mark twain, a biography, 1907-1910-第56节

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There　are　no　vegetables；　all　things　are　animal；　each　electron　is　an
animal；　each　molecule　is　a　collection　of　animals；　and　each　has　an
appointed　duty　to　perform　and　a　soul　to　be　saved。　　Heaven　was　not　made
for　man　alone；　and　oblivion　and　neglect　reserved　for　the　rest　of　His
creatures。　　He　gave　them　life；　He　gave　them　humble　services　to　perform；
they　have　performed　them；　and　they　will　not　be　forgotten；　they　will　have
their　reward。　　Man…always　vain；　windy；　conceited…thinks　he　will　be　in　the
majority　there。　　He　will　be　disappointed。　　Let　him　humble　himself。　　But
for　the　despised　microbe　and　the　persecuted　bacillus；　who　needed　a　home
and　nourishment；　he　would　not　have　been　created。　　He　has　a　mission；
therefore　a　reason　for　existing：　let　him　do　the　service　he　was　made　for；
and　keep　quiet。

Three　weeks　ago　I　was　a　man　myself；　and　thought　and　felt　as　men　think　and
feel；　I　have　lived　3；000　years　since　then　＇microbic　time＇；　and　I　see　the
foolishness　of　it　now。　　We　live　to　learn；　and　fortunate　are　we　when　we
are　wise　enough　to　profit　by　it。

In　matters　pertaining　to　microscopy　we　necessarily　have　an　advantage　here
over　the　scientist　of　the　earth；　because；　as　I　have　just　been　indicating；
we　see　with　our　naked　eyes　minutenesses　which　no　man…made　microscope　can
detect；　and　are　therefore　able　to　register　as　facts　many　things　which
exist　for　him　as　theories　only。　　Indeed；　we　know　as　facts　several　things
which　he　has　not　yet　divined　even　by　theory。　　For　example；　he　does　not
suspect　that　there　is　no　life　but　animal　life；　and　that　all　atoms　are
individual　animals　endowed　each　with　a　certain　degree　of　consciousness；
great　or　small；　each　with　likes　and　dislikes；　predilections　and
aversionsthat；　in　a　word；　each　has　a　character；　a　character　of　its　own。　
Yet　such　is　the　case。　　Some　of　the　molecules　of　a　stone　have　an　aversion
for　some　of　those　of　a　vegetable　or　any　other　creature　and　will　not
associate　with　themand　would　not　be　allowed　to；　if　they　tried。　　Nothing
is　more　particular　about　society　than　a　molecule。　　And　so　there　are　no
end　of　castes；　in　this　matter　India　is　not　a　circumstance。

〃Tell　me；　Franklin　＇a　microbe　of　great　learning＇；　is　the　ocean　an
individual；　an　animal；　a　creature？〃

〃Yes。〃

〃Then　waterany　water…is　an　individual？〃

〃Yes。〃

〃Suppose　you　remove　a　drop　of　it？　　Is　what　is　left　an　individual？〃

〃Yes；　and　so　is　the　drop。〃

〃Suppose　you　divide　the　drop？〃

〃Then　you　have　two　individuals。〃

〃Suppose　you　separate　the　hydrogen　and　the　oxygen？〃

〃Again　you　have　two　individuals。　　But　you　haven't　water　any　more。〃

〃Of　course。　　Certainly。　　Well；　suppose　you　combine　them　again；　but　in　a
new　way：　make　the　proportions　equalone　part　oxygen　to　one　of　hydrogen？〃

〃But　you　know　you　can't。　　They　won't　combine　on　equal　terms。〃

I　was　ashamed　to　have　made　that　blunder。　　I　was　embarrassed；　to　cover　it
I　started　to　say　we　used　to　combine　them　like　that　where　I　came　from；　but
thought　better　of　it；　and　stood　pat。

〃Now　then；〃　I　said；　〃it　amounts　to　this：　water　is　an　individual；　an
animal；　and　is　alive；　remove　the　hydrogen　and　it　is　an　animal　and　is
alive；　the　remaining　oxygen　is　also　an　individual；　an　animal；　and　is
alive。　　Recapitulation：　the　two　individuals　combined　constitute　a　third
individualand　yet　each　continues　to　be　an　individual。〃

I　glanced　at　Franklin；　but　。　　。　　。　　upon　reflection；　held　my　peace。　　I
could　have　pointed　out　to　him　that　here　was　mute　Nature　explaining　the
sublime　mystery　of　the　Trinity　so　luminouslythat　even　the　commonest
understanding　could　comprehend　it；　whereas　many　a　trained　master　of　words
had　labored　to　do　it　with　speech　and　failed。　　But　he　would　not　have　known
what　I　was　talking　about。　　After　a　moment　I　resumed：

〃Listenand　see　if　I　have　understood　you　rightly；　to　wit：　All　the　atoms
that　constitute　each　oxygen　molecule　are　separate　individuals；　and　each
is　a　living　animal；　all　the　atoms　that　constitute　each　hydrogen　molecule
are　separate　individuals；　and　each　one　is　a　living　animal；　each　drop　of
water　consists　of　millions　of　living　animals；　the　drop　itself　is　an
individual；　a　living　animal；　and　the　wide　ocean　is　another。　　Is　that　it？〃

〃Yes；　that　is　correct。〃

〃By　George；　it　beats　the　band！〃

He　liked　the　expression；　and　set　it　down　in　his　tablets。

〃Franklin；　we've　got　it　down　fine。　　And　to　thinkthere　are　other　animals
that　are　still　smaller　than　a　hydrogen　atom；　and　yet　it　is　so　small　that
it　takes　five　thousand　of　them　to　make　a　moleculea　molecule　so　minute
that　it　could　get　into　a　microbe's　eye　and　he　wouldn't　know　it　was
there！〃

〃Yes；　the　wee　creatures　that　inhabit　the　bodies　of　us　germs　and　feed　upon
us；　and　rot　us　with　disease：　Ah；　what　could　they　have　been　created　for？　
They　give　us　pain；　they　make　our　lives　miserable；　they　murder　us…and
where　is　the　use　of　it　all；　where　the　wisdom？　　Ah；　friend　Bkshp　＇microbic
orthography＇；　we　live　in　a　strange　and　unaccountable　world；　our　birth　is
a　mystery；　our　little　life　is　a　mystery；　a　trouble；　we　pass　and　are　seen
no　more；　all　is　mystery；　mystery；　mystery；　we　know　not　whence　we　came；
nor　why；　we　know　not　whither　we　go；　nor　why　we　go。　　We　only　know　we　were
not　made　in　vain；　we　only　know　we　were　made　for　a　wise　purpose；　and　that
all　is　well！　　We　shall　not　be　cast　aside　in　contumely　and　unblest　after　
all　we　have　suffered。　　Let　us　be　patient；　let　us　not　repine；　let　us
trust。　　The　humblest　of　us　is　cared　foroh；　believe　it！and　this
fleeting　stay　is　not　the　end！〃

You　notice　that？　　He　did　not　suspect　that　he；　also；　was　engaged　in
gnawing；　torturing；　defiling；　rotting；　and　murdering　a　fellow…creature
he　and　all　the　swarming　billions　of　his　race。　　None　of　them　suspects　it。　
That　is　significant。　　It　is　suggestive　irresistibly　suggestive
insistently　suggestive。　　It　hints　at　the　possibility　that　the　procession
of　known　and　listed　devourers　and　persecutors　is　not　complete。　　It
suggests　the　possibility；　and　substantially　the　certainty；　that　man　is
himself　a　microbe；　and　his　globe　a　blood…corpuscle　drifting　with　its
shining　brethren　of　the　Milky　Way　down　a　vein　of　the　Master　and　Maker　of
all　things；　whose　body；　mayhapglimpsed　part…wise　from　the　earth　by
night；　and　receding　and　lost　to　view　in　the　measureless　remotenesses　of
spaceis　what　men　name　the　Universe。

Yes；　that　was　all　old　to　me；　but　to　find　that　our　little　old　familiar
microbes　were　themselves　loaded　up　with　microbes　that　fed　them；　enriched
them；　and　persistently　and　faithfully　preserved　them　and　their　poor　old
tramp…planet　from　destructionoh；　that　was　new；　and　too　delicious！

I　wanted　to　see　them！　　I　was　in　a　fever　to　see　them！　　I　had　lenses　to
two…million　power；　but　of　course　the　field　was　no　bigger　than　a　person's
finger…nail；　and　so　it　wasn't　possible　to　compass　a　considerable
spectacle　or　a　landscape　with　them；　whereas　what　I　had　been　craving　was　a
thirty…foot　field；　which　would　represent　a　spread　of　several　miles　of
country　and　show　up　things　in　a　way　to　make　them　worth　looking　at。　　The
boys　and　I　had　often　tried　to　contrive　this　improvement；　but　had　failed。

I　mentioned　the　matter　to　the　Duke　and　it　made　him　smile。　　He　said　it　was
a　quite　simple　thing…he　had　it　at　home。　　I　was　eager　to　bargain　for　the
secret；　but　he　said　it　was　a　trifle　and　not　worth　bargaining　for。
He　said：

〃Hasn't　it　occurred　to　you　that　all　you　have　to　do　is　to　bend　an　X…ray　to
an　angle…value　of　8。4　and　refract　it　with　a　parabolism；　and　there　you
are？〃

Upon　my　word；　I　had　never　thought　of　that　simple　thing！　　You　could　have
knocked　me　down　with　a　feather。

We　rigged　a　microscope　for　an　exhibition　at　once　and　put　a　drop　of　my
blood　under　it；　which　got　mashed　flat　when　the　lens　got　shut　down　upon
it。　　The　result　was　beyond　my　dreams。　The　field　stretched　miles　away；
green　and　undulating；　threaded　with　streams　and　roads；　and　bordered　all
down　the　mellowing　distances　with　picturesque　hills。　　And　there　was　a
great　white　city　of　tents；　and　everywhere　were　parks　of　artillery　and
divisions　of　cavalry　and　infantry　waiting。　　We　had　hit　a　lucky　moment；
evidently　there　was　going　to　be　a　march…past　or　some　thing　like　that。　　At
the　front　where　the　chief　banner　flew　there　was　a　large　and　showy　tent；
with　showy　guards　on　duty；　and　about　it　were　some　other　tents　of　a　swell
kind。　

The　warriorsparticularly　the　officerswere　lovely　to　look　at；　they
were　so　trim…built　and　so　graceful　and　so　handsomely　uniformed。　　They
were　quite　distinct；　vividly　distinct；　for　it　was　a　fine　day；　and　they
were　so　immensely　magnified　that　they　looked　to　be　fully　a　finger…nail
high。＇My　own　expression；　and　a　quite　happy　one。　　I　said　to　the　Duke：
〃Your　Grace；　they're　just　about　finger…milers！〃
〃How　do　you　mean；　m'　lord？〃
〃This。　　You　notice　the　stately　General　standing　there　with　his　hand
resting　upon　the　muzzle　of　a　cannon？　　Well；　if　you　could　stick　your
little　finger　down　against　the　ground　alongside　of　him　his　plumes　would
just　reach　up　to　where　your　nail　joins　the　flesh。〃　　The　Duke　said
〃finger…milers　was　good〃…good　and　exact；　and　he　afterward　used　it　several
times　himself。＇　Everywhere　you　could　see　officers　moving　smartly　about；
and　they　looked　gay；　but　the　common　soldiers　looked　sad。　　Many　wife…
swinks　＇〃　Swinks；〃　an　atomic　race