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第52章

the magic skin(驴皮记)-第52章

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eighth species; I flatter myself; to which; perhaps; my name will be
given。 That is the newly matched pair;〃 he said; pointing out two of
the ducks; 〃one of them is a laughing goose (anas albifrons); and the
other the great whistling duck; Buffon's anas ruffina。 I have
hesitated a long while between the whistling duck; the duck with white
eyebrows; and the shoveler duck (anas clypeata)。 Stay; that is the
shovelerthat fat; brownish black rascal; with the greenish neck and
that coquettish iridescence on it。 But the whistling duck was a
crested one; sir; and you will understand that I deliberated no
longer。 We only lack the variegated black…capped duck now。 These
gentlemen here; unanimously claim that that variety of duck is only a
repetition of the curve…beaked teal; but for my own part;〃and the
gesture he made was worth seeing。 It expressed at once the modesty and
pride of a man of science; the pride full of obstinacy; and the
modesty well tempered with assurance。

〃I don't think it is;〃 he added。 〃You see; my dear sir; that we are
not amusing ourselves here。 I am engaged at this moment upon a
monograph on the genus duck。 But I am at your disposal。〃

While they went towards a rather pleasant house in the Rue du Buffon;
Raphael submitted the skin to M。 Lavrille's inspection。

〃I know the product;〃 said the man of science; when he had turned his
magnifying glass upon the talisman。 〃It used to be used for covering
boxes。 The shagreen is very old。 They prefer to use skate's skin
nowadays for making sheaths。 This; as you are doubtless aware; is the
hide of the raja sephen; a Red Sea fish。〃

〃But this; sir; since you are so exceedingly good〃

〃This;〃 the man of science interrupted; as he resumed; 〃this is quite
another thing; between these two shagreens; sir; there is a difference
just as wide as between sea and land; or fish and flesh。 The fish's
skin is harder; however; than the skin of the land animal。 This;〃 he
said; as he indicated the talisman; 〃is; as you doubtless know; one of
the most curious of zoological products。〃

〃But to proceed〃 said Raphael。

〃This;〃 replied the man of science; as he flung himself down into his
armchair; 〃is an ass' skin; sir。〃

〃Yes; I know;〃 said the young man。

〃A very rare variety of ass found in Persia;〃 the naturalist
continued; 〃the onager of the ancients; equus asinus; the koulan of
the Tartars; Pallas went out there to observe it; and has made it
known to science; for as a matter of fact the animal for a long time
was believed to be mythical。 It is mentioned; as you know; in Holy
Scripture; Moses forbade that it should be coupled with its own
species; and the onager is yet more famous for the prostitutions of
which it was the object; and which are often mentioned by the prophets
of the Bible。 Pallas; as you know doubtless; states in his Act。
Petrop。 tome II。; that these bizarre excesses are still devoutly
believed in among the Persians and the Nogais as a sovereign remedy
for lumbago and sciatic gout。 We poor Parisians scarcely believe that。
The Museum has no example of the onager。

〃What a magnificent animal!〃 he continued。 〃It is full of mystery; its
eyes are provided with a sort of burnished covering; to which the
Orientals attribute the powers of fascination; it has a glossier and
finer coat than our handsomest horses possess; striped with more or
less tawny bands; very much like the zebra's hide。 There is something
pliant and silky about its hair; which is sleek to the touch。 Its
powers of sight vie in precision and accuracy with those of man; it is
rather larger than our largest domestic donkeys; and is possessed of
extraordinary courage。 If it is surprised by any chance; it defends
itself against the most dangerous wild beasts with remarkable success;
the rapidity of its movements can only be compared with the flight of
birds; an onager; sir; would run the best Arab or Persian horses to
death。 According to the father of the conscientious Doctor Niebuhr;
whose recent loss we are deploring; as you doubtless know; the
ordinary average pace of one of these wonderful creatures would be
seven thousand geometric feet per hour。 Our own degenerate race of
donkeys can give no idea of the ass in his pride and independence。 He
is active and spirited in his demeanor; he is cunning and sagacious;
there is grace about the outlines of his head; every movement is full
of attractive charm。 In the East he is the king of beasts。 Turkish and
Persian superstition even credits him with a mysterious origin; and
when stories of the prowess attributed to him are told in Thibet or in
Tartary; the speakers mingle Solomon's name with that of this noble
animal。 A tame onager; in short; is worth an enormous amount; it is
well…nigh impossible to catch them among the mountains; where they
leap like roebucks; and seem as if they could fly like birds。 Our myth
of the winged horse; our Pegasus; had its origin doubtless in these
countries; where the shepherds could see the onager springing from one
rock to another。 In Persia they breed asses for the saddle; a cross
between a tamed onager and a she…ass; and they paint them red;
following immemorial tradition。 Perhaps it was this custom that gave
rise to our own proverb; 'Surely as a red donkey。' At some period when
natural history was much neglected in France; I think a traveler must
have brought over one of these strange beasts that endures servitude
with such impatience。 Hence the adage。 The skin that you have laid
before me is the skin of an onager。 Opinions differ as to the origin
of the name。 Some claim that Chagri is a Turkish word; others insist
that Chagri must be the name of the place where this animal product
underwent the chemical process of preparation so clearly described by
Pallas; to which the peculiar graining that we admire is due;
Martellens has written to me saying that Chaagri is a river〃

〃I thank you; sir; for the information that you have given me; it
would furnish an admirable footnote for some Dom Calmet or other; if
such erudite hermits yet exist; but I have had the honor of pointing
out to you that this scrap was in the first instance quite as large as
that map;〃 said Raphael; indicating an open atlas to Lavrille; 〃but it
has shrunk visibly in three months' time〃

〃Quite so;〃 said the man of science。 〃I understand。 The remains of any
substance primarily organic are naturally subject to a process of
decay。 It is quite easy to understand; and its progress depends upon
atmospherical conditions。 Even metals contract and expand appreciably;
for engineers have remarked somewhat considerable interstices between
great blocks of stone originally clamped together with iron bars。 The
field of science is boundless; but human life is very short; so that
we do not claim to be acquainted with all the phenomena of nature。〃

〃Pardon the question that I am about to ask you; sir;〃 Raphael began;
half embarrassed; 〃but are you quite sure that this piece of skin is
subject to the ordinary laws of zoology; and that it can be
stretched?〃

〃Certainlyoh; bother!〃 muttered M。 Lavrille; trying to stretch
the talisman。 〃But if you; sir; will go to see Planchette;〃 he added;
〃the celebrated professor of mechanics; he will certainly discover
some method of acting upon this skin; of softening and expanding it。〃

〃Ah; sir; you are the preserver of my life;〃 and Raphael took leave of
the learned naturalist and hurried off to Planchette; leaving the
worthy Lavrille in his study; all among the bottles and dried plants
that filled it up。

Quite unconsciously Raphael brought away with him from this visit; all
of science that man can grasp; a terminology to wit。 Lavrille; the
worthy man; was very much like Sancho Panza giving to Don Quixote the
history of the goats; he was entertaining himself by making out a list
of animals and ticking them off。 Even now that his life was nearing
its end; he was scarcely acquainted with a mere fraction of the
countless numbers of the great tribes that God has scattered; for some
unknown end; throughout the ocean of worlds。

Raphael was well pleased。 〃I shall keep my ass well in hand;〃 cried
he。 Sterne had said before 

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