the.lost.world-第15章

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ally；　I　developed　this　system　a　few　years　back　for　park　rangers　in　Yellowstone；　where　bears　break　into　trailers。　Flip　a　switch；　and　you　run　ten　thousand　volts　across　the　outer　skin　of　the　trailer。　Wham…o！　Takes　the　fight　out　of　the　biggest　bear。　But　that　kind　of　voltage'll　blow　these　guys　right　off　the　trailer。　And　then　what？　I　get　a　workmen's…pensation　suit。　For　their　stupidity。〃　He　shook　his　head。　〃So？　Where's　Levine？〃
　　　　〃We　don't　know；〃　Arby　said。
　　　　〃What　do　you　mean？　Didn't　he　teach　your　class　today？〃
　　　　〃No；　he　didn't　e。〃
　　　　Thorne　swore　again。　〃Well；　I　need　him　today；　to　go　over　the　final　revisions；　before　we　do　our　field　testing。　He　was　supposed　to　be　back　today。〃
　　　　〃Back　from　where？〃　Kelly　said。
　　　　〃Oh；　he　went　on　one　of　his　field　trips；〃　Thorne　said。　〃Very　excited　about　it；　before　he　went。　I　outfitted　him　myself　…　loaned　him　my　latest　field　pack。　Everything　he　could　ever　want　in　just　forty…seven　pounds。　He　liked　it。　Left　last　Monday；　four　days　ago。〃
　　　　〃For　where？〃
　　　　〃How　should　I　know？〃　Thorne　said。　〃He　wouldn't　tell　me。　And　I　gave　up　asking。　You　know　they're　all　the　same；　now。　Every　scientist　I　deal　with　is　secretive。　But　you　can't　blame　them。　They're　all　afraid　of　being　ripped　off；　or　sued。　The　modern　world。　Last　year　I　built　equipment　for　an　expedition　to　the　Amazon；　we　waterproofed　it　…　which　you'd　want　in　the　Amazon　rain　forest　…　soaking…wet　electronics　just　don't　work　…　and　the　principal　scientist　was　charged　with　misappropriating　funds。　For　waterproofing！　Some　university　bureaucrat　said　it　was　an　unnecessary　expense。　I'm　telling　you；　it's　insane。　Just　insane。　Henry　…　did　you　hear　anything　I　said　to　you？　Put　it　crosswise！〃
　　　　Thorne　strode　across　the　room；　waving　his　arms。　The　kids　followed　behind　him。
　　　　〃But　now；　look　at　this；〃　Thorne　said。　〃For　months　we've　been　mod＇fying　his　field　vehicles；　and　finally　we're　ready。　He　wants　them　light；　I　build　them　light。　He　wants　them　strong；　I　build　them　strong…light　and　strong　both；　why　not；　it's　just　impossible；　what　he's　asking　for；　but　with　enough　titanium　and　honeycarbon　posite；　we're　doing　it　anyway。　He　wants　it　off　petroleum　base；　and　off　the　grid；　and　we　do　that；　too。　So　finally　he's　got　what　he　wanted；　an　immensely　strong　portable　laboratory　to　go　where　there's　no　gasoline　and　no　electricity。　And　now　that　it's　finished　。。。　I　can't　believe　it。　He　really　didn't　show　up　for　your　class？〃
　　　　〃No；〃　Kelly　said。
　　　　〃So　he's　disappeared；〃　Thorne　said。　〃Wonderful。　Perfect。　What　about　our　field　test？　We　were　going　to　take　these　vehicles　out　for　a　week；　and　put　them　through　their　paces。〃
　　　　〃I　know；〃　Kelly　said。　〃We　got　Permission　from　our　parents　and　everything；　so　we　could　go；　too。〃
　　　　〃And　now　he's　not　here；〃　Thorne　fumed。　〃I　suppose　I　should　have　expected　it。　These　rich　kids；　they　do　whatever　they　want。　A　guy　like　Levine　gives　spoiled　a　bad　name。〃
　　　　From　the　ceiling；　a　large　metal　cage　came　crashing　down；　landing　next　to　them　on　the　floor。　Thorne　jumped　aside。　〃Eddie！　Damn！　Will　you　watch　it？〃
　　　　〃Sorry；　Doc；〃　said　Eddie　Carr；　high　up　in　the　rafters。　〃But　specs　are　it　can't　deform　at　twelve　thousand　psi。　We　had　to　test　it。〃
　　　　〃That's　fine；　Eddie。　But　don't　test　it　when　we're　Linder　it！〃　Thorne　bent　to　examine　the　cage；　which　was　circular；　constructed　of　inch…thick　titanium…alloy　bars。　It　had　survived　the　fall　without　harm。　And　it　was　light；　Thorne　lifted　it　upright　with　one　hand。　It　was　about　six　feet　high　and　four　feet　in　diameter。　It　looked　like　an　oversized　bird　cage。　It　had　a　swinging　door；　fitted　with　a　heavy　lock。
　　　　What's　that　for？〃　Arby　asked。
　　　　Actually；〃　Thorne　said；　〃it's　part　of　that〃　He　pointed　I　across　the　room；　where　a　workman　was　putting　together　a　stack　of　telescoping　aluminum　struts。　〃High　observation　platform；　made　to　be　assembled　in　the　field。　Scaffolding　sets　up　into　a　rigid　structure；　about　fifteen　feet　high。　Fitted　with　a　little　shelter　on　top。　Also　collapsible。〃
　　　　〃A　platform　to　observe　what？〃　Arby　said。　Thorne　said；　〃He　didn't　tell　you？〃
　　　　〃No；〃　Kelly　said。
　　　　〃No；〃　Arby　said。
　　　　〃Well；　he　didn't　tell　me；　either；〃　Thorne　said；　shaking　his　head。　〃All　I　know　is　he　wants　everything　immensely　strong。　Light　and　strong；　light　and　strong。　Impossible。〃　He　sighed。　〃God　save　me　from　academics。〃
　　　　〃I　thought　you　were　an　academic；〃　Kelly　said。
　　　　〃Former　academic；〃　Thorne　said　briskly。　〃Now　I　actually　make　things。　I　don't　just　talk。〃

Colleagues　who　knew　Jack　Thorne　agreed　that　retirement　marked　the　happiest　period　in　his　life。　As　a　professor　of　applied　engineering；　and　a　specialist　in　exotic　materials；　he　had　always　demonstrated　a　practical　focus　and　a　love　of　students。　His　most　famous　course　at　Stanford；　Structural　Engineering　101a；　was　known　among　the　students　as　〃Thorny　Problems；〃　because　Thorne　continually　provoked　his　class　to　solve　applied…engineering　challenges　he　set　for　them。　Some　of　these　had　long　since　entered　into　student　folklore。　There　was；　for　example；　the　Toilet　Paper　Disaster：　Thorne　asked　the　students　to　drop　a　carton　of　eggs　from　Hoover　Tower　without　injury。　As　padding；　they　could　only　use　the　cardboard　tubes　at　the　center　of　toilet　paper　rolls。　There　were　spattered　eggs　all　over　the　plaza　below。
　　　　Then；　another　year；　Thorne　asked　the　students　to　build　a　chair　to　support　a　two…bundred…pound　man；　using　only；　paper　Q…tips　and　thread。　And　another　time；　he　hung　the　answer　sheet　for　the　final　exam　from　the　classroom　ceiling；　and　invited　his　students　to　pull　it　down；　using　whatever　they　could　make　with　a　cardboard　shoebox　containing　a　pound　of　licorice；　and　some　toothpicks。
　　　　When　he　was　not　in　class；　Thorne　often　served　as　an　expert　witness　in　legal　cases　involving　materials　engineering。　He　specialized　in　explosions；　crashed　airplanes；　collapsed　buildings；　and　other　disasters。　These　forays　into　the　real　world　sharpened　his　view　that　scientists　needed　the　widest　possible　education。　He　used　to　say；　〃How　can　you　design　for　people　if　you　don't　know　history　and　psychology？　You　can't。　Because　your　mathematical　formulas　may　be　perfect；　but　the　people　will　screw　it　up。　And　if　that　happens；　it　means　you　screwed　it　up。〃　He　peppered　his　lectures　with　quotations　from　Plato；　Chaka　Zulu；　Emerson；　and　Chang…tzu。
　　　　But　as　a　professor　who　was　popular　with　his　students…and　who　advocated　general　education…Thorne　found　himself　swimming　against　the　tide。　The　academic　world　was　marching　toward　ever　more　specialized　knowledge；　expressed　in　ever　more　dense　jargon。　In　this　climate；　being　liked　by　your　students　was　a　sign　of　shallowness；　and　interest　in　real…world　problems　was　proof　of　intellectual　poverty　and　a　distressing　indifference　to　theory。　But　in　the　end；　it　was　his　fondness　for　Chang…tzu　that　pushed　him　out　the　door。　In　a　departmental　meeting；　one　of　his　colleagues　got　up　and　announced　that　〃Some　mythical　Chinese　bullshitter　means　fuck…all　for　engineering。〃
　　　　Thorne　took　early　retirement　a　month　later；　and　soon　after　started　his　own　pany。　He　enjoyed　his　work　thoroughly；　but　he　missed　contact　with　the　students；　which　was　why　he　liked　Levine's　two　youthful　assistants。　These　kids　were　smart；　they　were　enthusiastic；　and　they　were　young　enough　so　that　the　schools　hadn't　destroyed　all　their　interest　in　learning。　They　could　still　actually　use　their　brains；　which　in　Thorne's　view　was　a　sure　sign　they　hadn't　yet　pleted　a　formal　education。

〃Jerry！〃　Thorne　bellowed；　to　one　of　the　welders　on　the　RVS。　〃Balance　the　struts　on　both　sides！　Remember　the　crash　tests！〃　Thorne　pointed　to　a　video　monitor　set　on　the　floor；　which　showed　a　puter　image　of　the　RV　crashing　into　a　barrier。　First　it　crashed　end…on；　then　it　crashed　sideways；　then　it　rolled　and　crashed　again。　Each　time；　the　vehicle　survived　with　very　little　damage。　The　puter　program　had　been　developed　by　the　auto　panies；　and　then　discarded。　Thorne　acquired　it；　and　modified　it。　〃Of　course　the　auto　panies　discarded　it　…　it's　a　good　idea。　Don't　want　any　good　ideas　ing　out　of　a　big　pany。　Might　lead　to　a　good　product！〃　He　sighed。　〃Using　this　puter；　we've　crashed　these　vehicles　ten　thousand　times：　designing；　crashing；　modeling；　crashing　again。　No　theories；　just　actual　testing。　The　way　it　ought　to　be。〃
　　　　Thorne's　dislike　of　theory　was　legendary。　In　his　view'　a