flatland-第15章

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〃Bass…voiced　Monstrosity！　yes；〃　replied　the　King。　　〃How　else　could　the　balance　of　the　Sexes　be　maintained；　if　two　girls　were　not　born　for　every　boy？　　Would　you　ignore　the　very　Alphabet　of　Nature？〃　He　ceased；　speechless　for　fury；　and　some　time　elapsed　before　I　could　induce　him　to　resume　his　narrative。

〃You　will　not；　of　course；　suppose　that　every　bachelor　among　us　finds　his　mates　at　the　first　wooing　in　this　universal　Marriage　Chorus。　On　the　contrary；　the　process　is　by　most　of　us　many　times　repeated。　Few　are　the　hearts　whose　happy　lot　it　is　at　once　to　recognize　in　each　other's　voices　the　partner　intended　for　them　by　Providence；　and　to　fly　into　a　reciprocal　and　perfectly　harmonious　embrace。　With　most　of　us　the　courtship　is　of　long　duration。　　The　Wooer's　voices　may　perhaps　accord　with　one　of　the　future　wives；　but　not　with　both；　or　not；　at　first；　with　either；　or　the　Soprano　and　Contralto　may　not　quite　harmonize。　　In　such　cases　Nature　has　provided　that　every　weekly　Chorus　shall　bring　the　three　Lovers　into　closer　harmony。　Each　trial　of　voice；　each　fresh　discovery　of　discord；　almost　imperceptibly　induces　the　less　perfect　to　modify　his　or　her　vocal　utterance　so　as　to　approximate　to　the　more　perfect。　And　after　many　trials　and　many　approximations；　the　result　is　at　last　achieved。　　There　comes　a　day　at　last；　when；　while　the　wonted　Marriage　Chorus　goes　forth　from　universal　Lineland；　the　three　far…off　Lovers　suddenly　find　themselves　in　exact　harmony；　and；　before　they　are　awake；　the　wedded　Triplet　is　rapt　vocally　into　a　duplicate　embrace；　and　Nature　rejoices　over　one　more　marriage　and　over　three　more　births。〃




Section　14。　　How　I　vainly　tried　to　explain　the　nature　of　Flatland



Thinking　that　it　was　time　to　bring　down　the　Monarch　from　his　raptures　to　the　level　of　common　sense；　I　determined　to　endeavour　to　open　up　to　him　some　glimpses　of　the　truth；　that　is　to　say　of　the　nature　of　things　in　Flatland。　　So　I　began　thus：　〃How　does　your　Royal　Highness　distinguish　the　shapes　and　positions　of　his　subjects？　　I　for　my　part　noticed　by　the　sense　of　sight；　before　I　entered　your　Kingdom；　that　some　of　your　people　are　Lines　and　others　Points；　and　that　some　of　the　Lines　are　larger　〃　〃You　speak　of　an　impossibility；〃　interrupted　the　King；　〃you　must　have　seen　a　vision；　for　to　detect　the　difference　between　a　Line　and　a　Point　by　the　sense　of　sight　is；　as　every　one　knows；　in　the　nature　of　things；　impossible；　but　it　can　be　detected　by　the　sense　of　hearing；　and　by　the　same　means　my　shape　can　be　exactly　ascertained。　　Behold　me　　I　am　a　Line；　the　longest　in　Lineland；　over　six　inches　of　Space　〃　　〃Of　Length〃；　I　ventured　to　suggest。　　〃Fool；〃　said　he；　〃Space　is　Length。　Interrupt　me　again；　and　I　have　done。〃

I　apologized；　but　he　continued　scornfully；　〃Since　you　are　impervious　to　argument；　you　shall　hear　with　your　ears　how　by　means　of　my　two　voices　I　reveal　my　shape　to　my　Wives；　who　are　at　this　moment　six　thousand　miles　seventy　yards　two　feet　eight　inches　away；　the　one　to　the　North；　the　other　to　the　South。　　Listen；　I　call　to　them。〃

He　chirruped；　and　then　complacently　continued：　　〃My　wives　at　this　moment　receiving　the　sound　of　one　of　my　voices；　closely　followed　by　the　other；　and　perceiving　that　the　latter　reaches　them　after　an　interval　in　which　sound　can　traverse　6。457　inches；　infer　that　one　of　my　mouths　is　6。457　inches　further　from　them　than　the　other；　and　accordingly　know　my　shape　to　be　6。457　inches。　　But　you　will　of　course　understand　that　my　wives　do　not　make　this　calculation　every　time　they　hear　my　two　voices。　　They　made　it；　once　for　all；　before　we　were　married。　　But　they　COULD　make　it　at　any　time。　And　in　the　same　way　I　can　estimate　the　shape　of　any　of　my　Male　subjects　by　the　sense　of　sound。〃

〃But　how；〃　said　I；　〃if　a　Man　feigns　a　Woman's　voice　with　one　of　his　two　voices；　or　so　disguises　his　Southern　voice　that　it　cannot　be　recognized　as　the　echo　of　the　Northern？　　May　not　such　deceptions　cause　great　inconvenience？　　And　have　you　no　means　of　checking　frauds　of　this　kind　by　commanding　your　neighbouring　subjects　to　feel　one　another？〃　　This　of　course　was　a　very　stupid　question；　for　feeling　could　not　have　answered　the　purpose；　but　I　asked　with　the　view　of　irritating　the　Monarch；　and　I　succeeded　perfectly。

〃What！〃　cried　he　in　horror；　〃explain　your　meaning。〃　　〃Feel；　touch；　come　into　contact；〃　I　replied。　　〃If　you　mean　by　FEELING；〃　said　the　King；　〃approaching　so　close　as　to　leave　no　space　between　two　individuals；　know；　Stranger；　that　this　offence　is　punishable　in　my　dominions　by　death。　　And　the　reason　is　obvious。　The　frail　form　of　a　Woman；　being　liable　to　be　shattered　by　such　an　approximation；　must　be　preserved　by　the　State；　but　since　Women　cannot　be　distinguished　by　the　sense　of　sight　from　Men；　the　Law　ordains　universally　that　neither　Man　nor　Woman　shall　be　approached　so　closely　as　to　destroy　the　interval　between　the　approximator　and　the　approximated。

〃And　indeed　what　possible　purpose　would　be　served　by　this　illegal　and　unnatural　excess　of　approximation　which　you　call　TOUCHING；　when　all　the　ends　of　so　brutal　and　coarse　a　process　are　attained　at　once　more　easily　and　more　exactly　by　the　sense　of　hearing？　As　to　your　suggested　danger　of　deception；　it　is　non…existent：　for　the　Voice；　being　the　essence　of　one's　Being；　cannot　be　thus　changed　at　will。　　But　come；　suppose　that　I　had　the　power　of　passing　through　solid　things；　so　that　I　could　penetrate　my　subjects；　one　after　another；　even　to　the　number　of　a　billion；　verifying　the　size　and　distance　of　each　by　the　sense　of　FEELING：　　how　much　time　and　energy　would　be　wasted　in　this　clumsy　and　inaccurate　method！　Whereas　now；　in　one　moment　of　audition；　I　take　as　it　were　the　census　and　statistics；　local；　corporeal；　mental　and　spiritual；　of　every　living　being　in　Lineland。　　Hark；　only　hark！〃

So　saying　he　paused　and　listened；　as　if　in　an　ecstasy；　to　a　sound　which　seemed　to　me　no　better　than　a　tiny　chirping　from　an　innumerable　multitude　of　lilliputian　grasshoppers。

〃Truly；〃　replied　I；　〃your　sense　of　hearing　serves　you　in　good　stead；　and　fills　up　many　of　your　deficiencies。　　But　permit　me　to　point　out　that　your　life　in　Lineland　must　be　deplorably　dull。　　To　see　nothing　but　a　Point！　　Not　even　to　be　able　to　contemplate　a　Straight　Line！　Nay；　not　even　to　know　what　a　Straight　Line　is！　　To　see；　yet　be　cut　off　from　those　Linear　prospects　which　are　vouchsafed　to　us　in　Flatland！　Better　surely　to　have　no　sense　of　sight　at　all　than　to　see　so　little！　I　grant　you　I　have　not　your　discriminative　faculty　of　hearing；　for　the　concert　of　all　Lineland　which　gives　you　such　intense　pleasure；　is　to　me　no　better　than　a　multitudinous　twittering　or　chirping。　But　at　least　I　can　discern；　by　sight；　a　Line　from　a　Point。　And　let　me　prove　it。　　Just　before　I　came　into　your　kingdom；　I　saw　you　dancing　from　left　to　right；　and　then　from　right　to　left；　with　Seven　Men　and　a　Woman　in　your　immediate　proximity　on　the　left；　and　eight　Men　and　two　Women　on　your　right。　　Is　not　this　correct？〃

〃It　is　correct；〃　said　the　King；　〃so　far　as　the　numbers　and　sexes　are　concerned；　though　I　know　not　what　you　mean　by　'right'　and　'left'。　But　I　deny　that　you　saw　these　things。　　For　how　could　you　see　the　Line；　that　is　to　say　the　inside；　of　any　Man？　　But　you　must　have　heard　these　things；　and　then　dreamed　that　you　saw　them。　And　let　me　ask　what　you　mean　by　those　words　'left'　and　'right'。　I　suppose　it　is　your　way　of　saying　Northward　and　Southward。〃

〃Not　so；〃　replied　I；　〃besides　your　motion　of　Northward　and　Southward；　there　is　another　motion　which　I　call　from　right　to　left。〃

KING。　　Exhibit　to　me；　if　you　please；　this　motion　from　left　to　right。

I。　　Nay；　that　I　cannot　do；　unless　you　could　step　out　of　your　Line　altogether。

KING。　　Out　of　my　Line？　　Do　you　mean　out　of　the　world？　　Out　of　Space？

I。　　Well；　yes。　　Out　of　YOUR　World。　　Out　of　YOUR　Space。　For　your　Space　is　not　the　true　Space。　　True　Space　is　a　Plane；　but　your　Space　is　only　a　Line。

KING。　　If　you　cannot　indicate　this　motion　from　left　to　right　by　yourself　moving　in　it；　then　I　beg　you　to　describe　it　to　me　in　words。

I。　　If　you　cannot　tell　your　right　side　from　your　left；　I　fear　that　no　words　of　mine　can　make　my　meaning　clear　to　you。　But　surely　you　cannot　be　ignorant　of　so　simple　a　distinction。

KING。　　I　do　not　in　the　least　unde