flatland-第17节

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of　the　result　as　being　a　Figure；　but　as　a　Solid。　But　I　will　describe　it　to　you。　　Or　rather　not　I；　but　Analogy。

We　began　with　a　single　Point；　which　of　course　　being　itself　a　Point　　has　only　ONE　terminal　Point。

One　Point　produces　a　Line　with　TWO　terminal　Points。

One　Line　produces　a　Square　with　FOUR　terminal　Points。

Now　you　can　give　yourself　the　answer　to　your　own　question：　　1；　2；　4；　are　evidently　in　Geometrical　Progression。　　What　is　the　next　number？

I。　　Eight。

SPHERE。　　Exactly。　　The　one　Square　produces　a　SOMETHING…WHICH…　YOU…DO…NOT…AS…YET…KNOW…A…NAME…FOR…BUT…WHICH…WE…CALL…A…CUBE　with　EIGHT　terminal　Points。　　Now　are　you　convinced？

I。　　And　has　this　Creature　sides；　as　well　as　angles　or　what　you　call　〃terminal　Points〃？

SPHERE。　　Of　course；　and　all　according　to　Analogy。　　But；　by　the　way；　not　what　YOU　call　sides；　but　what　WE　call　sides。　You　would　call　them　SOLIDS。

I。　　And　how　many　solids　or　sides　will　appertain　to　this　Being　whom　I　am　to　generate　by　the　motion　of　my　inside　in　an　〃upward〃　direction；　and　whom　you　call　a　Cube？

SPHERE。　　How　can　you　ask？　　And　you　a　mathematician！　The　side　of　anything　is　always；　if　I　may　so　say；　one　Dimension　behind　the　thing。　　Consequently；　as　there　is　no　Dimension　behind　a　Point；　a　Point　has　0　sides；　a　Line；　if　I　may　say；　has　2　sides　（for　the　Points　of　a　Line　may　be　called　by　courtesy；　its　sides）；　a　Square　has　4　sides；　0；　2；　4；　what　Progression　do　you　call　that？

I。　　Arithmetical。

SPHERE。　　And　what　is　the　next　number？

I。　　Six。

SPHERE。　　Exactly。　　Then　you　see　you　have　answered　your　own　question。　The　Cube　which　you　will　generate　will　be　bounded　by　six　sides；　that　is　to　say；　six　of　your　insides。　　You　see　it　all　now；　eh？

〃Monster；〃　I　shrieked；　〃be　thou　juggler；　enchanter；　dream；　or　devil；　no　more　will　I　endure　thy　mockeries。　　Either　thou　or　I　must　perish。〃　And　saying　these　words　I　precipitated　myself　upon　him。




Section　17。　　How　the　Sphere；　having　in　vain　tried　words；　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　resorted　to　deeds



It　was　in　vain。　　I　brought　my　hardest　right　angle　into　violent　collision　with　the　Stranger；　pressing　on　him　with　a　force　sufficient　to　have　destroyed　any　ordinary　Circle：　　but　I　could　feel　him　slowly　and　unarrestably　slipping　from　my　contact；　no　edging　to　the　right　nor　to　the　left；　but　moving　somehow　out　of　the　world；　and　vanishing　to　nothing。　　Soon　there　was　a　blank。　　But　still　I　heard　the　Intruder's　voice。

SPHERE。　　Why　will　you　refuse　to　listen　to　reason？　I　had　hoped　to　find　in　you　　as　being　a　man　of　sense　and　an　accomplished　mathematician　　a　fit　apostle　for　the　Gospel　of　the　Three　Dimensions；　which　I　am　allowed　to　preach　once　only　in　a　thousand　years：　　but　now　I　know　not　how　to　convince　you。　Stay；　I　have　it。　　Deeds；　and　not　words；　shall　proclaim　the　truth。　Listen；　my　friend。

I　have　told　you　I　can　see　from　my　position　in　Space　the　inside　of　all　things　that　you　consider　closed。　　For　example；　I　see　in　yonder　cupboard　near　which　you　are　standing；　several　of　what　you　call　boxes　（but　like　everything　else　in　Flatland；　they　have　no　tops　nor　bottoms）　full　of　money；　I　see　also　two　tablets　of　accounts。　　I　am　about　to　descend　into　that　cupboard　and　to　bring　you　one　of　those　tablets。　　I　saw　you　lock　the　cupboard　half　an　hour　ago；　and　I　know　you　have　the　key　in　your　possession。　But　I　descend　from　Space；　the　doors；　you　see；　remain　unmoved。　Now　I　am　in　the　cupboard　and　am　taking　the　tablet。　　Now　I　have　it。　Now　I　ascend　with　it。

I　rushed　to　the　closet　and　dashed　the　door　open。　　One　of　the　tablets　was　gone。　　With　a　mocking　laugh；　the　Stranger　appeared　in　the　other　corner　of　the　room；　and　at　the　same　time　the　tablet　appeared　upon　the　floor。　　I　took　it　up。　　There　could　be　no　doubt　　it　was　the　missing　tablet。

I　groaned　with　horror；　doubting　whether　I　was　not　out　of　my　senses；　but　the　Stranger　continued：　　〃Surely　you　must　now　see　that　my　explanation；　and　no　other；　suits　the　phenomena。　　What　you　call　Solid　things　are　really　superficial；　what　you　call　Space　is　really　nothing　but　a　great　Plane。　　I　am　in　Space；　and　look　down　upon　the　insides　of　the　things　of　which　you　only　see　the　outsides。　You　could　leave　this　Plane　yourself；　if　you　could　but　summon　up　the　necessary　volition。　　A　slight　upward　or　downward　motion　would　enable　you　to　see　all　that　I　can　see。

〃The　higher　I　mount；　and　the　further　I　go　from　your　Plane；　the　more　I　can　see；　though　of　course　I　see　it　on　a　smaller　scale。　For　example；　I　am　ascending；　now　I　can　see　your　neighbour　the　Hexagon　and　his　family　in　their　several　apartments；　now　I　see　the　inside　of　the　Theatre；　ten　doors　off；　from　which　the　audience　is　only　just　departing；　and　on　the　other　side　a　Circle　in　his　study；　sitting　at　his　books。　　Now　I　shall　come　back　to　you。　And；　as　a　crowning　proof；　what　do　you　say　to　my　giving　you　a　touch；　just　the　least　touch；　in　your　stomach？　　It　will　not　seriously　injure　you；　and　the　slight　pain　you　may　suffer　cannot　be　compared　with　the　mental　benefit　you　will　receive。〃

Before　I　could　utter　a　word　of　remonstrance；　I　felt　a　shooting　pain　in　my　inside；　and　a　demoniacal　laugh　seemed　to　issue　from　within　me。　A　moment　afterwards　the　sharp　agony　had　ceased；　leaving　nothing　but　a　dull　ache　behind；　and　the　Stranger　began　to　reappear；　saying；　as　he　gradually　increased　in　size；　〃There；　I　have　not　hurt　you　much；　have　I？　　If　you　are　not　convinced　now；　I　don't　know　what　will　convince　you。　　What　say　you？〃

My　resolution　was　taken。　　It　seemed　intolerable　that　I　should　endure　existence　subject　to　the　arbitrary　visitations　of　a　Magician　who　could　thus　play　tricks　with　one's　very　stomach。　　If　only　I　could　in　any　way　manage　to　pin　him　against　the　wall　till　help　came！

Once　more　I　dashed　my　hardest　angle　against　him；　at　the　same　time　alarming　the　whole　household　by　my　cries　for　aid。　　I　believe；　at　the　moment　of　my　onset；　the　Stranger　had　sunk　below　our　Plane；　and　really　found　difficulty　in　rising。　　In　any　case　he　remained　motionless；　while　I；　hearing；　as　I　thought；　the　sound　of　some　help　approaching；　pressed　against　him　with　redoubled　vigour；　and　continued　to　shout　for　assistance。

A　convulsive　shudder　ran　through　the　Sphere。　　〃This　must　not　be；〃　I　thought　I　heard　him　say：　　〃either　he　must　listen　to　reason；　or　I　must　have　recourse　to　the　last　resource　of　civilization。〃　Then；　addressing　me　in　a　louder　tone；　he　hurriedly　exclaimed；　〃Listen：　　no　stranger　must　witness　what　you　have　witnessed。　Send　your　Wife　back　at　once；　before　she　enters　the　apartment。　The　Gospel　of　Three　Dimensions　must　not　be　thus　frustrated。　Not　thus　must　the　fruits　of　one　thousand　years　of　waiting　be　thrown　away。　　I　hear　her　coming。　　Back！　back！　　Away　from　me；　or　you　must　go　with　me　　whither　you　know　not　　into　the　Land　of　Three　Dimensions！〃

〃Fool！　　Madman！　　Irregular！〃　I　exclaimed；　〃never　will　I　release　thee；　thou　shalt　pay　the　penalty　of　thine　impostures。〃

〃Ha！　　Is　it　come　to　this？〃　thundered　the　Stranger：　　〃then　meet　your　fate：　　out　of　your　Plane　you　go。　　Once；　twice；　thrice！　'Tis　done！〃




Section　18。　　How　I　came　to　Spaceland；　and　what　I　saw　there



An　unspeakable　horror　seized　me。　　There　was　a　darkness；　then　a　dizzy；　sickening　sensation　of　sight　that　was　not　like　seeing；　I　saw　a　Line　that　was　no　Line；　Space　that　was　not　Space：　I　was　myself；　and　not　myself。　　When　I　could　find　voice；　I　shrieked　aloud　in　agony；　〃Either　this　is　madness　or　it　is　Hell。〃　〃It　is　neither；〃　calmly　replied　the　voice　of　the　Sphere；　〃it　is　Knowledge；　it　is　Three　Dimensions：　　open　your　eye　once　again　and　try　to　look　steadily。〃

I　looked；　and；　behold；　a　new　world！　　There　stood　before　me；　visibly　incorporate；　all　that　I　had　before　inferred；　conjectured；　dreamed；　of　perfect　Circular　beauty。　　What　seemed　the　centre　of　the　Stranger's　form　lay　open　to　my　view：　　yet　I　could　see　no　heart；　nor　lungs；　nor　arteries；　only　a　beautiful　harmonious　Something　　for　which　I　had　no　words；　but　you；　my　Readers　in　Spaceland；　would　call　it　the　surface　of　the　Sphere。

Prostrating　myself　mentally　before　my　Guide；　I　cried；　〃How　is　it；　O　divine　ideal　of　consummate　loveliness　and　wisdom　that　I　see　thy　inside；　and　yet　cannot　discern　thy　heart；　thy　lungs；　thy　arteries；　thy　liver？〃　　〃What　you　think　you　see；　you　see　not；〃　he　replied；　〃it　is　not　given　to　you；　nor　to　any　other　Being　to　behold　my　internal　parts。　　I　am　of　a　different　order　of　Beings　from　those　in　Flatland。　　Were　I　a　Circle；　you　could　discern　my　intestines；　but　I　am　a　Being；　composed　as　I　told　you　before；　of　many　Circles；　the　Many　in　the　One；　called　in　this　country　a　Sphere。　　And；　just　as　the　outside　of　a　Cube　is　a　Square；　so　the　outside　of　a　Sphere　presents　the　appearance　of　a　Circle。〃

Bewildered　though　I　was　by　my　Teacher's　enigmatic　utterance；　I　no　longer　chafed　against　it；　but　worshipped　him　in　silent　adoration。　He　continued；　with　more　mildness　in　his　voice。　　〃Distress　not　yourself　if　you　cannot　at　first　understand　the　deeper　mysteries　of　Spaceland。　By　degrees　they　will　dawn　upon　you。　　Let　us　begin　by　casting　back　a　glance　at　the　region　whence　you　came。　　Return　with　me　a　while　to　the　plains　of　Flatland；　and　I　will　shew　you　that　which　you　have　often　reasoned　and　thought　about；　but　never　seen　with　the　sense　of　sight　　a　visible　angle。〃　　〃Impossible！〃　I　cried；　but；　the　Sphere　leading　the　way；　I　followed　as　if　in　a　dream；　till　once　more　his　voice