erewhon-第2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！


second　in　the　Spectator　of　April　20。　　There　was　also　another　cause。
I　was　complaining　once　to　a　friend　that　though　〃Erewhon〃　had　met
with　such　a　warm　reception；　my　subsequent　books　had　been　all　of
them　practically　still…born。　　He　said；　〃You　forget　one　charm　that
'Erewhon'　had；　but　which　none　of　your　other　books　can　have。〃　　I
asked　what？　and　was　answered；　〃The　sound　of　a　new　voice；　and　of　an
unknown　voice。〃

The　first　edition　of　〃Erewhon〃　sold　in　about　three　weeks；　I　had　not
taken　moulds；　and　as　the　demand　was　strong；　it　was　set　up　again
immediately。　　I　made　a　few　unimportant　alterations　and　additions；
and　added　a　Preface；　of　which　I　cannot　say　that　I　am　particularly
proud；　but　an　inexperienced　writer　with　a　head　somewhat　turned　by
unexpected　success　is　not　to　be　trusted　with　a　preface。　　I　made　a
few　further　very　trifling　alterations　before　moulds　were　taken；　but
since　the　summer　of　1872；　as　new　editions　were　from　time　to　time
wanted；　they　have　been　printed　from　stereos　then　made。

Having　now；　I　fear；　at　too　great　length　done　what　I　was　asked　to
do；　I　should　like　to　add　a　few　words　on　my　own　account。　　I　am　still
fairly　well　satisfied　with　those　parts　of　〃Erewhon〃　that　were
repeatedly　rewritten；　but　from　those　that　had　only　a　single　writing
I　would　gladly　cut　out　some　forty　or　fifty　pages　if　I　could。

This；　however；　may　not　be；　for　the　copyright　will　probably　expire
in　a　little　over　twelve　years。　　It　was　necessary；　therefore；　to
revise　the　book　throughout　for　literary　ineleganciesof　which　I
found　many　more　than　I　had　expectedand　also　to　make　such
substantial　additions　as　should　secure　a　new　lease　of　lifeat　any
rate　for　the　copyright。　　If；　then；　instead　of　cutting　out；　say
fifty　pages；　I　have　been　compelled　to　add　about　sixty　invita
Minervathe　blame　rests　neither　with　my　publisher　nor　with　me；　but
with　the　copyright　laws。　　Nevertheless　I　can　assure　the　reader
that；　though　I　have　found　it　an　irksome　task　to　take　up　work　which
I　thought　I　had　got　rid　of　thirty　years　ago；　and　much　of　which　I　am
ashamed　of；　I　have　done　my　best　to　make　the　new　matter　savour　so
much　of　the　better　portions　of　the　old；　that　none　but　the　best
critics　shall　perceive　at　what　places　the　gaps　of　between　thirty
and　forty　years　occur。

Lastly；　if　my　readers　note　a　considerable　difference　between　the
literary　technique　of　〃Erewhon〃　and　that　of　〃Erewhon　Revisited；〃　I
would　remind　them　that；　as　I　have　just　shown；　〃Erewhon〃　look
something　like　ten　years　in　writing；　and　even　so　was　written　with
great　difficulty；　while　〃Erewhon　Revisited〃　was　written　easily
between　November　1900　and　the　end　of　April　1901。　　There　is　no
central　idea　underlying　〃Erewhon；〃　whereas　the　attempt　to　realise
the　effect　of　a　single　supposed　great　miracle　dominates　the　whole
of　its　successor。　　In　〃Erewhon〃　there　was　hardly　any　story；　and
little　attempt　to　give　life　and　individuality　to　the　characters；　I
hope　that　in　〃Erewhon　Revisited〃　both　these　defects　have　been　in
great　measure　avoided。　　〃Erewhon〃　was　not　an　organic　whole；
〃Erewhon　Revisited〃　may　fairly　claim　to　be　one。　　Nevertheless；
though　in　literary　workmanship　I　do　not　doubt　that　this　last…named
book　is　an　improvement　on　the　first；　I　shall　be　agreeably　surprised
if　I　am　not　told　that　〃Erewhon；〃　with　all　its　faults；　is　the　better
reading　of　the　two。

SAMUEL　BUTLER。

August　7；　1901



CHAPTER　I：　　WASTE　LANDS



If　the　reader　will　excuse　me；　I　will　say　nothing　of　my　antecedents；
nor　of　the　circumstances　which　led　me　to　leave　my　native　country；
the　narrative　would　be　tedious　to　him　and　painful　to　myself。
Suffice　it；　that　when　I　left　home　it　was　with　the　intention　of
going　to　some　new　colony；　and　either　finding；　or　even　perhaps
purchasing；　waste　crown　land　suitable　for　cattle　or　sheep　farming；
by　which　means　I　thought　that　I　could　better　my　fortunes　more
rapidly　than　in　England。

It　will　be　seen　that　I　did　not　succeed　in　my　design；　and　that
however　much　I　may　have　met　with　that　was　new　and　strange；　I　have
been　unable　to　reap　any　pecuniary　advantage。

It　is　true；　I　imagine　myself　to　have　made　a　discovery　which；　if　I
can　be　the　first　to　profit　by　it；　will　bring　me　a　recompense　beyond
all　money　computation；　and　secure　me　a　position　such　as　has　not
been　attained　by　more　than　some　fifteen　or　sixteen　persons；　since
the　creation　of　the　universe。　　But　to　this　end　I　must　possess
myself　of　a　considerable　sum　of　money：　　neither　do　I　know　how　to
get　it；　except　by　interesting　the　public　in　my　story；　and　inducing
the　charitable　to　come　forward　and　assist　me。　　With　this　hope　I　now
publish　my　adventures；　but　I　do　so　with　great　reluctance；　for　I
fear　that　my　story　will　be　doubted　unless　I　tell　the　whole　of　it；
and　yet　I　dare　not　do　so；　lest　others　with　more　means　than　mine
should　get　the　start　of　me。　　I　prefer　the　risk　of　being　doubted　to
that　of　being　anticipated；　and　have　therefore　concealed　my
destination　on　leaving　England；　as　also　the　point　from　which　I
began　my　more　serious　and　difficult　journey。

My　chief　consolation　lies　in　the　fact　that　truth　bears　its　own
impress；　and　that　my　story　will　carry　conviction　by　reason　of　the
internal　evidences　for　its　accuracy。　　No　one　who　is　himself　honest
will　doubt　my　being　so。

I　reached　my　destination　in　one　of　the　last　months　of　1868；　but　I
dare　not　mention　the　season；　lest　the　reader　should　gather　in　which
hemisphere　I　was。　　The　colony　was　one　which　had　not　been　opened　up
even　to　the　most　adventurous　settlers　for　more　than　eight　or　nine
years；　having　been　previously　uninhabited；　save　by　a　few　tribes　of
savages　who　frequented　the　seaboard。　　The　part　known　to　Europeans
consisted　of　a　coast…line　about　eight　hundred　miles　in　length
（affording　three　or　four　good　harbours）；　and　a　tract　of　country
extending　inland　for　a　space　varying　from　two　to　three　hundred
miles；　until　it　a　reached　the　offshoots　of　an　exceedingly　lofty
range　of　mountains；　which　could　be　seen　from　far　out　upon　the
plains；　and　were　covered　with　perpetual　snow。　　The　coast　was
perfectly　well　known　both　north　and　south　of　the　tract　to　which　I
have　alluded；　but　in　neither　direction　was　there　a　single　harbour
for　five　hundred　miles；　and　the　mountains；　which　descended　almost
into　the　sea；　were　covered　with　thick　timber；　so　that　none　would
think　of　settling。

With　this　bay　of　land；　however；　the　case　was　different。　　The
harbours　were　sufficient；　the　country　was　timbered；　but　not　too
heavily；　it　was　admirably　suited　for　agriculture；　it　also　contained
millions　on　millions　of　acres　of　the　most　beautifully　grassed
country　in　the　world；　and　of　the　best　suited　for　all　manner　of
sheep　and　cattle。　　The　climate　was　temperate；　and　very　healthy；
there　were　no　wild　animals；　nor　were　the　natives　dangerous；　being
few　in　number　and　of　an　intelligent　tractable　disposition。

It　may　be　readily　understood　that　when　once　Europeans　set　foot　upon
this　territory　they　were　not　slow　to　take　advantage　of　its
capabilities。　　Sheep　and　cattle　were　introduced；　and　bred　with
extreme　rapidity；　men　took　up　their　50；000　or　100；000　acres　of
country；　going　inland　one　behind　the　other；　till　in　a　few　years
there　was　not　an　acre　between　the　sea　and　the　front　ranges　which
was　not　taken　up；　and　stations　either　for　sheep　or　cattle　were
spotted　about　at　intervals　of　some　twenty　or　thirty　miles　over　the
whole　country。　　The　front　ranges　stopped　the　tide　of　squatters　for
some　little　time；　it　was　thought　that　there　was　too　much　snow　upon
them　for　too　many　months　in　the　year；that　the　sheep　would　get
lost；　the　ground　being　too　difficult　for　shepherding；that　the
expense　of　getting　wool　down　to　the　ship's　side　would　eat　up　the
farmer's　profits；and　that　the　grass　was　too　rough　and　sour　for
sheep　to　thrive　upon；　but　one　after　another　determined　to　try　the
experiment；　and　it　was　wonderful　how　successfully　it　turned　out。
Men　pushed　farther　and　farther　into　the　mountains；　and　found　a　very
considerable　tract　inside　the　front　range；　between　it　and　another
which　was　loftier　still；　though　even　this　was　not　the　highest；　the
great　snowy　one　which　could　be　seen　from　out　upon　the　plains。　　This
second　range；　however；　seemed　to　mark　the　extreme　limits　of
pastoral　country；　and　it　was　here；　at　a　small　and　newly　founded
station；　that　I　was　received　as　a　cadet；　and　soon　regularly
employed。　　I　was　then　just　twenty…two　years　old。

I　was　delighted　with　the　country　and　the　manner　of　life。　　It　was　my
daily　business　to　go　up　to　the　top　of　a　certain　high　mountain；　and
down　one　of　its　spurs　on　to　the　flat；　in　order　to　make　sure　that　no
sheep　had　crossed　their　boundaries。　　I　was　to　see　the　sheep；　not
necessarily　close　at　hand；　nor　to　get　them　in　a　single　mob；　but　to
see　enough　of　them　here　and　there　to　feel　easy　that　nothing　had
gone　wrong；　this　was　no　difficult　matter；　for　there　were　not　above
eight　hundred　of　them；　and；　being　all　breeding　ewes；　they　were
pretty　quiet。

There　were　a　good　many　sheep　which　I　knew；　as　two　or　three　black
ewes；　and　a　black　lamb　or　two；　and　several　others　which　had　some
distinguishing　mark　whereby　I　could　tell　them。　　I　would　try　and　see
all　these；　and　if　they　were　all　there；　and　the　mob　looked　large
enough；　I　might　rest　assured　that　all　was　well。　　It　is　su