erewhon revisited-第30节

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pointed　her　out　to　him。　　Their　eyes　met　for　a　second；　Yram　turned
hers　quickly　away；　and　my　father　could　not　see　a　trace　of
recognition　in　her　face。　　At　no　time　during　the　whole　ceremony　did
he　catch　her　looking　at　him　again。

〃Why；　you　stupid　man；〃　she　said　to　him　later　on　in　the　day　with　a
quick；　kindly　smile；　〃I　was　looking　at　you　all　the　time。　　As　soon
as　the　President　or　Hanky　began　to　talk　about　you　I　knew　you　would
stare　at　him；　and　then　I　could　look。　　As　soon　as　they　left　off
talking　about　you　I　knew　you　would　be　looking　at　me；　unless　you
went　to　sleepand　as　I　did　not　know　which　you　might　be　doing；　I
waited　till　they　began　to　talk　about　you　again。〃

My　father　had　hardly　taken　note　of　his　surroundings　when　the　choir
began　singing；　accompanied　by　a　few　feeble　flutes　and　lutes；　or
whatever　the　name　of　the　instrument　should　be；　but　with　no　violins；
for　he　knew　nothing　of　the　violin；　and　had　not　been　able　to　teach
the　Erewhonians　anything　about　it。　　The　voices　were　all　in　unison；
and　the　tune　they　sang　was　one　which　my　father　had　taught　Yram　to
sing；　but　he　could　not　catch　the　words。

As　soon　as　the　singing　began；　a　procession；　headed　by　the　venerable
Dr。　Gurgoyle；　President　of　the　Musical　Banks　of　the　province；　began
to　issue　from　the　robing…room；　and　move　towards　the　middle　of　the
apse。　　The　President　was　sumptuously　dressed；　but　he　wore　no　mitre；
nor　anything　to　suggest　an　English　or　European　Bishop。　　The　Vice…
President；　Head　Manager；　Vice…Manager；　and　some　Cashiers　of　the
Bank；　now　ranged　themselves　on　either　side　of　him；　and　formed　an
impressive　group　as　they　stood；　gorgeously　arrayed；　at　the　top　of
the　steps　leading　from　the　apse　to　the　nave。　　Here　they　waited　till
the　singers　left　off　singing。

When　the　litany；　or　hymn；　or　whatever　it　should　be　called；　was
over；　the　Head　Manager　left　the　President's　side　and　came　down　to
the　lectern　in　the　nave；　where　he　announced　himself　as　about　to
read　some　passages　from　the　Sunchild's　Sayings。　　Perhaps　because　it
was　the　first　day　of　the　year　according　to　their　new　calendar；　the
reading　began　with　the　first　chapter；　the　whole　of　which　was　read。
My　father　told　me　that　he　quite　well　remembered　having　said　the
last　verse；　which　he　still　held　as　true；　hardly　a　word　of　the　rest
was　ever　spoken　by　him；　though　he　recognised　his　own　influence　in
almost　all　of　it。　　The　reader　paused；　with　good　effect；　for　about
five　seconds　between　each　paragraph；　and　read　slowly　and　very
clearly。　　The　chapter　was　as　follows：…


These　are　the　words　of　the　Sunchild　about　God　and　man。　　He　said　…

1。　　God　is　the　baseless　basis　of　all　thoughts；　things；　and　deeds。

2。　　So　that　those　who　say　that　there　is　a　God；　lie；　unless　they
also　mean　that　there　is　no　God；　and　those　who　say　that　there　is　no
God；　lie；　unless　they　also　mean　that　there　is　a　God。

3。　　It　is　very　true　to　say　that　man　is　made　after　the　likeness　of
God；　and　yet　it　is　very　untrue　to　say　this。

4。　　God　lives　and　moves　in　every　atom　throughout　the　universe。
Therefore　it　is　wrong　to　think　of　Him　as　'Him'　and　'He；'　save　as　by
the　clutching　of　a　drowning　man　at　a　straw。

5。　　God　is　God　to　us　only　so　long　as　we　cannot　see　Him。　　When　we
are　near　to　seeing　Him　He　vanishes；　and　we　behold　Nature　in　His
stead。

6。　　We　approach　Him　most　nearly　when　we　think　of　Him　as　our
expression　for　Man's　highest　conception；　of　goodness；　wisdom；　and
power。　　But　we　cannot　rise　to　Him　above　the　level　of　our　own
highest　selves。

7。　　We　remove　ourselves　most　far　from　Him　when　we　invest　Him　with
human　form　and　attributes。

8。　　My　father　the　sun；　the　earth；　the　moon；　and　all　planets　that
roll　round　my　father；　are　to　God　but　as　a　single　cell　in　our　bodies
to　ourselves。

9。　　He　is　as　much　above　my　father；　as　my　father　is　above　men　and
women。

10。　　The　universe　is　instinct　with　the　mind　of　God。　　The　mind　of
God　is　in　all　that　has　mind　throughout　all　worlds。　　There　is　no　God
but　the　Universe；　and　man；　in　this　world　is　His　prophet。

11。　　God's　conscious　life；　nascent；　so　far　as　this　world　is
concerned；　in　the　infusoria；　adolescent　in　the　higher　mammals；
approaches　maturity　on　this　earth　in　man。　　All　these　living　beings
are　members　one　of　another；　and　of　God。

12。　　Therefore；　as　man　cannot　live　without　God　in　the　world；　so
neither　can　God　live　in　this　world　without　mankind。

13。　　If　we　speak　ill　of　God　in　our　ignorance　it　may　be　forgiven　us；
but　if　we　speak　ill　of　His　Holy　Spirit　indwelling　in　good　men　and
women　it　may　not　be　forgiven　us。〃


The　Head　Manager　now　resumed　his　place　by　President　Gurgoyle's
side；　and　the　President　in　the　name　of　his　Majesty　the　King
declared　the　temple　to　be　hereby　dedicated　to　the　contemplation　of
the　Sunchild　and　the　better　exposition　of　his　teaching。　　This　was
all　that　was　said。　　The　reliquary　was　then　brought　forward　and
placed　at　the　top　of　the　steps　leading　from　the　apse　to　the　nave；
but　the　original　intention　of　carrying　it　round　the　temple　was
abandoned　for　fear　of　accidents　through　the　pressure　round　it　of
the　enormous　multitudes　who　were　assembled。　　More　singing　followed
of　a　simple　but　impressive　kind；　during　this　I　am　afraid　I　must　own
that　my　father；　tired　with　his　walk；　dropped　off　into　a　refreshing
slumber；　from　which　he　did　not　wake　till　George　nudged　him　and　told
him　not　to　snore；　just　as　the　Vice…Manager　was　going　towards　the
lectern　to　read　another　chapter　of　the　Sunchild's　Sayingswhich
was　as　follows：…


The　Sunchild　also　spoke　to　us　a　parable　about　the　unwisdom　of　the
children　yet　unborn；　who　though　they　know　so　much；　yet　do　not　know
as　much　as　they　think　they　do。


He　said：…


〃The　unborn　have　knowledge　of　one　another　so　long　as　they　are
unborn；　and　this　without　impediment　from　walls　or　material
obstacles。　　The　unborn　children　in　any　city　form　a　population
apart；　who　talk　with　one　another　and　tell　each　other　about　their
developmental　progress。

〃They　have　no　knowledge；　and　cannot　even　conceive　the　existence　of
anything　that　is　not　such　as　they　are　themselves。　　Those　who　have
been　born　are　to　them　what　the　dead　are　to　us。　　They　can　see　no
life　in　them；　and　know　no　more　about　them　than　they　do　of　any　stage
in　their　own　past　development　other　than　the　one　through　which　they
are　passing　at　the　moment。　　They　do　not　even　know　that　their
mothers　are　alivemuch　less　that　their　mothers　were　once　as　they
now　are。　　To　an　embryo；　its　mother　is　simply　the　environment；　and
is　looked　upon　much　as　our　inorganic　surroundings　are　by　ourselves。

〃The　great　terror　of　their　lives　is　the　fear　of　birth；that　they
shall　have　to　leave　the　only　thing　that　they　can　think　of　as　life；
and　enter　upon　a　dark　unknown　which　is　to　them　tantamount　to
annihilation。

〃Some；　indeed；　among　them　have　maintained　that　birth　is　not　the
death　which　they　commonly　deem　it；　but　that　there　is　a　life　beyond
the　womb　of　which　they　as　yet　know　nothing；　and　which　is　a　million
fold　more　truly　life　than　anything　they　have　yet　been　able　even　to
imagine。　　But　the　greater　number　shake　their　yet　unfashioned　heads
and　say　they　have　no　evidence　for　this　that　will　stand　a　moment's
examination。

〃'Nay；'　answer　the　others；　'so　much　work；　so　elaborate；　so　wondrous
as　that　whereon　we　are　now　so　busily　engaged　must　have　a　purpose；
though　the　purpose　is　beyond　our　grasp。'

〃'Never；'　reply　the　first　speakers；　'our　pleasure　in　the　work　is
sufficient　justification　for　it。　　Who　has　ever　partaken　of　this
life　you　speak　of；　and　re…entered　into　the　womb　to　tell　us　of　it？
Granted　that　some　few　have　pretended　to　have　done　this；　but　how
completely　have　their　stories　broken　down　when　subjected　to　the
tests　of　sober　criticism。　　No。　　When　we　are　born　we　are　born；　and
there　is　an　end　of　us。'

〃But　in　the　hour　of　birth；　when　they　can　no　longer　re…enter　the
womb　and　tell　the　others；　Behold！　they　find　that　it　is　not　so。〃


Here　the　reader　again　closed　his　book　and　resumed　his　place　in　the
apse。



CHAPTER　XVI：　　PROFESSOR　HANKY　PREACHES　A　SERMON；　IN　THE　COURSE　OF
WHICH　MY　FATHER　DECLARES　HIMSELF　TO　BE　THE　SUNCHILD



Professor　Hanky　then　went　up　into　the　pulpit；　richly　but　soberly
robed　in　vestments　the　exact　nature　of　which　I　cannot　determine。
His　carriage　was　dignified；　and　the　harsh　lines　on　his　face　gave　it
a　strong　individuality；　which；　though　it　did　not　attract；　conveyed
an　impression　of　power　that　could　not　fail　to　interest。　　As　soon　as
he　had　given　attention　time　to　fix　itself　upon　him；　he　began　his
sermon　without　text　or　preliminary　matter　of　any　kind；　and
apparently　without　notes。

He　spoke　clearly　and　very　quietly；　especially　at　the　beginning；　he
used　action　whenever　it　could　point　his　meaning；　or　give　it　life
and　colour；　but　there　was　no　approach　to　staginess　or　even
oratorical　display。　　In　fact；　he　spoke　as　one　who　meant　what　he　was
saying；　and　desired　that　his　hearers　should　accept　his　meaning；
fully　confident　in　his　good　faith。　　His　use　of　pause　was　effective。
After　the　word　〃mistake；〃　at　the　end　of　the　opening　sentence；　he
held　up　his　half…bent　hand　and　paused　for　full　three　seconds；
looking　intently　at　his　audience　as　he　did　so。　　Every　one　felt　the
idea　to　be　here　enounced　that　was　to　dominate　the　sermon。

The　sermonso　m