens；　with　the　eyeballs　upturned。　Sir　C。　Bell　remarks　that；　at　the　approach　of　sleep；　or　of　a　fainting…fit；　or　of　death；　the　pupils　are　drawn　upwards　and　inwards；　and　he　believes　that　〃when　we　are　wrapt　in　devotional　feelings；　and　outward　impressions　are　unheeded；　the　eyes　are　raised　by　an　action　neither　taught　nor　acquired。〃　and　that　this　is　due　to　the　same　cause　as　in　the　above　cases。＇26＇　That　the　eyes　are　upturned　during　sleep　is；　as　I　hear　from　Professor　Donders；　certain。　　With　babies；　whilst　sucking　their　mother's　breast；　this　movement　of　the　eyeballs　often　gives　to　them　an　absurd　appearance　of　ecstatic　delight；　and　here　it　may　be　clearly　perceived　that　a　struggle　is　going　on　against　the　position　naturally　assumed　during　sleep。　But　Sir　C。　Bell's　explanation　of　the　fact；　which　rests　on　the　assumption　that　certain　muscles　are　more　under　the　control　of　the　will　than　others　is；　as　I　hear　from　Professor　Donders；　incorrect。　As　the　eyes　are　often　turned　up　in　prayer；　without　the　mind　being　so　much　absorbed　in　thought　as　to　approach　to　the　unconsciousness　of　sleep；　the　movement　is　probably　a　conventional　one　the　result　of　the　common　belief　that　Heaven；　the　source　of　Divine　power　to　which　we　pray；　is　seated　above　us。


＇24＇　‘The　Descent　of　Man；'　vol。　　ii。　　p。　　336。

A　humble　kneeling　posture；　with　the　hands　upturned　and　palms　joined；　appears　to　us；　from　long　habit；　a　gesture　so　appropriate　to　devotion；　that　it　might　be　thought　to　be　innate；　but　I　have　not　met　with　any　evidence　to　this　effect　with　the　various　extra…European　races　of　mankind。　During　the　classical　period　of　Roman　history　it　does　not　appear；　as　I　hear　from　an　excellent　classic；　that　the　hands　were　thus　joined　during　prayer。　Mr。　Rensleigh　Wedgwood　has　apparently　given＇27＇　the　true　explanation；　though　this　implies　that　the　attitude　is　one　of　slavish　subjection。　〃When　the　suppliant　kneels　and　holds　up　his　hands　with　the　palms　joined；　he　represents　a　captive　who　proves　the　completeness　of　his　submission　by　offering　up　his　hands　to　be　bound　by　the　victor。　　It　is　the　pictorial　representation　of　the　Latin　_dare　manus_；　to　signify　submission。〃　Hence　it　is　not　probable　that　either　the　uplifting　of　the　eyes　or　the　joining　of　the　open　hands；　under　the　influence　of　devotional　feelings；　are　innate　or　truly　expressive　actions；　and　this　could　hardly　have　been　expected；　for　it　is　very　doubtful　whether　feelings；　such　as　we　should　now　rank　as　devotional；　affected　the　hearts　of　men；　whilst　they　remained　during　past　ages　in　an　uncivilized　condition。



＇25＇　Dr。　Mandsley　has　a　discussion　to　this　effect　in　his　‘Body　and　Mind；'　1870；　p。　　85。

＇26＇　‘The　Anatomy　of　Expression；'　p。　　103；　and　‘Philosophical　Transactions；'　1823；　p。　　182。


＇27＇　‘The　Origin　of　Language；'　1866；　p。　　146。　　Mr。　Tylor　（‘Early　History　of　Mankind；'　2nd　edit。　　1870；　p。　　48）　gives　a　more　complex　origin　to　the　position　of　the　hands　during　prayer。　　CHAPTER　IX。

REFLECTIONMEDITATION…ILL…TEMPERSULKINESSDETERMINATION。

The　act　of　frowningReflection　with　an　effort；　or　with　the　perception　of　something　difficult　or　disagreeable　Abstracted　meditationIll…temperMorosenessObstinacy　Sulkiness　and　poutingDecision　or　determinationThe　firm　closure　of　the　mouth。


THE　corrugators；　by　their　contraction；　lower　the　eyebrows　and　bring　them　together；　producing　vertical　furrows　on　the　foreheadthat　is；　a　frown。　Sir　C。　Bell；　who　erroneously　thought　that　the　corrugator　was　peculiar　to　man；　ranks　it　as　〃the　most　remarkable　muscle　of　the　human　face。　It　knits　the　eyebrows　with　an　energetic　effort；　which　unaccountably；　but　irresistibly；　conveys　the　idea　of　mind。〃　　Or；　as　he　elsewhere　says；　〃when　the　eyebrows　are　knit；　energy　of　mind　is　apparent；　and　there　is　the　mingling　of　thought　and　emotion　with　the　savage　and　brutal　rage　of　the　mere　animal。〃＇1＇　There　is　much　truth　in　these　remarks；　but　hardly　the　whole　truth。　　Dr。　Duchenne　has　called　the　corrugator　the　muscle　of　reflection；＇2＇　but　this　name；　without　some　limitation；　cannot　be　considered　as　quite　correct。


＇1＇　‘Anatomy　of　Expression；'　pp。　　137；　139。　　It　is　not　surprising　that　the　corrugators　should　have　become　much　more　developed　in　man　than　in　the　anthropoid　apes；　for　they　are　brought　into　incessant　action　by　him　under　various　circumstances；　and　will　have　been　strengthened　and　modified　by　the　inherited　effects　of　use。　We　have　seen　how　important　a　part　they　play；　together　with　the　orbiculares；　in　protecting　the　eyes　from　being　too　much　gorged　with　blood　during　violent　expiratory　movements。　When　the　eyes　are　closed　as　quickly　and　as　forcibly　as　possible；　to　save　them　from　being　injured　by　a　blow；　the　corrugators　contract。　With　savages　or　other　men　whose　heads　are　uncovered；　the　eyebrows　are　continually　lowered　and　contracted　to　serve　as　a　shade　against　a　too　strong　light；　and　this　is　effected　partly　by　the　corrugators。　This　movement　would　have　been　more　especially　serviceable　to　man；　as　soon　as　his　early　progenitors　held　their　heads　erect。　Lastly；　Prof。　Donders　believes　（‘Archives　of　Medicine；'　ed。　by　L。　Beale；　1870；　vol。　　v。　　p。　　34）；　that　the　corrugators　are　brought　into　action　in　causing　the　eyeball　to　advance　in　accommodation　for　proximity　in　vision。

A　man　may　be　absorbed　in　the　deepest　thought；　and　his　brow　will　remain　smooth　until　he　encounters　some　obstacle　in　his　train　of　reasoning；　or　is　interrupted　by　some　disturbance；　and　then　a　frown　passes　like　a　shadow　over　his　brow。　A　half…starved　man　may　think　intently　how　to　obtain　food；　but　he　probably　will　not　frown　unless　he　encounters　either　in　thought　or　action　some　difficulty；　or　finds　the　food　when　obtained　nauseous。　I　have　noticed　that　almost　everyone　instantly　frowns　if　he　perceives　a　strange　or　bad　taste　in　what　he　is　eating。　I　asked　several　persons；　without　explaining　my　object；　to　listen　intently　to　a　very　gentle　tapping　sound；　the　nature　and　source　of　which　they　all　perfectly　knew；　and　not　one　frowned；　but　a　man　who　joined　us；　and　who　could　not　conceive　what　we　were　all　doing　in　profound　silence；　when　asked　to　listen；　frowned　much；　though　not　in　an　ill…temper；　and　said　he　could　not　in　the　least　understand　what　we　all　wanted。　　Dr。　Piderit＇3＇　who　has　published　remarks　to　the　same　effect；　adds　that　stammerers　generally　frown　in　speaking；　and　that　a　man　in　doing　even　so　trifling　a　thing　as　pulling　on　a　boot；　frowns　if　he　finds　it　too　tight。　Some　persons　are　such　habitual　frowners；　that　the　mere　effort　of　speaking　almost　always　causes　their　brows　to　contract。



＇2＇　‘Mecanisme　de　la　Physionomie　Humaine；'　Album；　Legende　iii。

＇3＇　‘Mimik　und　Physiognomik；'　s。　　46。

Men　of　all　races　frown　when　they　are　in　any　way　perplexed　in　thought；　as　I　infer　from　the　answers　which　I　have　received　to　my　queries；　but　I　framed　them　badly；　confounding　absorbed　meditation　with　perplexed　reflection。　Nevertheless；　it　is　clear　that　the　Australians；　Malays；　Hindoos；　and　Kafirs　of　South　Africa　frown；　when　they　are　puzzled。　　Dobritzhoffer　remarks　that　the　Guaranies　of　South　America　on　like　occasions　knit　their　brows。＇4＇

From　these　considerations；　we　may　conclude　that　frowning　is　not　the　expression　of　simple　reflection；　however　profound；　or　of　attention；　however　close；　but　of　something　difficult　or　displeasing　encountered　in　a　train　of　thought　or　in　action。　Deep　reflection　can；　however；　seldom　be　long　carried　on　without　some　difficulty；　so　that　it　will　generally　be　accompanied　by　a　frown。　Hence　it　is　that　frowning　commonly　gives　to　the　countenance；　as　Sir　C。　Bell　remarks；　an　aspect　of　intellectual　energy。　But　in　order　that　this　effect　may　be　produced；　the　eyes　must　be　clear　and　steady；　or　they　may　be　cast　downwards；　as　often　occurs　in　deep　thought。　　The　countenance　must　not　be　otherwise　disturbed；　as　in　the　case　of　an　ill…tempered　or　peevish　man；　or　of　one　who　shows　the　effects　of　prolonged　suffering；　with　dulled　eyes　and　drooping　jaw；　or　who　perceives　a　bad　taste　in　his　food；　or　who　finds　it　difficult　to　perform　some　trifling　act；　such　as　threading　a　needle。　　In　these　cases　a　frown　may　often　be　seen；　but　it　will　be　accompanied　by　some　other　expression；　which　will　entirely　prevent　the　countenance　having　an　appearance　of　intellectual　energy　or　of　profound　thought。


＇4＇　‘History　of　the　Abipones；'　Eng。　　translat。　　vol。　　ii。　　p。　　59；　as　quoted　by　Lubbock；　‘Origin　of　Civilisation；'　1870；　p。　　355。

We　may　now　inquire　how　it　is　that　a　frown　should　express　the　perception　of　something　difficult　or　disagreeable；　either　in　thought　or　action。　In　the　same　way　as　naturalists　find　it　advisable　to　trace　the　embryological　development　of　an　organ　in　order　fully　to　understand　its　structure；　so　with　the　movements　of　expression　it　is　advisable　to　follow　as　nearly　as　possible　the　same　plan。　　The　earliest　and　almost　sole　expression　seen　during　the　first　days　of　infancy；　and　then　often　exhibited　is　that　displayed　during　the　act　of　screaming；　and　screaming　is　excited；　both　at　first　and　for　some　time　afterwards；　by　every　distressing　or　displeasing　sensation　and　emotion；by　hunger；　pain；　anger；　jealousy；　fear；　&c。　At　such　times　the　muscles　round　the　eyes　are　strongly　contracted；　and　this；　as　I　believe；　explains　to　a　large　extent　the　act　of　frowning　during　the　remainder　of　our　lives。　　I　repeatedly　observed　my　own　infants；　from　under　the　age　of　one　week　to　that　of　two　or　three　months；　and　found　that　when　a　screaming…fit　came　on　gradually；　the　first　sign　was　the　contraction　of　the　corrugators；　which　produced　a　slight　frown；　quickly　followed　by　the　contraction　of　the　other　muscles　round　the　eyes。　When　an　infant　is　uncomfortable　or　unwell；　little