竦斯

The Classic of Northern Mountains: Mount Guanti — tree-of-heaven and silkworm thorns on its slopes, drifting sand and whetstones at its foot. A bird lives there, shaped like a hen pheasant with a human face. When it sees a person, it jumps. Its name is Songsi, and its call sounds like its own name. Songsi is a bird. Like a hen pheasant. With a human face. It jumps when it sees you. That's it. "Jumps when it sees a person" is the least explained sentence in the entire Shan Hai Jing. A jump — is it fear? A greeting? A threat? Simple excitement? The book doesn't say. It records behavior and refuses motive. "And its call sounds like its own name." This is a common formula in the book — many birds "call their own name." But "Songsi" already sounds like a bird call: song — si — short, breathy, clipped. So if you stood on Mount Guanti, you'd see this: a human-faced pheasant steps out of the brush, sees you, jumps once, says "songsi," and hops away. Mount Guanti is a wasteland. Tree-of-heaven and thorn — both useless timber. Drifting sand and whetstones at the base. A mountain of scrub and shifting ground. On a mountain like that, a human-faced pheasant jumped. The gods who summon wind and rain take up all the space in this book. But what kept it alive for two thousand years is sentences like this one: a bird saw a person, and it jumped.

北山经: เขากวานถี ต้นไม้เป็นพวกไม้ไร้ค่า ใต้เขามีทรายปลิวและหินลับมีด มีนกตัวหนึ่ง รูปร่างเหมือนไก่ฟ้าตัวเมีย แต่มีหน้ามนุษย์ เห็นคนแล้วกระโดด ชื่อซงซือ เสียงร้องคือชื่อของมันเอง "เห็นคนแล้วกระโดด" เป็นประโยคที่ตำรานี้อธิบายน้อยที่สุด กระโดดเพราะกลัว? ทักทาย? ขู่? หรือดีใจ? หนังสือไม่บอก มันบันทึกพฤติกรรม ไม่อธิบายแรงจูงใจ บนภูเขารกร้างแห่งนั้น ไก่ฟ้าหน้ามนุษย์กระโดดหนึ่งที เทพที่บันดาลลมฝนกินพื้นที่ทั้งเล่ม แต่สิ่งที่ทำให้หนังสือเล่มนี้อยู่มาสองพันปี คือประโยคแบบนี้

Klasik Gunung Utara: Gunung Guanti — pokok kelumpang dan duri ulat sutera di lerengnya, pasir berterbangan dan batu asah di kakinya. Ada burung: rupanya seperti ayam hutan betina, berwajah manusia. Melihat orang, ia melompat. Namanya Songsi, dan bunyinya seperti namanya sendiri. "Melompat bila melihat orang" ialah ayat paling sedikit dijelaskan dalam kitab ini. Lompat kerana takut? Menyapa? Mengancam? Seronok? Buku tidak berkata. Ia merekod tingkah laku, menolak sebab. Di gunung terbiar itu, seekor ayam hutan berwajah manusia melompat sekali. Dewa-dewa yang memanggil angin dan hujan memenuhi seluruh halaman. Tetapi yang menghidupkan kitab ini dua ribu tahun ialah ayat seperti ini.

Kinh Sơn Bắc: núi Quán Đề — cây xú xuân và cây dâu gai trên sườn, cát bay và đá mài dưới chân. Có một con chim: giống gà lôi mái, mặt người. Thấy người thì nhảy. Tên Tủng Tư, tiếng kêu chính là tên nó. "Thấy người thì nhảy" là câu ít được giải thích nhất trong cả sách. Nhảy vì sợ? Chào? Dọa? Hay chỉ mừng? Sách không nói. Nó ghi hành vi, không giải thích động cơ. Trên ngọn núi hoang ấy, một con gà lôi mặt người nhảy một cái. Các vị thần gọi gió gọi mưa chiếm hết trang giấy. Nhưng thứ giữ cuốn sách này sống hai ngàn năm là những câu như thế.

Klasik Gunung Utara: Gunung Guanti — pohon surian dan duri ulat sutra di lerengnya, pasir berterbangan dan batu asah di kakinya. Ada burung: rupanya seperti ayam hutan betina, berwajah manusia. Melihat orang, ia melompat. Namanya Songsi, dan bunyinya seperti namanya sendiri. "Melompat saat melihat orang" adalah kalimat paling sedikit dijelaskan di kitab ini. Melompat karena takut? Menyapa? Mengancam? Senang? Buku tidak berkata. Ia mencatat perilaku, menolak motif. Di gunung terbengkalai itu, seekor ayam hutan berwajah manusia melompat sekali. Dewa-dewa pemanggil angin dan hujan memenuhi seluruh halaman. Tapi yang membuat kitab ini hidup dua ribu tahun adalah kalimat seperti ini.