正文 登天梯 文 / 李敖

    親愛的小文：

    你注意到警察局裡消防車上的雲梯（ladder）了嗎？那種梯子升起來很高，可高出一百英尺。美國underworldslang把ladder叫做Jacob，你知道是誰嗎？

    JacobwasthesonofIsaac,andthefatherofthe12sonswhofoundedtheTwelveTribesofIsrael,accordingtotheOldTestament.HeboughthisolderbrotherEsausbirthrightwithabowlofsavorystew（「messofpottage」）.Later,JacobenforcedhisclaimbypretendingtohisblindandagedfatherthathehimselfwasEsau.Thus,heobtainedfromIsaacthewordsofblessingIsaachadmeantforEsau.EsauwassoangrythatJacobfledforhislife.

    OnthewaytohisuncleLaban,JacobsleptataplacecalledBethel,wherehedreamedofawonderfulladderbetweenheavenandearth.Inthedream,Godpromisedtoprotectandblesshimwhilehewasawayfromhome.Muchencouraged,JacobwentontoLabanshome.TherehefellonlovewithLabansdaughter,Rachel.ButLabanforcedJacobtomarryhidolderdaughter.Leah,beforehecouldhaveRachelforhiswife.Afterworking20yearsforLaban,Jacobleftforhome.

    Ontheway,JacobprayedallnightuntilGodreassuredhimthatEsauwouldsparehislife.Esaumethimwithforgiveness,andtheypartedgoodfriends.JacobspenthislastyearsinEgypt,wherehissonJosephbroughthimtolive.

    EsauwasthesonofIsaacandRebecca,andtwinbrotherofJacobintheBible.HeisamaincharacterinmanystoriesfoundinGenesis25-33.ThebestknownareJacobscheatinghimoutofhisbirthrightfora「messofpottage」（Gen.25：27-34）,andthelossofhisblessingthroughtheplottingofhismotherandbrother（Gen.27）.EsauwasreconciledtoJacobafterthelattersreturntoPalestine20yearslater.

    BiblicalhistoryregardsEsauasthefounderoftheEdomitenation.

    Jacob就是現在以色列（Israel）人的老老老老老老老老老老……老祖宗。

    Messofpottage就是「因小失大」、「得不償失」、「划不來」的意思。

    AJacobsladderisaladdermadeofropeorcable,usuallywithwoodenrungs.Itisdroppedoverthesideofashiptoenablepeopletoascendfromordescendtosmallboatsalongside.HarborpilotsusuallycomeaboardviaaJacobsladder.

    TheJacobsladdergetsitsnamefromanincidentintheBookofGenesis（28：12）.ThepatriarchJacobfallsasleepandtheavision：「Andhedreamed,andbeholdaladdersetupontheearth,andhetopofitreachedtoheaven；andbeholdtheangelsofGodascendinganddescendingonit.」

    Jacobsladderhasbeenusedinatleasttwootherquiteearthlymeanings.Asmallplantwithaflower-and-leafformationresemblingaladderbearsthisname.InEngland,alsowhatweAmericanscall「runs」inhosierywereformerlycalledJacobsladders.Nowadaystheyaresimplyladders.

    Jacobsladder可以登天，所以美國黑社會的thievesLatin（盜賊的隱語，切口）就把梯子叫Jacob。

    植物裡頭花蔥屬（polemoniums）中的一種就叫Jacobsladder，因為它們有ladderlikeleaves。

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    一九七五年十一月一日