第2巻第3章 中国・日本(承前
ある時,私たち同様日本を旅行中の歴史家アイリーン・パワー(Eileen Power,1889-1940:英国の経済史家,中世研究者)と一緒に郊外電車に乗っていたとき,席が一つも空いていなかった。しかし,ある日本人が親切にも席を立って自分の席を私に提供してくれた。私は席をドーラに譲った。すると別の日本人が自分の席を私のために空けてくれた。私はその席をアイリーン・パワーに譲った。ここにいたって,日本人たちは私の男らしくない行為にひどくむかむかして,あやうく騒ぎが持ち上がるところであった。 ![]() |
v.2,chap.3: ChinaThe Japanese attitude towards women is somewhat primitive. In Kyoto we both had mosquito nets with holes in them, so that we were kept awake half the night by mosquitoes. I complained of this in the morning. Next evening my mosquito net was mended, but not Dora's. When I complained again the next day, they said: 'But we did not know it mattered about the lady.' Once, when we were in a suburban train with the historian Eileen Power, who was also travelling in Japan, no seats were available, but a Japanese kindly got up and offered his seat to me. I gave it to Dora. Another Japanese then offered me his seat. I gave this to Eileen Power. By this time the Japanese were so disgusted by my unmanly conduct that there was nearly a riot.We met only one Japanese whom we really liked, a Miss Ito. She was young and beautiful, and lived with a well-known anarchist, by whom she had a son. Dora said to her: 'Are you not afraid that the authorities will do something to you?' She drew her hand across her throat, and said: 'I know they will do that sooner or later.' At the time of the earthquake, the police came to the house where she lived with the anarchist, and found him and her and a little nephew whom they believed to be the son, and informed them that they were wanted at the police station. When they arrived at the police station, the three were put in separate rooms and strangled by the police, who boasted that they had not had much trouble with the child, as they had managed to make friends with him on the way to the police station. The police in question became national heroes, and school children were set to write essays in their praise. |