親愛的小文：
你注意到警察局裏消防車上的雲梯（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。
植物裏頭花葱屬（polemoniums）中的一種就叫Jacobsladder，因為它們有ladderlikeleaves。
爸爸
一九七五年十一月一日