fabre, poet of science-第33节

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delights　also　in　Calendal；　whose　lyrical　powers　fill　him　with　enthusiasm。

》From　this　ancient　tongue；　which　was　early　as　familiar　to　him　as　the　French；

he　borrowed　certain　mannerisms；　certain　tricks　of　style；　certain

neologisms；　and　also；　to　some　extent；　his　simplicity　of　manner　and　the

cadence　of　his　prose。



It　was　not　without　difficulty　that　he　attained　this　mastery。　Measure　the

gulf　between　his　first　volumes　and　his　last；　in　the　first　the　style　is

slightly　nerveless　and　indefinite：　it　was　only　as　he　gradually　advanced　in

his　career　that　he　acquired　what　may　be　called　his　final　manner；　or

achieved；　in　his　narratives；　a　perfect　literary　style。　The　most

substantially　constructed；　the　most　happily　expressed　of　his　pages　were

written　principally　in　his　extreme　old　age。　Not　only　is　there　no　sign　of

failing　in　these；　but　in　his　latest　〃Souvenirs〃　the　perfection　of　form　is

perhaps　even　more　remarkable　than　the　wealth　of　matter。



How　vitally　his　scrupulous　records　impress　the　mind's　eye；　how　firmly　they

establish　themselves　in　the　memory！



Even　if　one　has　never　seen　the　Pelopaeus；　one　readily　conceives　an

impression　of　〃her　wasp…like　costume；　and　curving　abdomen；　suspended　at　the

end　of　a　long　thread。〃　What　exactitude　in　this　snapshot；　taken　at　the

moment　when　the　insect　is　occupied　in　scooping　out　of　the　mire　the　lump　of

mud　intended　for　the　construction　of　her　nest：　〃like　a　skilled　housekeeper；

with　her　clothing　carefully　tucked　up　that　it　may　not　be　soiled；　the　wings

vibrating；　the　limbs　rigidly　straightened；　the　black　abdomen　well　raised　on

the　end　of　its　yellow　stalk；　she　rakes　the　mud　with　the　points　of　her

mandibles；　skimming　the　shining　surface。〃　（12/4。）



He　draws；　in　passing；　this　charming　sketch　of　the　gadfly；　the　pest　of

horses；　which　nourishes　itself　with　their　blood：　



〃Gadflies　of　several　species　used　to　take　refuge　under　the　silken　dome　of

my　umbrella；　and　there　they　would　quietly　rest；　one　here；　one　there；　on　the

tightly　stretched　fabric；　I　rarely　lacked　their　company　when　the　heat　was

overpowering。　To　while　away　the　hours　of　waiting；　I　used　to　love　to　watch

their　great　golden　eyes；　which　would　shine　like　carbuncles　on　the　vaulted

ceiling　of　my　shelter；　I　used　to　love　to　watch　them　slowly　change　their

stations；　when　the　excessive　heat　of　some　point　of　the　ceiling　would　force

them　to　move　a　little。〃　（12/5。）



We　follow　all　the　manoeuvres　of　the　Balaninus；　the　acorn…weevil；　〃burying

her　drill〃　which　〃operates　by　means　of　little　bites。〃　The　narrator　calls

our　attention　to　the　slightest　episodes；　even　to　those　accidents　which

sometimes　surprise　the　worker　in　the　course　of　her　labours；　when；　with　the

rostrum　buried　deep　in　the　acorn；　her　feet　suddenly　lose　their　hold。　Then

the　unhappy　creature；　unable　to　free　herself；　finds　herself　suspended　in

the　air；　at　right　angles　to　her　proboscis；　far　from　any　foothold　or　point

of　vantage；　at　the　extremity　of　her　disproportionately　long　pike；　that

〃fatal　stake。〃　（12/6。）



As　for　the　poplar…weevil；　we　can　almost　see　it　moving　〃in　the　subtlest

equilibrium；　clinging　with　its　hooked　talons　to　the　slippery　surface　of　the

leaf〃；　we　watch　all　the　details　of　its　methods　and　the　progress　of　its

labours。　We　see　the　flexed　leaf　assume　the　vertical　under　the　awl…stroke

which　the　insect　applies　to　the　pedicle；　〃when；　partially　deprived　of　sap；

the　leaf　becomes　more　flexible；　more　malleable；　it　is　in　a　sense　partly

paralysed；　only　half　alive。〃　Then　we　follow　the　rolling　process；　〃the

imperturbable　deliberation　of　the　worker　as　it　rolls　its　cigar；　which

finally　hangs　perpendicularly　at　the　end　of　the　bent　and　wounded　stem。〃

（12/7。）



Fabre；　like　a　true　artist；　finds　all　sorts　of　expressions　to　describe　the

tiny；　fragile　eggs　of　his　insects；　little　shining　pearls；　delicious　coffers

of　nickel　or　amber；　miniature　pots　of　translucid　alabaster；　〃which　we　might

think　were　stolen　from　the　cupboard　of　a　fairy。〃



He　opens　the　enchanted　alcoves　wherein　the　puny　grubs　lie　slumbering；　〃fat；

rounded　puppets〃；　the　tender　larvae　which　〃gape　and　swing　their　heads　to

and　fro〃　when　the　mother　returns　to　the　nest　with　her　toothsome　mouthful　or

her　crop　swollen　with　honey。



What　compassion；　what　tenderness；　what　sensitiveness　in　the　affecting

picture　of　the　mother　Halictus；　abandoned；　deprived　of　her　offspring；

bewildered　and　lost；　when　the　terrible　spring　fly　has　destroyed　her　house：

bald；　emaciated；　shabby；　careworn；　already　dogged　by　the　small　grey　lizard！

（12/8。）



The　tragedy　of　the　wasps'　nest　at　the　approach　of　the　first　chills　of

winter　is　the　final　fragment　of　an　epic。　At　first　there　is　a　sort　of

uneasiness；　〃a　species　of　indifference　and　anxiety　which　broods　over　the

city〃；　already　it　has　a　presentiment　of　coming　misfortune；　of　an

approaching　catastrophe。　Presently　a　wild　excitement　ensues；　the　foster…

mothers；　〃frightened；　fierce；　and　restless；〃　as　though　suddenly　attacked　by

an　incomprehensible　insanity；　conceive　an　aversion　for　the　young；　〃the

neuters　extirpate　the　larvae　and　drag　them　out　of　the　nest；〃　and　the　drama

of　destruction　draws　to　a　close　with　〃the　final　catastrophe；　the　infirm　and

the　dying　are　dismembered；　eviscerated；　dissected　in　a　heap　in　the

catacombs　by　maggots；　woodlice；　and　centipedes。〃　Finally　the　moth　comes

upon　the　scene；　its　larvae　〃attacking　the　dwelling　itself；　gnawing　and

destroying　the　joists　and　rafters；　until　all　is　reduced　to　a　few　pinches　of

dust　and　shreds　of　grey　paper。〃　（12/9。）



What　picturesque　expressions　he　employs　to　depict；　by　means　of　some

significant　feature；　the　striking　peculiarities　of　the　insect　physiognomy！



〃The　gipsy　who　night　and　day　for　seven　months　goes　to　and　fro　with　her

brats　upon　her　back〃　is　the　Lycosa；　the　Tarantula　with　the　black　stomach；

the　great　spider　of　the　wastes。



The　larva　of　the　great　Capricornis；　which　gnaws　the　interior　of　old　oak…

trees；　〃leaving　behind　it；　in　the　form　of　dry…rot；　the　refuse　of　its

digestive　processes；〃　is　〃a　scrap　of　intestine　which　eats　its　way　as　it

goes。〃



In　〃that　hideous　lout〃　the　Scorpion　he　shows　us　a　rough　epitome　of　the

shapeless　head；　the　truncated　face　of　the　spider。



The　Tachinae；　those　〃brazen　diptera〃　which　swarm　on　the　sunny　sand　on　the

watch　for　Bembex　or　Philanthus；　in　order　to　establish　their　offspring　at

its　expense；　〃are　bandits　clad　in　fustian；　the　head　wrapped　in　a　red

handkerchief；　awaiting　the　hour　of　attack！〃



The　Languedocian　Sphex；　sprawling　flat　upon　the　vine　leaves；　grows　dizzy

with　the　heat　and　frisks　for　very　pleasure；　〃with　its　feet　it　taps　rapidly

on　its　resting…place；　and　thus　produces　a　drumming　like　that　of　a　shower　of

rain　falling　thickly　on　the　leaves。〃　Fabre　takes　a　keen　delight　in　the

production　of　these　pictures；　at　once　so　exact　and　lifelike；　but　we　must

not　therefore　suppose　that　his　mind　is　incapable　of　the　detailed

descriptions　necessitated　by　the　laborious　processes　of　minute　anatomy。



Like　all　sciences；　entomology　has　its　uninteresting　aspects　when　we　seek　to

study　it　deeply。　Yet　with　what　interest　and　lucidity　has　Fabre　succeeded　in

expounding　the　complex　morphoses　of　the　obscure　and　miserable　larva　of　the

Sitaris；　the　curious　intestine　of　the　Scarabaeus；　the　secret　of　the

spawning　of　the　weevil；　and　the　ingenious　mechanisms　of　the　musical

instruments　of　the　Decticus　and　the　Cicada。　With　what　subtle　art　he

explains　the　song　of　the　cricket；　how　the　five　hundred　prisms　of　the

serrated　bow　set　the　four　tympana　in　vibration；　and　how　the　song　is

sometimes　muffled　by　a　process　of　muting。　（12/10。）



Some　of　the　images　suggested　to　him　by　the　forms　of　animals　are　so

beautiful　that　certain　of　his　descriptions　might　well　serve　to　inspire　an

artist；　or　suggest　new　motives　of　decoration　in　the　arts　of　enamelling；

gem…engraving；　jewellery；　etc。



Instead　of　eternally　copying　ancient　things；　or　seeking　inspiration　in

lifeless　texts；　why　not　turn　our　attention　to　the　numerous　and　interesting

motives　which　are　scattered　all　around　us；　whose　originality　consists

precisely　in　the　fact　that　they　have　never　yet　been　employed？　Why　torture

the　mind　to　produce　more　painful　elaborations　of　awkward；　frozen；　poverty…

stricken　combinations；　when　Nature　herself　is　at　hand；　offering　the

inexhaustible　casket　of　her　living　marvels；　full　of　the　profoundest　logic

and　as　yet　unexamined？



If　the　bee　by　means　of　the　hexagonal　prism　has　anticipated　all　the

geometers　in　the　problem　of　the　economy　of　space　and　matter；　if　the　Epe？ra

and　the　mollusc　have　invented　the　logarithmic　spiral　and　its　transcendent

properties；　if　all　creatures　〃inspired　by　an　aesthetic　which　nothing

escapes；　achieve　the　beautiful〃　（12/11。）；　surely　human　art；　which　can　but

imitate　and　remember；　has　only　to　employ　to　its　profit　and　transfigure　into

ideal　images　the　natural　beauties　so　profusely　furnished　by　the

Unconscious。



Modern　art；　influenced　more　especially　by　the　subtle　Japanese；　is　already

t