fabre, poet of science-第12节

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Mill　in　the　outskirts　of　Avignon；　and　thence　his　eyes；　embracing　a　vast

horizon；　from　the　pediment　of　the　ancient　theatre　to　the　hills　of　Sérignan；

could　already　distinguish　the　promised　land。





CHAPTER　5。　A　GREAT　TEACHER。



It　was　in　1871。　Fabre　had　lived　twenty　years　at　Avignon。　This　date

constitutes　an　important　landmark　in　his　career；　since　it　marks　the　precise

moment　of　his　final　rupture　with　the　University。



At　this　time　the　preoccupations　of　material　life　were　more　pressing　than

ever；　and　it　was　then　that　he　devoted　himself　entirely　and　with

perseverance　to　the　writing　of　those　admirable　works　of　introduction　and

initiation；　in　which　he　applied　himself　to　rendering　science　accessible　to

the　youngest　minds；　and　employed　all　his　profound　knowledge　to　the　thorough

teaching　of　its　elements　and　its　eternal　laws。



To　this　ungrateful　taskungrateful；　but　in　reality　pleasurable；　so

strongly　had　he　the　vocation；　the　feeling；　and　the　genius　of　the　teacher

Fabre　applied　himself　thenceforth　with　all　his　heart；　and　for　nine　years

never　lifted　his　hand。



How　insipid；　how　forbidding　were　the　usual　classbooks；　the　second…rate

natural　histories　above　all；　stuffed　with　dry　statements；　with　raw

knowledge；　which　brought　nothing　but　the　memory　into　play！　How　many

youthful　faces　had　grown　pale　above　them！



What　a　contrast　and　a　deliverance　in　these　little　books　of　Fabre's；　so

clear；　so　luminous；　so　simple；　which　for　the　first　time　spoke　to　the　heart

and　the　understanding；　for　〃work　which　one　does　not　understand　disgusts

one。〃　（5/1。）



To　initiate　others　into　science　or　art；　it　is　not　enough　to　have　understood

them　oneself；　it　is　not　enough　even　that　one　should　be　an　artist　or　a

scientist。　Scientists　of　the　highest　flight　are　sometimes　very　unskilful

teachers；　and　very　indifferent　hands　at　explaining　the　alphabet。　It　is　not

given　to　the　first　comer　to　educate　the　young；　to　understand　how　to

identify　his　understanding　with　theirs；　to　measure　their　powers。　It　is　a

matter　of　instinct　and　good　sense　rather　than　of　memory　or　erudition；　and

Fabre；　who　had　never　in　his　life　been　the　pupil　of　any　one；　could　better

than　any　remember　the　phases　through　which　his　mind　had　passed；　could

recollect　by　what　detours　of　the　mind；　by　what　secret　labours　of　thought；

by　what　intuitive　methods　he　had　succeeded　in　conquering；　one　by　one；　all

the　difficulties　in　his　path；　and　in　gradually　attaining　to　knowledge。



It　is　wonderful　to　watch　the　mastery　with　which　he　conducts　his

demonstrations；　the　simplest　as　well　as　the　most　involved；　singling　out　the

essential；　little　by　little　evoking　the　sense　of　things；　ingeniously

seeking　familiar　examples；　finding　comparisons；　and　employing　picturesque

and　striking　images；　which　throw　a　dazzling　light　upon　the　obscurest

question　or　the　most　difficult　problem。　How　in　such　matters　can　one

dispense　with　figurative　speech；　when　one　is　reduced；　as　a　rule；　to　an

inability　to　show　the　things　themselves；　but　only　their　images　and　their

symbols？



Follow　him；　for　example；　in　the　〃The　Sky〃　（5/2。）；　which　seems　to　thrill

with　the　ardent　and　comprehensive　genius　of　a　Humboldt；　and　admire　the　ease

with　which　he　surmounts　all　the　difficulties　and　smooths　the　way　for　the

vast　voyage　on　which　he　conducts　you；　past　the　infinity　of　the　suns　and　the

stars　in　their　millions；　scintillating　in　the　cold　air　of　night；　to　descend

once　more　to　our　humble　〃Earth〃　（5/3。）；　first　an　ocean　of　fire；　rolling　its

heavy　waves　of　molten　porphyry　and　granite；　then　〃slowly　hardening　into

strange　floes　and　bergs；　hotter　than　the　red　iron　in　the　fire　of　the

forge；〃　rounding　its　back；　all　covered　with　gaping　pustules；　eruptive

mountains　and　craters；　and　the　first　folds　of　its　calcined　crust；　until　the

day　when　the　vast　mist　of　densest　vapours；　heaped　up　on　every　hand　and　of

immeasurable　depth；　begins　gradually　to　show　rifts；　giving　rise　at　last　to

an　infinite　storm；　a　stupendous　deluge；　and　forming　the　strange　universal

sea；　〃a　mineral　sludge；　veiled　by　a　chaos　of　smoke；〃　whence　at　length　the

primitive　soil　emerges；　〃and　at　last　the　green　grass。〃



And　although　〃a　little　animal　proteid；　capable　of　pleasure　and　pain；

surpasses　in　interest　the　whole　immense　creation　of　dead　matter；〃　he　does

not　forget　to　show　us　the　spectacle　of　life　flowing　through　matter　itself；

and　he　animates　even　the　simple　elementary　bodies；　celebrating　the

marvellous　activities　of　the　air；　the　violence　of　Chlorine；　the

metamorphoses　of　Carbon；　the　miraculous　bridals　of　Phosphorus；　and　〃the

splendours　which　accompany　the　birth　of　a　drop　of　water。〃　（5/4。）



A　man　must　indeed　love　knowledge　deeply　before　he　can　make　others　love　it；

or　render　it　easy　and　attractive；　revealing　only　the　smiling　highways；　and

Fabre；　above　all　things　the　impassioned　professor；　was　the　very　man　to　lead

his　disciples　〃between　the　hedges　of　hawthorn　and　sloe；〃　whether　to　show

them　the　sap；　〃that　fruitful　current；　that　flowing　flesh；　that　vegetable

blood；〃　or　how　the　plant；　by　a　mysterious　transubstantiation；　makes　its

wood；　〃and　the　delicate　bundle　of　swaddling…bands　of　its　buds；〃　or　how

〃from　a　putrid　ordure　it　extracts　the　flavour　and　the　fragrance　of　its

fruits〃；　or　whether　he　seeks　to　evoke　the　murderous　plants　that　live　as

parasites　at　the　cost　of　others；　the　white　Clandestinus；　〃which　strangles

the　roots　of　the　alders　beside　the　rivers；〃　the　Cuscuta；　〃which　knows

nothing　of　labour；〃　the　wicked　Orobanche；　plump；　powerful　and　brazen；　the

skin　covered　with　ugly　scales；　〃with　sombre　flowers　that　wear　the　livery　of

death；　which　leaps　at　the　throat　of　the　clover；　stifling　it；　devouring　it；

sucking　its　blood。〃　（5/5。）



Botany；　by　this　genial　treatment；　becomes　a　most　interesting　study；　and　I

know　of　no　more　captivating　reading　than　〃The　Plant〃　and　〃The　Story　of　the

Log；〃　the　jewels　of　this　incomparable　series。



Employ　Fabre's　method　if　you　wish　to　learn　by　yourself；　or　to　evoke　in　your

children　a　love　of　science；　and；　according　to　the　phrase　of　the　gentle

Jean…Jacques；　to　help　them　〃to　buy　at　the　best　possible　of　prices。〃　Give

them　as　sole　guides　these　exquisite　manuals；　which　touch　upon　everything；

initiating　them　into　everything；　and　bringing　within　the　reach　of　all；　for

their　instruction　or　amusement；　the　heavens　and　the　earth；　the　planets　and

their　moons；　the　mechanism　of　the　great　natural　forces　and　the　laws　which

govern　them；　life　and　its　materials；　agriculture　and　its　applications。　For

more　than　a　quarter　of　a　century　these　catechisms　of　science；　models　of

lucidity　and　good　sense；　effected　the　education　of　generations　of

Frenchmen。　Abridgments　of　all　knowledge；　veritable　codes　of　rural　wisdom；

these　perfect　breviaries　have　never　been　surpassed。



It　was　after　reading　these　little　books；　it　is　said；　that　Duruy　conceived

the　idea　of　confiding　to　this　admirable　teacher　the　education　of　the

Imperial　heir；　and　it　is　very　probable　that　this　was；　in　reality；　the

secret　motive　which　would　explain　why　he　had　so　expressly　summoned　Fabre　to

Paris。　What　an　ideal　tutor　he　had　thought　of；　and　how　proud　might　others

have　been　of　such　a　choice！　But　the　man　was　too　zealous　of　his

independence；　too　difficult　to　tame；　to　bear　with　the　environment　of　a

court；　and　God　knows　whether　he　was　made　for　such　refulgence！　We　need　not

be　surprised　that　Fabre　never　heard　of　it；　it　must　have　sufficed　the

minister　to　speak　with　him　for　a　few　minutes　to　realize　that　the　most

tempting　offers　and　all　the　powers　of　seduction　would　never　overcome　his

insurmountable　dislike　of　life　in　a　capital；　nor　prevail　against　his

inborn；　passionate；　exclusive　love　of　the　open。



For　these　volumes　Fabre　was　at　first　rather　wretchedly　paid；　at　all　events；

until　public　education　had　definitely　received　a　fresh　impulse；　and　for　a

long　time　his　life　at　Orange　was　literally　a　hand…to…mouth　existence。



As　soon　as　he　was　able　to　realize　a　few　advances；　he　had　nothing　so　much　at

heart　as　the　repayment　of　Mill；　and　he　hastened　to　call　on　the　philosopher；

all　the　more　filled　with　gratitude　for　his　generosity　in　that　the　loan；

although　of　the　comparatively　large　amount　of　three　thousand　francs；　was

made　without　security；　practically　from　hand　to　hand；　with　no　other

warranty　than　his　probity。



For　this　reason　this　episode　was　always　engraven　on　his　memory。　Thirty

years　later　he　would　relate　the　affair　even　to　the　most　insignificant

details。　How　many　times　has　he　not　reminded　me　of　the　transaction；

insisting　that　I　should　make　a　note　of　it；　so　anxious　was　he　that　this

incident　in　his　career　should　not　be　lost　in　oblivion！　How　often　has　he　not

recalled　the　infinite　delicacy　of　Mill；　and　his　excessive　scrupulousness；

which　went　so　far　that　he　wished　to　give　a　written　acknowledgment　of　the

repayment　of　the　debt；　of　which　there　was　no　record　whatever　save　in　the

conscience　of　the　debtor！



Scarcely　two　years　later　Mill　died　suddenly　at　Avignon。　Grief　finally

killed