flatland(弗莱特兰)-第30章
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but in reality you also see （though you do not recognize） a Fourth
Dimension； which is not colour nor brightness nor anything of the kind；
but a true Dimension； although I cannot point out to you its direction； nor
can you possibly measure it。' What would you say to such a visitor？ Would
not you have him locked up？ Well； that is my fate： and it is as natural for
us Flatlanders to lock up a Square for preaching the Third Dimension； as it
is for you Spacelanders to lock up a Cube for preaching the Fourth。 Alas；
how strong a family likeness runs through blind and persecuting humanity
in all Dimensions！ Points； Lines； Squares； Cubes； Extra…Cubes we are all
liable to the same errors； all alike the Slavers of our respective
Dimensional prejudices； as one of our Spaceland poets has said
‘One touch of Nature makes all worlds akin。'〃 （footnote 1）
On this point the defence of the Square seems to me to be
impregnable。 I wish I could say that his answer to the second （or moral）
objection was equally clear and cogent。 It has been objected that he is a
woman…hater； and as this objection has been vehemently urged by those
whom Nature's decree has constituted the somewhat larger half of the
92
… Page 93…
Flatland
Spaceland race； I should like to remove it； so far as I can honestly do so。
But the Square is so unaccustomed to the use of the moral terminology of
Spaceland that I should be doing him an injustice if I were literally to
transcribe his defence against this charge。 Acting； therefore； as his
interpreter and summarizer； I gather that in the course of an imprisonment
of seven years he has himself modified his own personal views； both as
regards Women and as regards the Isosceles or Lower Classes。 Personally；
he now inclines to the opinion of the Sphere （see page 86） that the Straight
Lines are in many important respects superior to the Circles。 But； writing
as a Historian； he has identified himself （perhaps too closely） with the
views generally adopted by Flatland； and （as he has been informed） even
by Spaceland； Historians； in whose pages （until very recent times） the
destinies of Women and of the masses of mankind have seldom been
deemed worthy of mention and never of careful consideration。
In a still more obscure passage he now desires to disavow the Circular
or aristocratic tendencies with which some critics have naturally credited
him。 While doing justice to the intellectual power with which a few
Circles have for many generations maintained their supremacy over
immense multitudes of their countrymen； he believes that the facts of
Flatland； speaking for themselves without comment on his part； declare
that Revolutions cannot always be suppressed by slaughter； and that
Nature； in sentencing the Circles to infecundity； has condemned them to
ultimate failure〃and herein；〃 he says； 〃I see a fulfilment of the great Law
of all worlds； that while the wisdom of Man thinks it is working one thing；
the wisdom of Nature constrains it to work another； and quite a different
and far better thing。〃 For the rest； he begs his readers not to suppose that
every minute detail in the daily life of Flatland must needs correspond to
some other detail in Spaceland； and yet he hopes that； taken as a whole；
his work may prove suggestive as well as amusing； to those Spacelanders
of moderate and modest minds whospeaking of that which is of the
highest importance； but lies beyond experiencedecline to say on the one
hand； 〃This can never be；〃 and on the other hand； 〃It must needs be
precisely thus； and we know all about it。〃
93
… Page 94…
Flatland
Footnote 1。 The Author desires me to add； that the misconceptions of
some of his critics on this matter has induced him to insert （on pp。 74 and
92） in his dialogue with the Sphere； certain remarks which have a bearing
on the point in question and which he had previously omitted as being
tedious and unnecessary。
94
