fabre, poet of science-第20节

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was　profoundly　conscious　of　the　truth　of　this　precept　of　the　great

Linnaeus。



The　middle　of　the　room　is　entirely　occupied　by　a　great　table　of　walnut…

wood；　on　which　are　arranged　bottles；　test…tubes；　and　old　sardine…boxes；

which　Fabre　employs　in　order　to　watch　the　evolution　of　a　thousand　nameless

or　doubtful　eggs；　to　observe　the　labours　of　their　larvae；　the　creation　and

the　hatching　of　cocoons；　and　the　little　miracles　of　metamorphosis；　〃after　a

germination　more　wonderful　than　that　of　the　acorn　which　makes　the　oak。〃



Covers　of　metallic　gauze　resting　on　earthenware　saucers　full　of　sand；　a　few

carboys　and　flower…pots　or　sweetmeat　jars　closed　with　a　square　of　glass；

these　serve　as　observation　or　experimental　cages　in　which　the　progress　and

the　actions　of　〃these　tiny　living　machines〃　can　be　examined。



Fabre　has　revealed　himself　as　a　psychologist　without　rival；　of　a　consummate

skill　in　the　difficult　and　delicate　art　of　experimentation；　the　art　of

making　the　insect　speak；　of　putting　questions　to　it；　of　forcing　it　to

betray　its　secrets；　for　experiment　is　〃the　only　method　which　can　throw　any

light　upon　the　nature　of　instincts。〃



His　resources　being　slender　and　his　mind　inventive；　he　has　ingeniously

supplemented　the　poverty　of　his　equipment；　and　has　discovered　less　costly

and　less　complex　means　of　conducting　his　experiments；　knowing　the　secret　of

extracting　the　sublimest　truth　from　clumsy　combinations　of　〃trivial；

peasant…made　articles。〃



He　has　succeeded；　in　his　rustic　laboratory；　in　applying　the　rigorous　rules

of　investigation　and　experimentation　established　by　the　great　biologists。

He　has　therefore　been　able　to　establish　his　beautiful　observations　in　a

manner　so　indisputable　that　those　who　come　after　him　and　are　tempted　to

study　the　same　things　can　but　arrive　at　the　same　results；　and　derive

inspiration　from　his　researches。



To　note　with　care　all　the　details　of　a　phenomenon　is　the　first　essential；

so　that　others　may　afterwards　refer　to　them　and　profit　by　them；　the

difficult　thing　is　to　interpret　them；　to　discover　the　circumstances；　the

whys　and　wherefores；　the　consequences；　and　the　connecting　links。



But　a　single　fact　observed　by　chance　at　the　wayside；　and　which　would　not

even　attract　the　attention　of　another；　will　be　instantly　luminous　to　this

searching　understanding；　it　will　suggest　questions　unforeseen；　and　will

evoke；　by　anticipation；　preconceived　ideas　and　sudden　flashes　of　intuition；

which　will　necessitate　the　test　of　experiment。



Why；　for　example；　does　the　Philanthus；　that　slender　wasp；　which　captures

the　honey…bee　upon　the　blossoms　in　order　to　feed　her　larvae；　why；　before

she　carries　her　prey　to　her　offspring；　does　she　〃outrage　the　dying　insect；〃

by　squeezing　its　crop　in　order　to　empty　it　of　honey；　in　which　she　appears

to　delight；　and　does　indeed　actually　delight？



〃The　bandit　greedily　takes　in　her　mouth　the　extended　and　sugared　tongue　of

the　dead　insect；　then　once　more　she　presses　the　neck　and　the　thorax；　and

once　more　applies　the　pressure　of　her　abdomen　to　the　honey…sac　of　the　bee。

The　honey　oozes　forth　and　is　instantly　licked　up。　Thus　the　bee　is　gradually

compelled　to　disgorge　the　contents　of　the　crop。　This　atrocious　meal　lasts

often　half　an　hour　and　longer；　until　the　last　trace　of　honey　has

disappeared。〃



The　detailed　answer　is　obtained　by　experiment；　which　perfectly　explains

this　〃odious　feast；〃　the　excuse　for　which　is　simply　maternity。　The

Philanthus　knows；　instinctively；　without　having　learned　it；　that　honey；

which　is　her　ordinary　fare；　is；　by　a　very　singular　〃inversion；〃　a　mortal

poison　to　her　larvae。　（7/31。）



As　an　accomplished　physiologist；　Fabre　conducts　all　kinds　of　experiments。

Behind　the　wires　of　his　cages；　he　provokes　the　moving　spectacle　of　the

scorpion　at　grip　with　the　whole　entomological　fauna；　in　order　to　test　the

effects　of　its　terrible　venom　upon　various　species；　and　thus　he　discovers

the　strange　immunity　of　larvae；　the　virus；　〃the　reagent　of　a　transcendent

chemistry；　distinguishes　the　flesh　of　the　larva　from　that　of　the　adult；　it

is　harmless　to　the　former；　but　mortal　to　the　latter〃；　a　fresh　proof　that

〃metamorphosis　modifies　the　substance　of　the　organism　to　the　point　of

changing　its　most　intimate　properties。〃　（7/32。）



You　may　judge　from　this　that　he　knows　through　and　through　the　history　of

the　creatures　which　form　the　subjects　of　his　faithful　narratives。　He　is

informed　of　the　smallest　events　of　their　lives。　He　possesses　a　calendar　of

their　births；　he　records　their　chronology　and　the　succession　of

generations；　he　has　noted　their　methods　of　work；　examined　their　diet；　and

recorded　their　meals。　He　discovers　the　motives　which　dictate　their

peculiarities　of　choice；　why　the　Cerceris；　for　instance；　among　all　the

victims　at　its　disposal；　never　selects　anything　but　the　Buprestis　and　the

weevils。　He　is　familiar　too　with　their　tactics　of　warfare　and　their　methods

of　conflict。



His　gaze　has　penetrated　even　the　most　hidden　dwellings；　those　in　which　the

Halictus　〃varnishes　her　cells　and　makes　the　round　loaf　which　is　to　receive

the　egg〃；　in　which；　under　the　cover　of　cocoons；　murderous　grubs　devour

slumbering　nymphs；　even　the　depths　of　the　soil　are　not　hidden　from　him；　for


there；　thanks　to　his　artifices；　he　has　surprised　the　astonishing　secret　of

the　Minotaur。



He　sifts　all　doubtful　stories；　anecdotes；　statements　of　supposed　habits；

all　that　is　incoherent；　or　ill　observed；　or　misinterpreted；　all　the　cliches

which　the　makers　of　books　pass　from　hand　to　hand。



In　place　of　repetition　he　gives　us　laws；　constant　facts；　fixed　rules。



With　incomparable　skill；　he　repeats　and　tests　the　ancient　experiments　of

Réaumur。



He　is　not　content　to　show　us　that　Erasmus　Darwin　is　mistaken；　he　points　out

how　it　is　that　he　has　fallen　into　error。　（7/33。）



He　sets　himself　to　decipher　the　meaning　of　old　tales；　skilfully　disengaging

the　little　parcel　of　truth　which　usually　lies　beneath　a　mass　of　incorrect

or　even　false　statements。　He　criticises　La　Fontaine；　and　questions　the

statements　of　Horus　Apollo　and　Pliny。　From　a　mass　of　undigested　knowledge

he　has　created　the　living　science　of　entomology；　which　had　received　from

Réaumur　a　first　breath　of　vitality；　in　such　wise　that　each　individual

creature　is　presented　in　his　work　with　its　precise　expression　and　the

absolute　truth　of　its　character　and　attitudes；　the　inhabitants　of　the　woods

and　fields；　whether　those　which　feed　upon　the　crops　or　those　which　live　in

the　crevices　of　the　rocks；　or　the　obscure　workers　that　crawl　upon　the

earth；　all　those　which　have　a　secret　to　tell　or　something　to　teach　us；　the

Cigale；　so　different　from　the　insect　of　the　Fable；　and　above　all　that

beetle　whose　name　had　hitherto　been　encountered　arrayed　in　the　most

fantastic　legends；　the　famous　Scarabaeus　sacer　of　the　tombs；　which　Fabre

preferred　to　place　at　the　head　of　his　epic　as　an　agreeable　prologue；

although　the　inquiry　relative　to　his　amazing　feats　belongs　chronologically

to　a　comparatively　recent　period　of　his　career。



How　moderate　he　is　in　such　suppositions　as　he　ventures；　how　cautious　when

his　persistent　patience　has　at　last　struck　against　〃the　inaccessible　wall

of　the　Unknowable〃！　Then；　with　admirable　frankness；　tranquil　and　sincere；

he　simply　owns　that　〃he　does　not　know；〃　unlike　so　many　others；　whose

uncritical　minds　are　contented　with　a　fragmentary　vision；　and　run　so　far

ahead　of　the　facts　that　they　can　only　promote　indefinite　illusion　and

error。



One　is　surprised　indeed　to　remark　how　few　even　of　the　most　learned　and

well…informed　of　men　have　a　real　aptitude　for　observation；　and　a　highly

instructive　book　might　be　written　concerning　the　discrepancies　and　the　weak

points　in　our　knowledge。　If　they　were　subjected　to　a　sufficiently　severe

test；　how　threadbare　would　appear　many　of　those　problems　which　nature　and

the　world　present；　and　which　are　regarded　as　resolved！



How　long；　for　instance；　was　needed　to　destroy　the　legend　of　the　cuckoo；

incessantly　repeated　down　to　the　days　of　Xavier　Raspail；　and　to　us　so

familiar；　to　elucidate　its　history；　and　to　set　it　in　its　true　light！

（7/34。）



It　is　by　means　of　such　data　as　these　that　a　science　is　founded；　for

theories　decay；　and　only　well…observed　facts　remain　irrefragable。　With

stones　such　as　these；　which　are　hewn　by　the　great　artisan；　the　structures

of　the　future　will　be　built；　and　our　own　science；　perhaps；　will　one　day　be

refashioned。



For　this　reason　Fabre's　books　are　an　education　for　all　those　who　wish　to

devote　themselves　to　observation；　a　manual　of　mental　discipline；　a　true

〃essay　upon　method；〃　which　should　be　read　by　every　naturalist；　and　the　most

interesting；　instructive；　familiar　and　delightful　course　of　training　that

has　ever　been　known。



On　the　other　hand；　it　is　impossible　to　conceive　what　labour　this　delicate

work　demands；　what　perseverance　Fabre　has　required　painfully　to　extract　one

grain　of　gold；　to　glean　and　unite