the magic skin(驴皮记)-第47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！


out　to　you　that　this　scrap　was　in　the　first　instance　quite　as　large　as
that　map；〃　said　Raphael；　indicating　an　open　atlas　to　Lavrille；　〃but　it
has　shrunk　visibly　in　three　months'　time〃

〃Quite　so；〃　said　the　man　of　science。　〃I　understand。　The　remains　of　any
substance　primarily　organic　are　naturally　subject　to　a　process　of
decay。　It　is　quite　easy　to　understand；　and　its　progress　depends　upon
atmospherical　conditions。　Even　metals　contract　and　expand　appreciably；
for　engineers　have　remarked　somewhat　considerable　interstices　between
great　blocks　of　stone　originally　clamped　together　with　iron　bars。　The
field　of　science　is　boundless；　but　human　life　is　very　short；　so　that
we　do　not　claim　to　be　acquainted　with　all　the　phenomena　of　nature。〃

〃Pardon　the　question　that　I　am　about　to　ask　you；　sir；〃　Raphael　began；
half　embarrassed；　〃but　are　you　quite　sure　that　this　piece　of　skin　is
subject　to　the　ordinary　laws　of　zoology；　and　that　it　can　be
stretched？〃

〃Certainlyoh；　bother！〃　muttered　M。　Lavrille；　trying　to　stretch
the　talisman。　〃But　if　you；　sir；　will　go　to　see　Planchette；〃　he　added；
〃the　celebrated　professor　of　mechanics；　he　will　certainly　discover
some　method　of　acting　upon　this　skin；　of　softening　and　expanding　it。〃

〃Ah；　sir；　you　are　the　preserver　of　my　life；〃　and　Raphael　took　leave　of
the　learned　naturalist　and　hurried　off　to　Planchette；　leaving　the
worthy　Lavrille　in　his　study；　all　among　the　bottles　and　dried　plants
that　filled　it　up。

Quite　unconsciously　Raphael　brought　away　with　him　from　this　visit；　all
of　science　that　man　can　grasp；　a　terminology　to　wit。　Lavrille；　the
worthy　man；　was　very　much　like　Sancho　Panza　giving　to　Don　Quixote　the
history　of　the　goats；　he　was　entertaining　himself　by　making　out　a　list
of　animals　and　ticking　them　off。　Even　now　that　his　life　was　nearing
its　end；　he　was　scarcely　acquainted　with　a　mere　fraction　of　the
countless　numbers　of　the　great　tribes　that　God　has　scattered；　for　some
unknown　end；　throughout　the　ocean　of　worlds。

Raphael　was　well　pleased。　〃I　shall　keep　my　ass　well　in　hand；〃　cried
he。　Sterne　had　said　before　his　day；　〃Let　us　take　care　of　our　ass；　if
we　wish　to　live　to　old　age。〃　But　it　is　such　a　fantastic　brute！

Planchette　was　a　tall；　thin　man；　a　poet　of　a　surety；　lost　in　one
continual　thought；　and　always　employed　in　gazing　into　the　bottomless
abyss　of　Motion。　Commonplace　minds　accuse　these　lofty　intellects　of
madness；　they　form　a　misinterpreted　race　apart　that　lives　in　a
wonderful　carelessness　of　luxuries　or　other　people's　notions。　They
will　spend　whole　days　at　a　stretch；　smoking　a　cigar　that　has　gone　out；
and　enter　a　drawing…room　with　the　buttons　on　their　garments　not　in
every　case　formally　wedded　to　the　button…holes。　Some　day　or　other；
after　a　long　time　spent　in　measuring　space；　or　in　accumulating　Xs
under　Aa…Gg；　they　succeed　in　analyzing　some　natural　law；　and　resolve
it　into　its　elemental　principles；　and　all　on　a　sudden　the　crowd　gapes
at　a　new　machine；　or　it　is　a　handcart　perhaps　that　overwhelms　us　with
astonishment　by　the　apt　simplicity　of　its　construction。　The　modest　man
of　science　smiles　at　his　admirers；　and　remarks；　〃What　is　that
invention　of　mine？　Nothing　whatever。　Man　cannot　create　a　force；　he　can
but　direct　it；　and　science　consists　in　learning　from　nature。〃

The　mechanician　was　standing　bolt　upright；　planted　on　both　feet；　like
some　victim　dropped　straight　from　the　gibbet；　when　Raphael　broke　in
upon　him。　He　was　intently　watching　an　agate　ball　that　rolled　over　a
sun…dial；　and　awaited　its　final　settlement。　The　worthy　man　had
received　neither　pension　nor　decoration；　he　had　not　known　how　to　make
the　right　use　of　his　ability　for　calculation。　He　was　happy　in　his　life
spent　on　the　watch　for　a　discovery；　he　had　no　thought　either　of
reputation；　of　the　outer　world；　nor　even　of　himself；　and　led　the　life
of　science　for　the　sake　of　science。

〃It　is　inexplicable；〃　he　exclaimed。　〃Ah；　your　servant；　sir；〃　he　went
on；　becoming　aware　of　Raphael's　existence。　〃How　is　your　mother？　You
must　go　and　see　my　wife。〃

〃And　I　also　could　have　lived　thus；〃　thought　Raphael；　as　he　recalled
the　learned　man　from　his　meditations　by　asking　of　him　how　to　produce
any　effect　on　the　talisman；　which　he　placed　before　him。

〃Although　my　credulity　must　amuse　you；　sir；〃　so　the　Marquis　ended；　〃I
will　conceal　nothing　from　you。　That　skin　seems　to　me　to　be　endowed
with　an　insuperable　power　of　resistance。〃

〃People　of　fashion；　sir；　always　treat　science　rather　superciliously；〃
said　Planchette。　〃They　all　talk　to　us　pretty　much　as　the　incroyable
did　when　he　brought　some　ladies　to　see　Lalande　just　after　an　eclipse；
and　remarked；　'Be　so　good　as　to　begin　it　over　again！'　What　effect　do
you　want　to　produce？　The　object　of　the　science　of　mechanics　is　either
the　application　or　the　neutralization　of　the　laws　of　motion。　As　for
motion　pure　and　simple；　I　tell　you　humbly；　that　we　cannot　possibly
define　it。　That　disposed　of；　unvarying　phenomena　have　been　observed
which　accompany　the　actions　of　solids　and　fluids。　If　we　set　up　the
conditions　by　which　these　phenomena　are　brought　to　pass；　we　can
transport　bodies　or　communicate　locomotive　power　to　them　at　a
predetermined　rate　of　speed。　We　can　project　them；　divide　them　up　in　a
few　or　an　infinite　number　of　pieces；　accordingly　as　we　break　them　or
grind　them　to　powder；　we　can　twist　bodies　or　make　them　rotate；　modify；
compress；　expand；　or　extend　them。　The　whole　science；　sir；　rests　upon　a
single　fact。

〃You　see　this　ball；〃　he　went　on；　〃here　it　lies　upon　this　slab。　Now；　it
is　over　there。　What　name　shall　we　give　to　what　has　taken　place；　so
natural　from　a　physical　point　of　view；　so　amazing　from　a　moral？
Movement；　locomotion；　changing　of　place？　What　prodigious　vanity　lurks
underneath　the　words。　Does　a　name　solve　the　difficulty？　Yet　it　is　the
whole　of　our　science　for　all　that。　Our　machines　either　make　direct　use
of　this　agency；　this　fact；　or　they　convert　it。　This　trifling
phenomenon；　applied　to　large　masses；　would　send　Paris　flying。　We　can
increase　speed　by　an　expenditure　of　force；　and　augment　the　force　by　an
increase　of　speed。　But　what　are　speed　and　force？　Our　science　is　as
powerless　to　tell　us　that　as　to　create　motion。　Any　movement　whatever
is　an　immense　power；　and　man　does　not　create　power　of　any　kind。
Everything　is　movement；　thought　itself　is　a　movement；　upon　movement
nature　is　based。　Death　is　a　movement　whose　limitations　are　little
known。　If　God　is　eternal；　be　sure　that　He　moves　perpetually；　perhaps
God　is　movement。　That　is　why　movement；　like　God　is　inexplicable；
unfathomable；　unlimited；　incomprehensible；　intangible。　Who　has　ever
touched；　comprehended；　or　measured　movement？　We　feel　its　effects
without　seeing　it；　we　can　even　deny　them　as　we　can　deny　the　existence
of　a　God。　Where　is　it？　Where　is　it　not？　Whence　comes　it？　What　is　its
source？　What　is　its　end？　It　surrounds　us；　it　intrudes　upon　us；　and　yet
escapes　us。　It　is　evident　as　a　fact；　obscure　as　an　abstraction；　it　is
at　once　effect　and　cause。　It　requires　space；　even　as　we；　and　what　is
space？　Movement　alone　recalls　it　to　us；　without　movement；　space　is　but
an　empty　meaningless　word。　Like　space；　like　creation；　like　the
infinite；　movement　is　an　insoluble　problem　which　confounds　human
reason；　man　will　never　conceive　it；　whatever　else　he　may　be　permitted
to　conceive。

〃Between　each　point　in　space　occupied　in　succession　by　that　ball；〃
continued　the　man　of　science；　〃there　is　an　abyss　confronting　human
reason；　an　abyss　into　which　Pascal　fell。　In　order　to　produce　any
effect　upon　an　unknown　substance；　we　ought　first　of　all　to　study　that
substance；　to　know　whether；　in　accordance　with　its　nature；　it　will　be
broken　by　the　force　of　a　blow；　or　whether　it　will　withstand　it；　if　it
breaks　in　pieces；　and　you　have　no　wish　to　split　it　up；　we　shall　not
achieve　the　end　proposed。　If　you　want　to　compress　it；　a　uniform
impulse　must　be　communicated　to　all　the　particles　of　the　substance；　so
as　to　diminish　the　interval　that　separates　them　in　an　equal　degree。　If
you　wish　to　expand　it；　we　should　try　to　bring　a　uniform　eccentric
force　to　bear　on　every　molecule；　for　unless　we　conform　accurately　to
this　law；　we　shall　have　breaches　in　continuity。　The　modes　of　motion；
sir；　are　infinite；　and　no　limit　exists　to　combinations　of　movement。
Upon　what　effect　have　you　determined？〃

〃I　want　any　kind　of　pressure　that　is　strong　enough　to　expand　the　skin
indefinitely；〃　began　Raphael；　quite　of　out　patience。

〃Substance　is　finite；〃　the　mathematician　put　in；　〃and　therefore　will
not　admit　of　indefinite　expansion；　but　pressure　will　necessarily
increase　the　extent　of　surface　at　the　expense　of　the　thickness；　which
will　be　diminished　until　the　point　is　reached　when　the　material　gives
out〃

〃Bring　about　that　result；　sir；〃　Raphael　cried；　〃and　you　will　have
earned　millions。〃

〃Then　I　should　rob　you　of　your　money；〃　replied　the　other；　phlegmatic
as　a　Dutchman。　〃I　am　going　to　show　you；　in　a　word　or　two；　that　a
machine　can　be　made　that　is　fit　to　crush　Providence　itself　in　pieces
like　a　fly。　It　would　reduce　a　man　to　the　conditions　of　a　piece　of
waste　paper；　a　manboots　and　spurs；　hat　and　cravat；　trinkets　and
gold；　and　all〃

〃What　a　fearful　machine！〃

〃Instead　of　flinging　their　brats