亲爱的小文：

你注意到警察局里消防车上的云梯（ladder）了吗？那种梯子升起来很高，可高出一百英尺。www.xiaoxiaocom.com美国underworldslang把ladder叫做jacob，你知道是谁吗？

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就是现在以色列（israel）人的老老老老老老老老老老……老祖宗。

messofpottage就是“因小失大”、“得不偿失”、“划不来”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，所以美国黑社会的thieveslatin（盗贼的隐语，切口）就把梯子叫jacob。

植物里头花葱属（polemoniums）中的一种就叫jacobsladder，因为它们有ladderlikeleaves。

爸爸

一九七五年十一月一日