flatland-第21章

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accordance　with　precedent　and　for　the　sake　of　secrecy；　he　must　condemn　him　to　perpetual　imprisonment；　but　added　his　satisfaction　that；　unless　some　mention　were　made　by　him　of　that　day's　incident；　his　life　would　be　spared。




Section　19。　　How；　though　the　Sphere　shewed　me　other　mysteries　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　of　Spaceland；　I　still　desired　more；　and　what　came　of　it



When　I　saw　my　poor　brother　led　away　to　imprisonment；　I　attempted　to　leap　down　into　the　Council　Chamber；　desiring　to　intercede　on　his　behalf；　or　at　least　bid　him　farewell。　　But　I　found　that　I　had　no　motion　of　my　own。　　I　absolutely　depended　on　the　volition　of　my　Guide；　who　said　in　gloomy　tones；　〃Heed　not　thy　brother；　haply　thou　shalt　have　ample　time　hereafter　to　condole　with　him。　Follow　me。〃




Once　more　we　ascended　into　space。　　〃Hitherto；〃　said　the　Sphere；　〃I　have　shewn　you　naught　save　Plane　Figures　and　their　interiors。　Now　I　must　introduce　you　to　Solids；　and　reveal　to　you　the　plan　upon　which　they　are　constructed。　　Behold　this　multitude　of　moveable　square　cards。　　See；　I　put　one　on　another；　not；　as　you　supposed；　Northward　of　the　other；　but　ON　the　other。　Now　a　second；　now　a　third。　　See；　I　am　building　up　a　Solid　by　a　multitude　of　Squares　parallel　to　one　another。　　Now　the　Solid　is　complete；　being　as　high　as　it　is　long　and　broad；　and　we　call　it　a　Cube。〃

〃Pardon　me；　my　Lord；〃　replied　I；　〃but　to　my　eye　the　appearance　is　as　of　an　Irregular　Figure　whose　inside　is　laid　open　to　the　view；　in　other　words；　methinks　I　see　no　Solid；　but　a　Plane　such　as　we　infer　in　Flatland；　only　of　an　Irregularity　which　betokens　some　monstrous　criminal；　so　that　the　very　sight　of　it　is　painful　to　my　eyes。〃

〃True；〃　said　the　Sphere；　〃it　appears　to　you　a　Plane；　because　you　are　not　accustomed　to　light　and　shade　and　perspective；　just　as　in　Flatland　a　Hexagon　would　appear　a　Straight　Line　to　one　who　has　not　the　Art　of　Sight　Recognition。　　But　in　reality　it　is　a　Solid；　as　you　shall　learn　by　the　sense　of　Feeling。〃

He　then　introduced　me　to　the　Cube；　and　I　found　that　this　marvellous　Being　was　indeed　no　Plane；　but　a　Solid；　and　that　he　was　endowed　with　six　plane　sides　and　eight　terminal　points　called　solid　angles；　and　I　remembered　the　saying　of　the　Sphere　that　just　such　a　Creature　as　this　would　be　formed　by　a　Square　moving；　in　Space；　parallel　to　himself：　　and　I　rejoiced　to　think　that　so　insignificant　a　Creature　as　I　could　in　some　sense　be　called　the　Progenitor　of　so　illustrious　an　offspring。

But　still　I　could　not　fully　understand　the　meaning　of　what　my　Teacher　had　told　me　concerning　〃light〃　and　〃shade〃　and　〃perspective〃；　and　I　did　not　hesitate　to　put　my　difficulties　before　him。

Were　I　to　give　the　Sphere's　explanation　of　these　matters；　succinct　and　clear　though　it　was；　it　would　be　tedious　to　an　inhabitant　of　Space；　who　knows　these　things　already。　　Suffice　it；　that　by　his　lucid　statements；　and　by　changing　the　position　of　objects　and　lights；　and　by　allowing　me　to　feel　the　several　objects　and　even　his　own　sacred　Person；　he　at　last　made　all　things　clear　to　me；　so　that　I　could　now　readily　distinguish　between　a　Circle　and　a　Sphere；　a　Plane　Figure　and　a　Solid。

This　was　the　Climax；　the　Paradise；　of　my　strange　eventful　History。　Henceforth　I　have　to　relate　the　story　of　my　miserable　Fall：　　most　miserable；　yet　surely　most　undeserved！　　For　why　should　the　thirst　for　knowledge　be　aroused；　only　to　be　disappointed　and　punished？　My　volition　shrinks　from　the　painful　task　of　recalling　my　humiliation；　yet；　like　a　second　Prometheus；　I　will　endure　this　and　worse；　if　by　any　means　I　may　arouse　in　the　interiors　of　Plane　and　Solid　Humanity　a　spirit　of　rebellion　against　the　Conceit　which　would　limit　our　Dimensions　to　Two　or　Three　or　any　number　short　of　Infinity。　Away　then　with　all　personal　considerations！　　Let　me　continue　to　the　end；　as　I　began；　without　further　digressions　or　anticipations；　pursuing　the　plain　path　of　dispassionate　History。　　The　exact　facts；　the　exact　words；　　and　they　are　burnt　in　upon　my　brain；　　shall　be　set　down　without　alteration　of　an　iota；　and　let　my　Readers　judge　between　me　and　Destiny。

The　Sphere　would　willingly　have　continued　his　lessons　by　indoctrinating　me　in　the　conformation　of　all　regular　Solids；　Cylinders；　Cones；　Pyramids；　Pentahedrons；　Hexahedrons；　Dodecahedrons；　and　Spheres：　　but　I　ventured　to　interrupt　him。　　Not　that　I　was　wearied　of　knowledge。　　On　the　contrary；　I　thirsted　for　yet　deeper　and　fuller　draughts　than　he　was　offering　to　me。

〃Pardon　me；〃　said　I；　〃O　Thou　Whom　I　must　no　longer　address　as　the　Perfection　of　all　Beauty；　but　let　me　beg　thee　to　vouchsafe　thy　servant　a　sight　of　thine　interior。〃

SPHERE。　　My　what？

I。　　Thine　interior：　　thy　stomach；　thy　intestines。

SPHERE。　　Whence　this　ill…timed　impertinent　request？　　And　what　mean　you　by　saying　that　I　am　no　longer　the　Perfection　of　all　Beauty？

I。　　My　Lord；　your　own　wisdom　has　taught　me　to　aspire　to　One　even　more　great；　more　beautiful；　and　more　closely　approximate　to　Perfection　than　yourself。　　As　you　yourself；　superior　to　all　Flatland　forms；　combine　many　Circles　in　One；　so　doubtless　there　is　One　above　you　who　combines　many　Spheres　in　One　Supreme　Existence；　surpassing　even　the　Solids　of　Spaceland。　　And　even　as　we；　who　are　now　in　Space；　look　down　on　Flatland　and　see　the　insides　of　all　things；　so　of　a　certainty　there　is　yet　above　us　some　higher；　purer　region；　whither　thou　dost　surely　purpose　to　lead　me　　O　Thou　Whom　I　shall　always　call；　everywhere　and　in　all　Dimensions；　my　Priest；　Philosopher；　and　Friend　　some　yet　more　spacious　Space；　some　more　dimensionable　Dimensionality；　from　the　vantage…ground　of　which　we　shall　look　down　together　upon　the　revealed　insides　of　Solid　things；　and　where　thine　own　intestines；　and　those　of　thy　kindred　Spheres；　will　lie　exposed　to　the　view　of　the　poor　wandering　exile　from　Flatland；　to　whom　so　much　has　already　been　vouchsafed。

SPHERE。　　Pooh！　　Stuff！　　Enough　of　this　trifling！　　The　time　is　short；　and　much　remains　to　be　done　before　you　are　fit　to　proclaim　the　Gospel　of　Three　Dimensions　to　your　blind　benighted　countrymen　in　Flatland。

I。　　Nay；　gracious　Teacher；　deny　me　not　what　I　know　it　is　in　thy　power　to　perform。　　Grant　me　but　one　glimpse　of　thine　interior；　and　I　am　satisfied　for　ever；　remaining　henceforth　thy　docile　pupil；　thy　unemancipable　slave；　ready　to　receive　all　thy　teachings　and　to　feed　upon　the　words　that　fall　from　thy　lips。

SPHERE。　　Well；　then；　to　content　and　silence　you；　let　me　say　at　once；　I　would　shew　you　what　you　wish　if　I　could；　but　I　cannot。　Would　you　have　me　turn　my　stomach　inside　out　to　oblige　you？

I。　　But　my　Lord　has　shewn　me　the　intestines　of　all　my　countrymen　in　the　Land　of　Two　Dimensions　by　taking　me　with　him　into　the　Land　of　Three。　　What　therefore　more　easy　than　now　to　take　his　servant　on　a　second　journey　into　the　blessed　region　of　the　Fourth　Dimension；　where　I　shall　look　down　with　him　once　more　upon　this　land　of　Three　Dimensions；　and　see　the　inside　of　every　three…dimensioned　house；　the　secrets　of　the　solid　earth；　the　treasures　of　the　mines　in　Spaceland；　and　the　intestines　of　every　solid　living　creature；　even　of　the　noble　and　adorable　Spheres。

SPHERE。　　But　where　is　this　land　of　Four　Dimensions？

I。　　I　know　not：　　but　doubtless　my　Teacher　knows。

SPHERE。　　Not　I。　　There　is　no　such　land。　　The　very　idea　of　it　is　utterly　inconceivable。

I。　　Not　inconceivable；　my　Lord；　to　me；　and　therefore　still　less　inconceivable　to　my　Master。　　Nay；　I　despair　not　that；　even　here；　in　this　region　of　Three　Dimensions；　your　Lordship's　art　may　make　the　Fourth　Dimension　visible　to　me；　just　as　in　the　Land　of　Two　Dimensions　my　Teacher's　skill　would　fain　have　opened　the　eyes　of　his　blind　servant　to　the　invisible　presence　of　a　Third　Dimension；　though　I　saw　it　not。

Let　me　recall　the　past。　　Was　I　not　taught　below　that　when　I　saw　a　Line　and　inferred　a　Plane；　I　in　reality　saw　a　Third　unrecognized　Dimension；　not　the　same　as　brightness；　called　〃height〃？　　And　does　it　not　now　follow　that；　in　this　region；　when　I　see　a　Plane　and　infer　a　Solid；　I　really　see　a　Fourth　unrecognized　Dimension；　not　the　same　as　colour；　but　existent；　though　infinitesimal　and　incapable　of　measurement？

And　besides　this；　there　is　the　Argument　from　Analogy　of　Figures。

SPHERE。　　Analogy！　　Nonsense：　　what　analogy？

I。　　Your　L