herland(她乡)-第40节
按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！
been destroyed in a fire。 We might have all died there and no one at
home have ever known our whereabouts。
Terry was under guard now； all the time； known as unsafe；
convicted of what was to them an unpardonable sin。
He laughed at their chill horror。 〃Parcel of old maids！〃 he
called them。 〃They're all old maidschildren or not。 They don't know
the first thing about Sex。〃
When Terry said SEX； sex with a very large _S_； he meant the
male sex； naturally； its special values； its profound conviction of being
〃the life force；〃 its cheerful ignoring of the true life process； and its
interpretation of the other sex solely from its own point of view。
I had learned to see these things very differently since living
with Ellador； and as for Jeff； he was so thoroughly Herlandized that he
wasn't fair to Terry； who fretted sharply in his new restraint。
Moadine； grave and strong； as sadly patient as a mother with a
degenerate child； kept steady watch on him； with enough other women
close at hand to prevent an outbreak。 He had no weapons； and well knew
that all his strength was of small avail against those grim； quiet women。
We were allowed to visit him freely； but he had only his room；
141
… Page 142…
HERLAND
and a small high…walled garden to walk in； while the preparations for our
departure were under way。
Three of us were to go： Terry； because he must； I； because two
were safer for our flyer； and the long boat trip to the coast； Ellador；
because she would not let me go without her。
If Jeff had elected to return； Celis would have gone toothey
were the most absorbed of lovers； but Jeff had no desire that way。
〃Why should I want to go back to all our noise and dirt； our vice
and crime； our disease and degeneracy？〃 he demanded of me privately。
We never spoke like that before the women。 〃I wouldn't take Celis there
for anything on earth！〃 he protested。 〃She'd die！ She'd die of horror and
shame to see our slums and hospitals。 How can you risk it with Ellador？
You'd better break it to her gently before she really makes up her mind。〃
Jeff was right。 I ought to have told her more fully than I did； of
all the things we had to be ashamed of。 But it is very hard to bridge the
gulf of as deep a difference as existed between our life and theirs。 I tried
to。
〃Look here； my dear；〃 I said to her。 〃If you are really going to
my country with me； you've got to be prepared for a good many shocks。
It's not as beautiful as thisthe cities； I mean； the civilized partsof course
the wild country is。〃
〃I shall enjoy it all；〃 she said； her eyes starry with hope。 〃I
understand it's not like ours。 I can see how monotonous our quiet life
must seem to you； how much more stirring yours must be。 It must be like
the biological change you told me about when the second sex was
introduceda far greater movement； constant change； with new
possibilities of growth。〃
I had told her of the later biological theories of sex； and she was
deeply convinced of the superior advantages of having two； the superiority
of a world with men in it。
〃We have done what we could alone； perhaps we have some
things better in a quiet way； but you have the whole worldall the people
of the different nationsall the long rich history behind youall the
wonderful new knowledge。 Oh； I just can't wait to see it！〃
142
… Page 143…
HERLAND
What could I do？ I told her in so many words that we had our
unsolved problems； that we had dishonesty and corruption； vice and crime；
disease and insanity； prisons and hospitals； and it made no more
impression on her than it would to tell a South Sea Islander about the
temperature of the Arctic Circle。 She could intellectually see that it was
bad to have those things； but she could not FEEL it。
We had quite easily come to accept the Herland life as normal；
because it was normalnone of us make any outcry over mere health and
peace and happy industry。 And the abnormal； to which we are all so
sadly well acclimated； she had never seen。
The two things she cared most to hear about； and wanted most to
see； were these： the beautiful relation of marriage and the lovely women
who were mothers and nothing else； beyond these her keen； active mind
hungered eagerly for the world life。
〃I'm almost as anxious to go as you are yourself；〃 she insisted；
〃and you must be desperately homesick。〃
I assured her that no one could be homesick in such a paradise
as theirs； but she would have none of it。
〃Oh； yesI know。 It's like those little tropical islands you've
told me about； shining like jewels in the big blue seaI can't wait to see
the sea！ The little island may be as perfect as a garden； but you always
want to get back to your own big country； don't you？ Even if it is bad in
some ways？〃
Ellador was more than willing。 But the nearer it came to our
really going； and to my having to take her back to our 〃civilization；〃 after
the clean peace and beauty of theirs； the more I began to dread it； and the
more I tried to explain。
Of course I had been homesick at first； while we were prisoners；
before I had Ellador。 And of course I had； at first； rather idealized my
country and its ways； in describing it。 Also； I had always accepted
certain evils as integral parts of our civilization and never dwelt on them at
all。 Even when I tried to tell her the worst； I never remembered some
thingswhich； when she came to see them； impressed her at once； as they
had never impressed me。 Now； in my efforts at explanation； I began to see
143
… Page 144…
HERLAND
both ways more keenly than I had before； to see the painful defects of my
own land； the marvelous gains of this。
In missing men we three visitors had naturally missed the larger
part of life； and had unconsciously assumed that they must miss it too。 It
took me a long time to realizeTerry never did realizehow little it meant
to them。 When we say MEN； MAN； MANLY； MANHOOD； and all the
other masculine derivatives； we have in the background of our minds a
huge vague crowded picture of the world and all its activities。 To grow
up and 〃be a man；〃 to 〃act like a man〃the meaning and connotation is
wide indeed。 That vast background is full of marching columns of men； of
changing lines of men； of long processions of men； of men steering their
ships into new seas； exploring unknown mountains； breaking horses；
herding cattle； ploughing and sowing and reaping； toiling at the forge and
furnace； digging in the mine； building roads and bridges and high
cathedrals； managing great businesses； teaching in all the colleges；
preaching in all the churches； of men everywhere； doing everything〃the
world。〃
And when we say WOMEN； we think FEMALEthe sex。
But to these women； in the unbroken sweep of this two…
thousand…year…old feminine civilization； the word WOMAN called up all
that big background； so far as they had gone in social development； and
the word MAN meant to them only MALEthe sex。
Of course we could TELL them that in our world men did
everything； but that did not alter the background of their minds。 That man；
〃the male；〃 did all these things was to them a statement； making no more
change in the point of view than was made in ours when we first faced the
astounding factto usthat in Herland women were 〃the world。〃
We had been living there more than a year。 We had learned
their limited history； with its straight； smooth； upreach
