flatland-第23章

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〃Look　yonder；〃　said　my　Guide；　〃in　Flatland　thou　hast　lived；　of　Lineland　thou　hast　received　a　vision；　thou　hast　soared　with　me　to　the　heights　of　Spaceland；　now；　in　order　to　complete　the　range　of　thy　experience；　I　conduct　thee　downward　to　the　lowest　depth　of　existence；　even　to　the　realm　of　Pointland；　the　Abyss　of　No　dimensions。

〃Behold　yon　miserable　creature。　　That　Point　is　a　Being　like　ourselves；　but　confined　to　the　non…dimensional　Gulf。　　He　is　himself　his　own　World；　his　own　Universe；　of　any　other　than　himself　he　can　form　no　conception；　he　knows　not　Length；　nor　Breadth；　nor　Height；　for　he　has　had　no　experience　of　them；　he　has　no　cognizance　even　of　the　number　Two；　nor　has　he　a　thought　of　Plurality；　for　he　is　himself　his　One　and　All；　being　really　Nothing。　Yet　mark　his　perfect　self…contentment；　and　hence　learn　this　lesson；　that　to　be　self…contented　is　to　be　vile　and　ignorant；　and　that　to　aspire　is　better　than　to　be　blindly　and　impotently　happy。　Now　listen。〃

He　ceased；　and　there　arose　from　the　little　buzzing　creature　a　tiny；　low；　monotonous；　but　distinct　tinkling；　as　from　one　of　your　Spaceland　phonographs；　from　which　I　caught　these　words；　〃Infinite　beatitude　of　existence！　　It　is；　and　there　is　none　else　beside　It。〃

〃What；〃　said　I；　〃does　the　puny　creature　mean　by　'it'？〃　〃He　means　himself；〃　said　the　Sphere：　　〃have　you　not　noticed　before　now；　that　babies　and　babyish　people　who　cannot　distinguish　themselves　from　the　world；　speak　of　themselves　in　the　Third　Person？　But　hush！〃

〃It　fills　all　Space；〃　continued　the　little　soliloquizing　Creature；　〃and　what　It　fills；　It　is。　　What　It　thinks；　that　It　utters；　and　what　It　utters；　that　It　hears；　and　It　itself　is　Thinker；　Utterer；　Hearer；　Thought；　Word；　Audition；　it　is　the　One；　and　yet　the　All　in　All。　　Ah；　the　happiness　ah；　the　happiness　of　Being！〃

〃Can　you　not　startle　the　little　thing　out　of　its　complacency？〃　said　I。　〃Tell　it　what　it　really　is；　as　you　told　me；　reveal　to　it　the　narrow　limitations　of　Pointland；　and　lead　it　up　to　something　higher。〃　　〃That　is　no　easy　task；〃　said　my　Master；　〃try　you。〃

Hereon；　raising　my　voice　to　the　uttermost；　I　addressed　the　Point　as　follows：

〃Silence；　silence；　contemptible　Creature。　　You　call　yourself　the　All　in　All；　but　you　are　the　Nothing：　　your　so…called　Universe　is　a　mere　speck　in　a　Line；　and　a　Line　is　a　mere　shadow　as　compared　with　〃　　〃Hush；　hush；　you　have　said　enough；〃　interrupted　the　Sphere；　〃now　listen；　and　mark　the　effect　of　your　harangue　on　the　King　of　Pointland。〃

The　lustre　of　the　Monarch；　who　beamed　more　brightly　than　ever　upon　hearing　my　words；　shewed　clearly　that　he　retained　his　complacency；　and　I　had　hardly　ceased　when　he　took　up　his　strain　again。　〃Ah；　the　joy；　ah；　the　joy　of　Thought！　　What　can　It　not　achieve　by　thinking！　　Its　own　Thought　coming　to　Itself；　suggestive　of　Its　disparagement；　thereby　to　enhance　Its　happiness！　Sweet　rebellion　stirred　up　to　result　in　triumph！　　Ah；　the　divine　creative　power　of　the　All　in　One！　　Ah；　the　joy；　the　joy　of　Being！〃

〃You　see；〃　said　my　Teacher；　〃how　little　your　words　have　done。　　So　far　as　the　Monarch　understands　them　at　all；　he　accepts　them　as　his　own　　for　he　cannot　conceive　of　any　other　except　himself　　and　plumes　himself　upon　the　variety　of　'Its　Thought'　as　an　instance　of　creative　Power。　　Let　us　leave　this　God　of　Pointland　to　the　ignorant　fruition　of　his　omnipresence　and　omniscience：　　nothing　that　you　or　I　can　do　can　rescue　him　from　his　self…satisfaction。〃

After　this；　as　we　floated　gently　back　to　Flatland；　I　could　hear　the　mild　voice　of　my　Companion　pointing　the　moral　of　my　vision；　and　stimulating　me　to　aspire；　and　to　teach　others　to　aspire。　He　had　been　angered　at　first　　he　confessed　　by　my　ambition　to　soar　to　Dimensions　above　the　Third；　but；　since　then；　he　had　received　fresh　insight；　and　he　was　not　too　proud　to　acknowledge　his　error　to　a　Pupil。　　Then　he　proceeded　to　initiate　me　into　mysteries　yet　higher　than　those　I　had　witnessed；　shewing　me　how　to　construct　Extra…Solids　by　the　motion　of　Solids；　and　Double　Extra…Solids　by　the　motion　of　Extra…Solids；　and　all　〃strictly　according　to　Analogy〃；　all　by　methods　so　simple；　so　easy；　as　to　be　patent　even　to　the　Female　Sex。




Section　21。　　How　I　tried　to　teach　the　Theory　of　Three　Dimensions　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　to　my　Grandson；　and　with　what　success



I　awoke　rejoicing；　and　began　to　reflect　on　the　glorious　career　before　me。　　I　would　go　forth；　methought；　at　once；　and　evangelize　the　whole　of　Flatland。　　Even　to　Women　and　Soldiers　should　the　Gospel　of　Three　Dimensions　be　proclaimed。　　I　would　begin　with　my　Wife。

Just　as　I　had　decided　on　the　plan　of　my　operations；　I　heard　the　sound　of　many　voices　in　the　street　commanding　silence。　Then　followed　a　louder　voice。　　It　was　a　herald's　proclamation。　Listening　attentively；　I　recognized　the　words　of　the　Resolution　of　the　Council；　enjoining　the　arrest；　imprisonment；　or　execution　of　any　one　who　should　pervert　the　minds　of　the　people　by　delusions；　and　by　professing　to　have　received　revelations　from　another　World。

I　reflected。　　This　danger　was　not　to　be　trifled　with。　　It　would　be　better　to　avoid　it　by　omitting　all　mention　of　my　Revelation；　and　by　proceeding　on　the　path　of　Demonstration　　which　after　all；　seemed　so　simple　and　so　conclusive　that　nothing　would　be　lost　by　discarding　the　former　means。　　〃Upward；　not　Northward〃　　was　the　clue　to　the　whole　proof。　　It　had　seemed　to　me　fairly　clear　before　I　fell　asleep；　and　when　I　first　awoke；　fresh　from　my　dream；　it　had　appeared　as　patent　as　Arithmetic；　but　somehow　it　did　not　seem　to　me　quite　so　obvious　now。　　Though　my　Wife　entered　the　room　opportunely　just　at　that　moment；　I　decided；　after　we　had　exchanged　a　few　words　of　commonplace　conversation；　not　to　begin　with　her。

My　Pentagonal　Sons　were　men　of　character　and　standing；　and　physicians　of　no　mean　reputation；　but　not　great　in　mathematics；　and；　in　that　respect；　unfit　for　my　purpose。　　But　it　occurred　to　me　that　a　young　and　docile　Hexagon；　with　a　mathematical　turn；　would　be　a　most　suitable　pupil。　　Why　therefore　not　make　my　first　experiment　with　my　little　precocious　Grandson；　whose　casual　remarks　on　the　meaning　of　3^3　had　met　with　the　approval　of　the　Sphere？　　Discussing　the　matter　with　him；　a　mere　boy；　I　should　be　in　perfect　safety；　for　he　would　know　nothing　of　the　Proclamation　of　the　Council；　whereas　I　could　not　feel　sure　that　my　Sons　　so　greatly　did　their　patriotism　and　reverence　for　the　Circles　predominate　over　mere　blind　affection　　might　not　feel　compelled　to　hand　me　over　to　the　Prefect；　if　they　found　me　seriously　maintaining　the　seditious　heresy　of　the　Third　Dimension。

But　the　first　thing　to　be　done　was　to　satisfy　in　some　way　the　curiosity　of　my　Wife；　who　naturally　wished　to　know　something　of　the　reasons　for　which　the　Circle　had　desired　that　mysterious　interview；　and　of　the　means　by　which　he　had　entered　the　house。　　Without　entering　into　the　details　of　the　elaborate　account　I　gave　her；　　an　account；　I　fear；　not　quite　so　consistent　with　truth　as　my　Readers　in　Spaceland　might　desire；　　I　must　be　content　with　saying　that　I　succeeded　at　last　in　persuading　her　to　return　quietly　to　her　household　duties　without　eliciting　from　me　any　reference　to　the　World　of　Three　Dimensions。　　This　done；　I　immediately　sent　for　my　Grandson；　for；　to　confess　the　truth；　I　felt　that　all　that　I　had　seen　and　heard　was　in　some　strange　way　slipping　away　from　me；　like　the　image　of　a　half…grasped；　tantalizing　dream；　and　I　longed　to　essay　my　skill　in　making　a　first　disciple。

When　my　Grandson　entered　the　room　I　carefully　secured　the　door。　Then；　sitting　down　by　his　side　and　taking　our　mathematical　tablets；　　or；　as　you　would　call　them；　Lines　　I　told　him　we　would　resume　the　lesson　of　yesterday。　　I　taught　him　once　more　how　a　Point　by　motion　in　One　Dimension　produces　a　Line；　and　how　a　straight　Line　in　Two　Dimensions　produces　a　Square。　　After　this；　forcing　a　laugh；　I　said；　〃And　now；　you　scamp；　you　wanted　to　make　me　believe　that　a　Square　may　in　the　same　way　by　motion　'Upward；　not　Northward'　produce　another　figure；　a　sort　of　extra　Square　in　Three　Dimensions。　Say　that　again；　you　young　rascal。〃

At　this　moment　we　heard　once　more　the　herald's　〃O　yes！　O　yes！〃　outside　in　the　street　proclaiming　the　Resolution　of　the　Council。　Young　though　he　was；　my　Grandson　　who　was