flatland-第16章

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KING。　　I　do　not　in　the　least　understand　you。

I。　　Alas！　　How　shall　I　make　it　clear？　　When　you　move　straight　on；　does　it　not　sometimes　occur　to　you　that　you　COULD　move　in　some　other　way；　turning　your　eye　round　so　as　to　look　in　the　direction　towards　which　your　side　is　now　fronting？　In　other　words；　instead　of　always　moving　in　the　direction　of　one　of　your　extremities；　do　you　never　feel　a　desire　to　move　in　the　direction；　so　to　speak；　of　your　side？

KING。　　Never。　　And　what　do　you　mean？　　How　can　a　man's　inside　〃front〃　in　any　direction？　　Or　how　can　a　man　move　in　the　direction　of　his　inside？

I。　　Well　then；　since　words　cannot　explain　the　matter；　I　will　try　deeds；　and　will　move　gradually　out　of　Lineland　in　the　direction　which　I　desire　to　indicate　to　you。

At　the　word　I　began　to　move　my　body　out　of　Lineland。　As　long　as　any　part　of　me　remained　in　his　dominion　and　in　his　view；　the　King　kept　exclaiming；　〃I　see　you；　I　see　you　still；　you　are　not　moving。〃　　But　when　I　had　at　last　moved　myself　out　of　his　Line；　he　cried　in　his　shrillest　voice；　〃She　is　vanished；　she　is　dead。〃　　〃I　am　not　dead；〃　replied　I；　〃I　am　simply　out　of　Lineland；　that　is　to　say；　out　of　the　Straight　Line　which　you　call　Space；　and　in　the　true　Space；　where　I　can　see　things　as　they　are。　　And　at　this　moment　I　can　see　your　Line；　or　side　　or　inside　as　you　are　pleased　to　call　it；　and　I　can　see　also　the　Men　and　Women　on　the　North　and　South　of　you；　whom　I　will　now　enumerate；　describing　their　order；　their　size；　and　the　interval　between　each。〃





When　I　had　done　this　at　great　length；　I　cried　triumphantly；　〃Does　that　at　last　convince　you？〃　　And；　with　that；　I　once　more　entered　Lineland；　taking　up　the　same　position　as　before。

But　the　Monarch　replied；　〃If　you　were　a　Man　of　sense　　though；　as　you　appear　to　have　only　one　voice　I　have　little　doubt　you　are　not　a　Man　but　a　Woman　　but；　if　you　had　a　particle　of　sense；　you　would　listen　to　reason。　　You　ask　me　to　believe　that　there　is　another　Line　besides　that　which　my　senses　indicate；　and　another　motion　besides　that　of　which　I　am　daily　conscious。　　I；　in　return；　ask　you　to　describe　in　words　or　indicate　by　motion　that　other　Line　of　which　you　speak。　　Instead　of　moving；　you　merely　exercise　some　magic　art　of　vanishing　and　returning　to　sight；　and　instead　of　any　lucid　description　of　your　new　World；　you　simply　tell　me　the　numbers　and　sizes　of　some　forty　of　my　retinue；　facts　known　to　any　child　in　my　capital。　　Can　anything　be　more　irrational　or　audacious？　　Acknowledge　your　folly　or　depart　from　my　dominions。〃

Furious　at　his　perversity；　and　especially　indignant　that　he　professed　to　be　ignorant　of　my　sex；　I　retorted　in　no　measured　terms；　〃Besotted　Being！　　You　think　yourself　the　perfection　of　existence；　while　you　are　in　reality　the　most　imperfect　and　imbecile。　You　profess　to　see；　whereas　you　can　see　nothing　but　a　Point！　You　plume　yourself　on　inferring　the　existence　of　a　Straight　Line；　but　I　CAN　SEE　Straight　Lines；　and　infer　the　existence　of　Angles；　Triangles；　Squares；　Pentagons；　Hexagons；　and　even　Circles。　Why　waste　more　words？　　Suffice　it　that　I　am　the　completion　of　your　incomplete　self。　　You　are　a　Line；　but　I　am　a　Line　of　Lines；　called　in　my　country　a　Square：　　and　even　I；　infinitely　superior　though　I　am　to　you；　am　of　little　account　among　the　great　nobles　of　Flatland；　whence　I　have　come　to　visit　you；　in　the　hope　of　enlightening　your　ignorance。〃

Hearing　these　words　the　King　advanced　towards　me　with　a　menacing　cry　as　if　to　pierce　me　through　the　diagonal；　and　in　that　same　moment　there　arose　from　myriads　of　his　subjects　a　multitudinous　war…cry；　increasing　in　vehemence　till　at　last　methought　it　rivalled　the　roar　of　an　army　of　a　hundred　thousand　Isosceles；　and　the　artillery　of　a　thousand　Pentagons。　　Spell…bound　and　motionless；　I　could　neither　speak　nor　move　to　avert　the　impending　destruction；　and　still　the　noise　grew　louder；　and　the　King　came　closer；　when　I　awoke　to　find　the　breakfast…bell　recalling　me　to　the　realities　of　Flatland。




Section　15。　　Concerning　a　Stranger　from　Spaceland



From　dreams　I　proceed　to　facts。

It　was　the　last　day　of　the　1999th　year　of　our　era。　The　pattering　of　the　rain　had　long　ago　announced　nightfall；　and　I　was　sitting　in　the　company　of　my　wife；　musing　on　the　events　of　the　past　and　the　prospects　of　the　coming　year；　the　coming　century；　the　coming　Millennium。

＇Note：　　When　I　say　〃sitting〃；　of　course　I　do　not　mean　any　change　of　attitude　such　as　you　in　Spaceland　signify　by　that　word；　for　as　we　have　no　feet；　we　can　no　more　〃sit〃　nor　〃stand〃　（in　your　sense　of　the　word）　than　one　of　your　soles　or　flounders。

Nevertheless；　we　perfectly　well　recognize　the　different　mental　states　of　volition　implied　in　〃lying〃；　〃sitting〃；　and　〃standing〃；　which　are　to　some　extent　indicated　to　a　beholder　by　a　slight　increase　of　lustre　corresponding　to　the　increase　of　volition。

But　on　this；　and　a　thousand　other　kindred　subjects；　time　forbids　me　to　dwell。＇

My　four　Sons　and　two　orphan　Grandchildren　had　retired　to　their　several　apartments；　and　my　wife　alone　remained　with　me　to　see　the　old　Millennium　out　and　the　new　one　in。

I　was　rapt　in　thought；　pondering　in　my　mind　some　words　that　had　casually　issued　from　the　mouth　of　my　youngest　Grandson；　a　most　promising　young　Hexagon　of　unusual　brilliancy　and　perfect　angularity。　　His　uncles　and　I　had　been　giving　him　his　usual　practical　lesson　in　Sight　Recognition；　turning　ourselves　upon　our　centres；　now　rapidly；　now　more　slowly；　and　questioning　him　as　to　our　positions；　and　his　answers　had　been　so　satisfactory　that　I　had　been　induced　to　reward　him　by　giving　him　a　few　hints　on　Arithmetic；　as　applied　to　Geometry。

Taking　nine　Squares；　each　an　inch　every　way；　I　had　put　them　together　so　as　to　make　one　large　Square；　with　a　side　of　three　inches；　and　I　had　hence　proved　to　my　little　Grandson　that　　though　it　was　impossible　for　us　to　SEE　the　inside　of　the　Square　　yet　we　might　ascertain　the　number　of　square　inches　in　a　Square　by　simply　squaring　the　number　of　inches　in　the　side：　　〃and　thus；〃　said　I；　〃we　know　that　3^2；　or　9；　represents　the　number　of　square　inches　in　a　Square　whose　side　is　3　inches　long。〃

The　little　Hexagon　meditated　on　this　a　while　and　then　said　to　me；　〃But　you　have　been　teaching　me　to　raise　numbers　to　the　third　power：　I　suppose　3^3　must　mean　something　in　Geometry；　what　does　it　mean？〃　〃Nothing　at　all；〃　replied　I；　〃not　at　least　in　Geometry；　for　Geometry　has　only　Two　Dimensions。〃　　And　then　I　began　to　shew　the　boy　how　a　Point　by　moving　through　a　length　of　three　inches　makes　a　Line　of　three　inches；　which　may　be　represented　by　3；　and　how　a　Line　of　three　inches；　moving　parallel　to　itself　through　a　length　of　three　inches；　makes　a　Square　of　three　inches　every　way；　which　may　be　represented　by　3^2。

Upon　this；　my　Grandson；　again　returning　to　his　former　suggestion；　took　me　up　rather　suddenly　and　exclaimed；　〃Well；　then；　if　a　Point　by　moving　three　inches；　makes　a　Line　of　three　inches　represented　by　3；　and　if　a　straight　Line　of　three　inches；　moving　parallel　to　itself；　makes　a　Square　of　three　inches　every　way；　represented　by　3^2；　it　must　be　that　a　Square　of　three　inches　every　way；　moving　somehow　parallel　to　itself　（but　I　don't　see　how）　must　make　Something　else　（but　I　don't　see　what）　of　three　inches　every　way　　and　this　must　be　represented　by　3^3。〃

〃Go　to　bed；〃　said　I；　a　little　ruffled　by　this　interruption：　〃if　you　would　talk　less　nonsense；　you　would　remember　more　sense。〃

So　my　Grandson　had　disappeared　in　disgrace；　and　there　I　sat　by　my　Wife's　side；　endeavouring　to　form　a　retrospect　of　the　year　1999　and　of　the　possibilities　of　the　year　2000；　but　not　quite　able　to　shake　off　the　thoughts　suggested　by　the　prattle　of　my　bright　little　Hexagon。　　Only　a　few　sands　now　remained　in　the　half…hour　glass。　Rousing　myself　from　my　reverie　I　turned　the　glass　Northward　for　the　last　time　in　the　old　Millennium；　and　in　the　act；　I　exclaimed　aloud；　〃The　boy　is　a　fool。〃

Straightway　I　became　conscious　of　a　Presence　in　the　room；　and　a　chilling　breath　thrilled　through　my　very　being。　〃He　is　no　such　thing；〃　cried　my　Wife；　〃and　you　are　breaking　the　Commandments　in　thus　dishonouring　your　own　Grandson。〃　But　I　took　no　notice　of　her。　　Looking　round　in　every　direction　I　could　see　nothing；　yet　still　I　FELT　a　Presence；　and　shivered