over the teacups-第13章

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the　lips　of　their　Master　the　play　of　words　on　the　name　of　Peter；

there　was　no　smile　of　appreciation　on　the　bearded　faces　of　those　holy

men？　　From　any　other　lips　we　should　have　called　this　pleasantry　a



Number　Five　shook　her　head　very　slightly；　and　gave　me　a　look　that

seemed　to　say；　〃Don't　frighten　the　other　Teacups。　　We　don't　call

things　by　the　names　that　belong　to　them　when　we　deal　with　celestial

subjects。〃



We　tied　up；　as　my　attendant　playfully　called　our　resting；　so　near　the

planet　that　I　could　knowI　will　not　say　see　and　hear；　but　apprehend

all　that　was　going　on　in　that　remote　sphere；　remote；　as　we　who　live

in　what　we　have　been　used　to　consider　the　centre　of　the　rational

universe　regard　it。　　What　struck　me　at　once　was　the　deadness　of

everything　I　looked　upon。　　Dead；　uniform　color　of　surface　and

surrounding　atmosphere。　　Dead　complexion　of　all　the　inhabitants。

Dead…looking　trees；　dead…looking　grass；　no　flowers　to　be　seen

anywhere。



〃What　is　the　meaning　of　all　this？〃　I　said　to　my　guide。



She　smiled　good…naturedly；　and　replied；　〃It　is　a　forlorn　home　for

anything　above　a　lichen　or　a　toadstool；　but　that　is　no　wonder；　when

you　know　what　the　air　is　which　they　breathe。　　It　is　pure　nitrogen。〃



The　Professor　spoke　up。　　〃That　can't　be；　madam；〃　he　said。　　〃The

spectroscope　shows　the　atmosphere　of　Saturn　to　beno　matter；　I　have

forgotten　what；　but　it　was　not　pure　nitrogen；　at　any　rate。〃



Number　Five　is　never　disconcerted。　　〃Will　you　tell　me；〃　she　said；

〃where　you　have　found　any　account　of　the　bands　and　lines　in　the

spectrum　of　dream…nitrogen？　　I　should　be　so　pleased　to　become

acquainted　with　them。〃



The　Professor　winced　a　little；　and　asked　Delilah；　the　handmaiden；　to

pass　a　plate　of　muffins　to　him。　　The　dream　had　carried　him　away；　and

he　thought　for　the　moment　that　he　was　listening　to　a　scientific

paper。



Of　course；　my　companion　went　on　to　say；　the　bodily　constitution　of

the　Saturnians　is　wholly　different　from　that　of　air…breathing；　that

is　oxygen…breathing；　human　beings。　　They　are　the　dullest；　slowest；

most　torpid　of　mortal　creatures。



All　this　is　not　to　be　wondered　at　when　you　remember　the　inert

characteristics　of　nitrogen。　　There　are　in　some　localities　natural

springs　which　give　out　slender　streams　of　oxygen。　　You　will　learn　by

and　by　what　use　the　Saturnians　make　of　this　dangerous　gas；　which；　as

you　recollect；　constitutes　about　one　fifth　of　your　own　atmosphere。

Saturn　has　large　lead　mines；　but　no　other　metal　is　found　on　this

planet。　　The　inhabitants　have　nothing　else　to　make　tools　of；　except

stones　and　shells。　　The　mechanical　arts　have　therefore　made　no　great

progress　among　them。　　Chopping　down　a　tree　with　a　leaden　axe　is

necessarily　a　slow　process。



So　far　as　the　Saturnians　can　be　said　to　have　any　pride　in　anything；

it　is　in　the　absolute　level　which　characterizes　their　political　and

social　order。　　They　profess　to　be　the　only　true　republicans　in　the

solar　system。　　The　fundamental　articles　of　their　Constitution　are

these：



All　Saturnians　are　born　equal；　live　equal；　and　die　equal。



All　Saturnians　are　born　free；　free；　that　is；　to　obey　the　rules　laid

down　for　the　regulation　of　their　conduct；　pursuits；　and　opinions；

free　to　be　married　to　the　person　selected　for　them　by　the

physiological　section　of　the　government；　and　free　to　die　at　such

proper　period　of　life　as　may　best　suit　the　convenience　and　general

welfare　of　the　community。





The　one　great　industrial　product　of　Saturn　is　the　bread…root。　　The

Saturnians　find　this　wholesome　and　palatable　enough；　and　it　is　well

they　do；　as　they　have　no　other　vegetable。　　It　is　what　I　should　call　a

most　uninteresting　kind　of　eatable；　but　it　serves　as　food　and　drink；

having　juice　enough；　so　that　they　get　along　without　water。　　They　have

a　tough；　dry　grass；　which；　matted　together；　furnishes　them　with

clothes　sufficiently　warm　for　their　cold…blooded　constitutions；　and

more　than　sufficiently　ugly。



A　piece　of　ground　large　enough　to　furnish　bread…root　for　ten　persons

is　allotted　to　each　head　of　a　household；　allowance　being　made　for　the

possible　increase　of　families。　　This；　however；　is　not　a　very

important　consideration；　as　the　Saturnians　are　not　a　prolific　race。

The　great　object　of　life　being　the　product　of　the　largest　possible

quantity　of　bread…roots；　and　women　not　being　so　capable　in　the　fields

as　the　stronger　sex；　females　are　considered　an　undesirable　addition

to　society。　　The　one　thing　the　Saturnians　dread　and　abhor　is

inequality。　　The　whole　object　of　their　laws　and　customs　is　to

maintain　the　strictest　equality　in　everything；social　relations；

property；　so　far　as　they　can　be　said　to　have　anything　which　can　be　so

called；　mode　of　living；　dress；　and　all　other　matters。　　It　is　their

boast　that　nobody　ever　starved　under　their　government。　　Nobody　goes

in　rags；　for　the　coarse…fibred　grass　from　which　they　fabricate　their

clothes　is　very　durable。　　（I　confess　I　wondered　how　a　woman　could

live　in　Saturn。　　They　have　no　looking…glasses。　　There　is　no　such

article　as　a　ribbon　known　among　them。　　All　their　clothes　are　of　one

pattern。　　I　noticed　that　there　were　no　pockets　in　any　of　their

garments；　and　learned　that　a　pocket　would　be　considered　prima　facie

evidence　of　theft；　as　no　honest　person　would　have　use　for　such　a

secret　receptacle。）　　Before　the　revolution　which　established　the

great　law　of　absolute　and　lifelong　equality；　the　inhabitants　used　to

feed　at　their　own　private　tables。　　Since　the　regeneration　of　society

all　meals　are　taken　in　common。　　The　last　relic　of　barbarism　was　the

use　of　plates；one　or　even　more　to　each　individual。　　This　〃odious

relic　of　an　effete　civilization；〃　as　they　called　it；　has　long　been

superseded　by　oblong　hollow　receptacles；　one　of　which　is　allotted　to

each　twelve　persons。　　A　great　riot　took　place　when　an　attempt　was

made　by　some　fastidious　and　exclusive　egotists　to　introduce

partitions　which　should　partially　divide　one　portion　of　these

receptacles　into　individual　compartments。　　The　Saturnians　boast　that

they　have　no　paupers；　no　thieves；　none　of　those　fictitious　values

called　money；all　which　things；　they　hear；　are　known　in　that　small

Saturn　nearer　the　sun　than　the　great　planet　which　is　their　dwelling…

place。



〃I　suppose　that　now　they　have　levelled　everything　they　are　quiet　and

contented。　　Have　they　any　of　those　uneasy　people　called　reformers？〃



〃Indeed　they　have；〃　said　my　attendant。　　〃There　are　the

Orthobrachians；　who　declaim　against　the　shameful　abuse　of　the　left

arm　and　hand；　and　insist　on　restoring　their　perfect　equality　with　the

right。　　Then　there　are　Isopodic　societies；　which　insist　on　bringing

back　the　original　equality　of　the　upper　and　lower　limbs。　　If　you　can

believe　it；　they　actually　practise　going　on　all　fours；generally　in

a　private　way；　a　few　of　them　together；　but　hoping　to　bring　the　world

round　to　them　in　the　near　future。〃



Here　I　had　to　stop　and　laugh。



〃I　should　think　life　might　be　a　little　dull　in　Saturn；〃　I　said。



〃It　is　liable　to　that　accusation；〃　she　answered。　　〃Do　you　notice　how

many　people　you　meet　with　their　mouths　stretched　wide　open？〃



〃Yes；〃　I　said；　〃and　I　do　not　know　what　to　make　of　it。　　I　should　think

every　fourth　or　fifth　person　had　his　mouth　open　in　that　way。〃



〃They　are　suffering　from　the　endemic　disease　of　their　planet；

prolonged　and　inveterate　gaping　or　yawning；　which　has　ended　in

dislocation　of　the　lower　jaw。　　After　a　time　this　becomes　fixed；　and

requires　a　difficult　surgical　operation　to　restore　it　to　its　place。〃



It　struck　me　that；　in　spite　of　their　boast　that　they　have　no　paupers；

no　thieves；　no　money；　they　were　a　melancholy…looking　set　of　beings。



〃What　are　their　amusements？〃　I　asked。



Intoxication　and　suicide　are　their　chief　recreations。　　They　have　a

way　of　mixing　the　oxygen　which　issues　in　small　jets　from　certain

natural　springs　with　their　atmospheric　nitrogen　in　the　proportion　of

about　twenty　per　cent；　which　makes　very　nearly