flatland(弗莱特兰)-第13节
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regard for their highest interests： and the Circles teach that the duty of
fathers is to subordinate their own interests to those of posterity； thereby
advancing the welfare of the whole State as well as that of their own
immediate descendants。
The weak point in the system of the Circlesif a humble Square may
venture to speak of anything Circular as containing any element of
weaknessappears to me to be found in their relations with Women。
As it is of the utmost importance for Society that Irregular births
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should be discouraged； it follows that no Woman who has any
Irregularities in her ancestry is a fit partner for one who desires that his
posterity should rise by regular degrees in the social scale。
Now the Irregularity of a Male is a matter of measurement； but as all
Women are straight； and therefore visibly Regular so to speak； one has to
device some other means of ascertaining what I may call their invisible
Irregularity； that is to say their potential Irregularities as regards possible
offspring。 This is effected by carefully…kept pedigrees； which are
preserved and supervised by the State； and without a certified pedigree no
Woman is allowed to marry。
Now it might have been supposed the a Circleproud of his ancestry
and regardful for a posterity which might possibly issue hereafter in a
Chief Circlewould be more careful than any other to choose a wife who
had no blot on her escutcheon。 But it is not so。 The care in choosing a
Regular wife appears to diminish as one rises in the social scale。 Nothing
would induce an aspiring Isosceles； who has hopes of generating an
Equilateral Son； to take a wife who reckoned a single Irregularity among
her Ancestors； a Square or Pentagon； who is confident that his family is
steadily on the rise； does not inquire above the five…hundredth generation；
a Hexagon or Dodecagon is even more careless of the wife's pedigree； but
a Circle has been known deliberately to take a wife who has had an
Irregular Great…Grandfather； and all because of some slight superiority of
lustre； or because of the charms of a low voicewhich； with us； even more
than with you； is thought 〃an excellent thing in a Woman。〃
Such ill…judged marriages are； as might be expected； barren； if they do
not result in positive Irregularity or in diminution of sides； but none of
these evils have hitherto provided sufficiently deterrent。 The loss of a few
sides in a highly…developed Polygon is not easily noticed； and is
sometimes compensated by a successful operation in the Neo…Therapeutic
Gymnasium； as I have described above； and the Circles are too much
disposed to acquiesce in infecundity as a law of the superior development。
Yet； if this evil be not arrested； the gradual diminution of the Circular class
may soon become more rapid； and the time may not be far distant when；
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the race being no longer able to produce a Chief Circle； the Constitution of
Flatland must fall。
One other word of warning suggest itself to me； though I cannot so
easily mention a remedy； and this also refers to our relations with Women。
About three hundred years ago； it was decreed by the Chief Circle that；
since women are deficient in Reason but abundant in Emotion； they ought
no longer to be treated as rational； nor receive any mental education。 The
consequence was that they were no longer taught to read； nor even to
master Arithmetic enough to enable them to count the angles of their
husband or children； and hence they sensibly declined during each
generation in intellectual power。 And this system of female non…education
or quietism still prevails。
My fear is that； with the best intentions； this policy has been carried so
far as to react injuriously on the Male Sex。
For the consequence is that； as things now are； we Males have to lead
a kind of bi…lingual； and I may almost say bimental； existence。 With
Women； we speak of 〃love；〃 〃duty；〃 〃right；〃 〃wrong；〃 〃pity；〃 〃hope；〃 and
other irrational and emotional conceptions； which have no existence； and
the fiction of which has no object except to control feminine exuberances；
but among ourselves； and in our books； we have an entirely different
vocabulary and I may also say； idiom。 〃Love〃 them becomes 〃the
anticipation of benefits〃； 〃duty〃 becomes 〃necessity〃 or 〃fitness〃； and
other words are correspondingly transmuted。 Moreover； among Women；
we use language implying the utmost deference for their Sex； and they
fully believe that the Chief Circle Himself is not more devoutly adored by
us than they are： but behind their backs they are both regarded and spoken
ofby all but the very young as being little better than 〃mindless
organisms。〃
Our Theology also in the Women's chambers is entirely different from
our Theology elsewhere。
Now my humble fear is that this double training； in language as well
as in thought； imposes somewhat too heavy a burden upon the young；
especially when； at the age of three years old； they are taken from the
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maternal care and taught to unlearn the old language except for the
purpose of repeating it in the presence of the Mothers and Nursesand to
learn the vocabulary and idiom of science。 Already methinks I discern a
weakness in the grasp of mathematical truth at the present time as
compared with the more robust intellect of our ancestors three hundred
years ago。 I say nothing of the possible danger if a Woman should ever
surreptitiously learn to read and convey to her Sex the result of her perusal
of a single popular volume； nor of the possibility that the indiscretion or
disobedience of some infant Male might reveal to a Mother the secrets of
the logical dialect。 On the simple ground of the enfeebling of the male
intellect； I rest this humble appeal to the highest Authorities to reconsider
the regulations of Female education。
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PART II
OTHER WORLDS
〃O brave new worlds； That have such people in them！〃
SECTION 13 How I had a Vision of Lineland
It was the last day but one of the 1999th year of our era； and the first
day of the Long Vacation。 Having amused myself till a late hour with my
favourite recreation of Geometry； I had retired to rest with an unsolved
problem in my mind。 In the night I had a dream。
I saw before me a vast multitude of small Straight Lines （which I
naturally assumed to be Women） interspersed with other Beings still
smaller and of the nature of lustrous pointsall moving to and fro in one
and the same Straight Line； and； as nearly as I could judge； with the same
velocity。
A noise of confused； multitudinous chirping or twittering issued from
them at intervals as long as they were moving； but sometimes they ceased
from motion； and then all was silence。
Approaching one of the largest of what I thought to be Women； I
accosted her； but received no answer。 A second and third appeal on my
part were equally ineffectual。 Losing patience at what appeared to me
intolerable rudeness； I brought my mouth to a position full in front of her
mouth so as to intercept her motion； and loudly repeated my question；
〃Woman； what signifies this concourse； and this strange and confused
chirping； and this monotonous motion to and fro in one and the sam
