fabre, poet of science-第27节

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art　of　the　Sphex　and　the　Ammophila。



Although　they　have　acquired　such　prodigious　deftness；　these　master

paralysers　are　not；　in　fact；　always　infallible。　Occasionally　the　Sphex

blunders　and　gropes；　〃operates　clumsily〃；　the　cricket　revives；　gets　upon

its　feet；　turns　round　and　round；　and　tries　to　walk。　But；　inquires　Fabre；　do

you　say　that　having　profited　by　a　fortuitous　act；　which　has　turned　out　to

be　favourable　to　them；　they　have　perfected　themselves　by　contact　with　their

elders；　〃thanks　to　the　imitation　of　example；〃　and　that　they　have　thus

crystallized　their　experiences；　which　have　been　transmitted　by　heredity

thereby　fixed　in　the　race？　（9/7。）



How　much　we　should　prefer　that　it　were　so！　How　much　more　comprehensible　and

interesting　their　life　would　become！



But　〃when　the　hymenopteron　breaks　its　cocoon；　where　are　its　masters！　Its

predecessors　have　long　ago　disappeared。　How　then　can　it　receive　education

by　example？〃



You　who　〃shape　the　world　to　your　whim；〃　you　will　reply：　〃Doubtless　there

are　no　longer　masters　to…day；　but　go　back　to　the　first　ages　of　the　globe；

when　the　world　in　its　newness；　as　Lucretius　has　so　superbly　said；　as　yet

knew　neither　bitter　cold　nor　excessive　heat　（9/8。）；　an　eternal　springtide

bathed　the　earth；　and　the　insects；　not　dying；　as　to…day；　at　the　first　touch

of　frost；　two　successive　generations　lived　side　by　side；　and　the　younger

generation　could　profit　at　leisure　by　the　lessons　of　example。〃　（9/9。）



Let　us　return　to　Fabre's　laboratory；　to　the　covers　of　wire…gauze；　and　note

what　becomes；　at　the　approach　of　winter；　of　the　survivors　of　the　vespine

city。



In　the　mild　and　comfortable　retreat　where　the　wasps　are　kept　under

observation　they　die　no　less；　despite　their　well…being　and　all　the　care

expended　on　them；　when　once　〃the　inexorable　hour〃　has　struck；　and　once　the

exact　capital　of　life　which　seems　to　have　been　imparted　to　them　ages　ago　is

exhausted。　With　no　apparent　cause；　we　see　death　busy　among　them。　〃Suddenly

the　wasps　begin　to　fall　as　though　struck　by　lightning；　for　a　few　moments

the　abdomen　quivers　and　the　legs　gesticulate；　then　finally　remain　inert；

like　a　clockwork　machine　whose　spring　has　run　down　to　the　last　coil。〃

（9/10。）　This　law　is　general；　〃the　insect　is　born　orphaned　both　of　mother

and　father；　excepting　the　social　insect；　and　again　excepting　the　dung…

beetle；　which　dies　full　of　days。〃　（9/11。）



Moreover；　Fabre　is　never　weary　of　demonstrating　that　the　insect；　perfectly

unconscious　of　the　motive　which　makes　it　act；　this　thereby　incapable　of

profiting　by　the　lessons　of　experience　and　of　innovation　in　its　habits；

beyond　a　very　narrow　circle。　〃No　apprentices；　no　masters。〃　In　this　world

each　obeys　〃the　inner　voice〃　on　its　own　account；　each　sets　itself　to

accomplish　its　task；　not　only　without　troubling　as　to　what　its　neighbour　is

doing；　but　without　thinking　any　further　as　to　what　it　is　doing　itself；

instance　the　Epe？ra；　turning　its　back　on　its　work；　yet　〃the　latter　proceeds

of　itself；　so　well　is　the　mechanism　devised〃；　and　if　by　ill　chance　the

spider　acted　otherwise　it　would　probably　fail。



Darwin　knew　barely　the　tenth　part　of　the　colossal　work　of　Fabre。　He　had

read　firstly　in　the　〃Annals　of　Natural　Science〃　of　the　habits　of　the

Cerceris　and　the　fabulous　history　of　the　Meloidae。　Finally　he　saw　the　first

volume　of　the　〃Souvenirs〃　appear；　and　was　interested　in　the　highest　degree

by　the　beautiful　study　on　the　sense　of　location　and　direction　in　the　Mason…

bees。



This　was　already　more　than　enough　to　excite　his　curiosity　and　to　make　him

wonder　whether　all　his　philosophy　would　not　stumble　over　this　obstacle。



After　having　succeeded　in　explaining　so　luminouslyand　with　what　a　lofty

purviewthe　origin　of　species　and　the　whole　concatenation　of　animal　forms；

would　it　not　be　as　though　he　halted　midway　in　his　task　were　the　sanctuary

of　the　origin　of　instinct　to　remain　for　ever　inscrutable？



Fabre　had　not　yet　left　Orange　when　Darwin　engaged　in　a　curious

correspondence　which　lasted　until　the　former　had　been　nearly　two　years　at

Sérignan；　and　which　showed　how　passionately　interested　the　great　theorist

of　evolution　was　in　all　the　Frenchman's　surprising　observations。



It　seems　that　on　his　side　Fabre　took　a　singular　interest　in　the　discussion

on　account　of　the　absolute　sincerity；　the　obvious　desire　to　arrive　at　the

truth；　and　also　the　ardent　interest　in　his　own　studies；　of　which　Darwin's

letters　were　full。　He　conceived　a　veritable　affection　for　Darwin；　and

commenced　to　learn　English；　the　better　to　understand　him　and　to　reply　more

precisely；　and　a　discussion　on　such　a　subject　between　these　two　great

minds；　who　were；　apparently；　adversaries；　but　who　had　conceived　an　infinite

respect　for　one　another；　promised　to　be　prodigiously　interesting。



Unhappily　death　was　soon　to　put　an　end　to　it；　and　when　the　solitary　of　Down

expired　in　1882　the　hermit　of　Sérignan　saluted　his　great　shade　with　real

emotion。　How　many　times　have　I　heard　him　render　homage　to　this　illustrious

memory！



But　the　furrow　was　traced；　thenceforth　Fabre　never　ceased　to　multiply　his

pin…pricks　in　〃the　vast　and　luminous　balloon　of　transformism　（evolution）；

in　order　to　empty　it　and　expose　it　in　all　its　inanity。〃　（9/12。）　By　no　means

the　least　original　feature　of　his　work　is　this　passionate　and　incisive

argument；　in　which；　with　a　remarkable　power　of　dialectic；　and　at　times　in　a

tone　of　lively　banter；　he　endeavoured　to　remove　〃this　comfortable　pillow

from　those　who　have　not　the　courage　to　inquire　into　its　fundamental

nature。〃　He　attacked　these　〃adventurous　syntheses；　these　superb　and

supposedly　philosophic　deductions；〃　all　the　more　eagerly　because　he　himself

had　an　unshakable　faith　in　the　absolute　certainty　of　his　own　discoveries；

and　because　he　asserted　the　reality　of　things　only　after　he　had　observed

and　re…observed　them　to　satiety。



This　is　why　he　cared　so　little　to　engage　in　argument　relating　to　his　own

works；　he　did　not　care　for　discussion；　he　was　indifferent　to　the　daily

press；　he　avoided　criticism　and　controversy；　and　never　replied　to　the

attacks　which　were　made　upon　him；　he　rather　took　pains　to　surround　himself

with　silence　until　the　day　when　he　felt　that　his　researches　were　ripe　and

ready　for　publicity。



He　wrote　to　his　dear　friend　Devillario；　shortly　after　Darwin's　death：　



〃I　have　made　a　rule　of　never　replying　to　the　remarks；　whether　favourable　or

the　reverse；　which　my　writings　may　evoke。　I　go　my　own　gait；　indifferent

whether　the　gallery　applauds　or　hisses。　To　seek　the　truth　is　my　only

preoccupation。　If　some　are　dissatisfied　with　the　result　of　my　observations…

…if　their　pet　theories　are　damaged　therebylet　them　do　the　work

themselves；　to　see　whether　the　facts　tell　another　story。　My　problem　cannot

be　solved　by　polemics；　patient　study　alone　can　throw　a　little　light　on　the

subject。　（9/13。）



〃I　am　profoundly　indifferent　to　what　the　newspapers　may　say　about　me；〃　he

wrote　to　his　brother　seventeen　years　later；　〃it　is　enough　for　me　if　I　am

pretty　well　satisfied　with　my　own　work。〃　（9/14。）



He　read　all　the　letters　he　received　only　in　a　superficial　manner；

neglecting　to　thank　those　who　praised　or　congratulated　him；　and　above　all

shrinking　from　all　that　idle　correspondence　in　which　life　is　wasted　without

aim　or　profit。



〃I　fume　and　swear　when　I　have　to　cut　into　my　morning　in　order　to　reply　to

so…and…so　who　sends　me；　in　print　or　manuscript；　his　meed　of　praise；　if　I

were　not　careful　I　should　have　no　time　left　for　far　more　important　work。〃



His　beloved　Frédéric；　〃the　best　of　his　friends；〃　was　himself　often　treated

no　better；　and　to　excuse　his　silence　and　the　infrequency　of　his　letters；

Henri；　even　in　the　years　spent　at　Carpentras　and　Ajaccio；　could　plead　only

the　same　reasons；　his　stupendous　labours；　his　exhausting　task；　〃which

overwhelmed　him；　and　was　often　too　great；　not　for　his　courage；　but　for　his

time　and　his　strength。〃　（9/15。）



Nevertheless；　while　evading　the　question　of　origins；　his　far…sighted

intellect　was　bound　to　〃read　from　the　facts〃　concerning　the　genesis　of　new

species　in　process　of　evolution；　and　his　observations　throw　a　singular

light　on　the　quite　recent　theory　of　sudden　mutations。



The　nymph　of　the　Onthophagus　presents　〃a　strange　paraphernalia　of　horns　and

spurs　which　the　organism　has　produced　in　a　moment　of　ardoura　luxurious

panoply　which　vanishes　in　the　adult。〃



The　nymph　of　the　Oniticella　also　decks　itself　in　〃a　temporary　horn；　which

departs　when　it　emerges。〃



And　〃as　the　dung…beetle　is　recent　in　the　general　chronology　of　creatures；

as　it　takes　rank　among　the　last　comers；　as　the　geological　strata　are　mute

concerning　it；　it　is　possible　that　these　horn…like　processes；　which　always

degenerate　before　they　reach　completion；　may　be　not　a　reminiscence　but　a

promise；　a　gradual　elaboration　of　new　organs；　timid　attempts　which　the

centuries　will　harden　to　a　complete　armour；　AND　IF　THIS　WERE　SO　THE　PRESENT

WOULD　TEACH