flatland-第21节

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be　patent　even　to　the　Female　Sex。




Section　21。　　How　I　tried　to　teach　the　Theory　of　Three　Dimensions　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　to　my　Grandson；　and　with　what　success



I　awoke　rejoicing；　and　began　to　reflect　on　the　glorious　career　before　me。　　I　would　go　forth；　methought；　at　once；　and　evangelize　the　whole　of　Flatland。　　Even　to　Women　and　Soldiers　should　the　Gospel　of　Three　Dimensions　be　proclaimed。　　I　would　begin　with　my　Wife。

Just　as　I　had　decided　on　the　plan　of　my　operations；　I　heard　the　sound　of　many　voices　in　the　street　commanding　silence。　Then　followed　a　louder　voice。　　It　was　a　herald's　proclamation。　Listening　attentively；　I　recognized　the　words　of　the　Resolution　of　the　Council；　enjoining　the　arrest；　imprisonment；　or　execution　of　any　one　who　should　pervert　the　minds　of　the　people　by　delusions；　and　by　professing　to　have　received　revelations　from　another　World。

I　reflected。　　This　danger　was　not　to　be　trifled　with。　　It　would　be　better　to　avoid　it　by　omitting　all　mention　of　my　Revelation；　and　by　proceeding　on　the　path　of　Demonstration　　which　after　all；　seemed　so　simple　and　so　conclusive　that　nothing　would　be　lost　by　discarding　the　former　means。　　〃Upward；　not　Northward〃　　was　the　clue　to　the　whole　proof。　　It　had　seemed　to　me　fairly　clear　before　I　fell　asleep；　and　when　I　first　awoke；　fresh　from　my　dream；　it　had　appeared　as　patent　as　Arithmetic；　but　somehow　it　did　not　seem　to　me　quite　so　obvious　now。　　Though　my　Wife　entered　the　room　opportunely　just　at　that　moment；　I　decided；　after　we　had　exchanged　a　few　words　of　commonplace　conversation；　not　to　begin　with　her。

My　Pentagonal　Sons　were　men　of　character　and　standing；　and　physicians　of　no　mean　reputation；　but　not　great　in　mathematics；　and；　in　that　respect；　unfit　for　my　purpose。　　But　it　occurred　to　me　that　a　young　and　docile　Hexagon；　with　a　mathematical　turn；　would　be　a　most　suitable　pupil。　　Why　therefore　not　make　my　first　experiment　with　my　little　precocious　Grandson；　whose　casual　remarks　on　the　meaning　of　3^3　had　met　with　the　approval　of　the　Sphere？　　Discussing　the　matter　with　him；　a　mere　boy；　I　should　be　in　perfect　safety；　for　he　would　know　nothing　of　the　Proclamation　of　the　Council；　whereas　I　could　not　feel　sure　that　my　Sons　　so　greatly　did　their　patriotism　and　reverence　for　the　Circles　predominate　over　mere　blind　affection　　might　not　feel　compelled　to　hand　me　over　to　the　Prefect；　if　they　found　me　seriously　maintaining　the　seditious　heresy　of　the　Third　Dimension。

But　the　first　thing　to　be　done　was　to　satisfy　in　some　way　the　curiosity　of　my　Wife；　who　naturally　wished　to　know　something　of　the　reasons　for　which　the　Circle　had　desired　that　mysterious　interview；　and　of　the　means　by　which　he　had　entered　the　house。　　Without　entering　into　the　details　of　the　elaborate　account　I　gave　her；　　an　account；　I　fear；　not　quite　so　consistent　with　truth　as　my　Readers　in　Spaceland　might　desire；　　I　must　be　content　with　saying　that　I　succeeded　at　last　in　persuading　her　to　return　quietly　to　her　household　duties　without　eliciting　from　me　any　reference　to　the　World　of　Three　Dimensions。　　This　done；　I　immediately　sent　for　my　Grandson；　for；　to　confess　the　truth；　I　felt　that　all　that　I　had　seen　and　heard　was　in　some　strange　way　slipping　away　from　me；　like　the　image　of　a　half…grasped；　tantalizing　dream；　and　I　longed　to　essay　my　skill　in　making　a　first　disciple。

When　my　Grandson　entered　the　room　I　carefully　secured　the　door。　Then；　sitting　down　by　his　side　and　taking　our　mathematical　tablets；　　or；　as　you　would　call　them；　Lines　　I　told　him　we　would　resume　the　lesson　of　yesterday。　　I　taught　him　once　more　how　a　Point　by　motion　in　One　Dimension　produces　a　Line；　and　how　a　straight　Line　in　Two　Dimensions　produces　a　Square。　　After　this；　forcing　a　laugh；　I　said；　〃And　now；　you　scamp；　you　wanted　to　make　me　believe　that　a　Square　may　in　the　same　way　by　motion　'Upward；　not　Northward'　produce　another　figure；　a　sort　of　extra　Square　in　Three　Dimensions。　Say　that　again；　you　young　rascal。〃

At　this　moment　we　heard　once　more　the　herald's　〃O　yes！　O　yes！〃　outside　in　the　street　proclaiming　the　Resolution　of　the　Council。　Young　though　he　was；　my　Grandson　　who　was　unusually　intelligent　for　his　age；　and　bred　up　in　perfect　reverence　for　the　authority　of　the　Circles　　took　in　the　situation　with　an　acuteness　for　which　I　was　quite　unprepared。　　He　remained　silent　till　the　last　words　of　the　Proclamation　had　died　away；　and　then；　bursting　into　tears；　〃Dear　Grandpapa；〃　he　said；　〃that　was　only　my　fun；　and　of　course　I　meant　nothing　at　all　by　it；　and　we　did　not　know　anything　then　about　the　new　Law；　and　I　don't　think　I　said　anything　about　the　Third　Dimension；　and　I　am　sure　I　did　not　say　one　word　about　'Upward；　not　Northward'；　for　that　would　be　such　nonsense；　you　know。　　How　could　a　thing　move　Upward；　and　not　Northward？　Upward　and　not　Northward！　　Even　if　I　were　a　baby；　I　could　not　be　so　absurd　as　that。　　How　silly　it　is！　　Ha！　ha！　ha！〃

〃Not　at　all　silly；〃　said　I；　losing　my　temper；　〃here　for　example；　I　take　this　Square；〃　and；　at　the　word；　I　grasped　a　moveable　Square；　which　was　lying　at　hand　　〃and　I　move　it；　you　see；　not　Northward　but　　yes；　I　move　it　Upward　　that　is　to　say；　not　Northward；　but　I　move　it　somewhere　　not　exactly　like　this；　but　somehow　〃　Here　I　brought　my　sentence　to　an　inane　conclusion；　shaking　the　Square　about　in　a　purposeless　manner；　much　to　the　amusement　of　my　Grandson；　who　burst　out　laughing　louder　than　ever；　and　declared　that　I　was　not　teaching　him；　but　joking　with　him；　and　so　saying　he　unlocked　the　door　and　ran　out　of　the　room。　　Thus　ended　my　first　attempt　to　convert　a　pupil　to　the　Gospel　of　Three　Dimensions。




Section　22。　　How　I　then　tried　to　diffuse　the　Theory　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　of　Three　Dimensions　by　other　means；　and　of　the　result



My　failure　with　my　Grandson　did　not　encourage　me　to　communicate　my　secret　to　others　of　my　household；　yet　neither　was　I　led　by　it　to　despair　of　success。　　Only　I　saw　that　I　must　not　wholly　rely　on　the　catch…phrase；　〃Upward；　not　Northward〃；　but　must　rather　endeavour　to　seek　a　demonstration　by　setting　before　the　public　a　clear　view　of　the　whole　subject；　and　for　this　purpose　it　seemed　necessary　to　resort　to　writing。

So　I　devoted　several　months　in　privacy　to　the　composition　of　a　treatise　on　the　mysteries　of　Three　Dimensions。　　Only；　with　the　view　of　evading　the　Law；　if　possible；　I　spoke　not　of　a　physical　Dimension；　but　of　a　Thoughtland　whence；　in　theory；　a　Figure　could　look　down　upon　Flatland　and　see　simultaneously　the　insides　of　all　things；　and　where　it　was　possible　that　there　might　be　supposed　to　exist　a　Figure　environed；　as　it　were；　with　six　Squares；　and　containing　eight　terminal　Points。　　But　in　writing　this　book　I　found　myself　sadly　hampered　by　the　impossibility　of　drawing　such　diagrams　as　were　necessary　for　my　purpose；　for　of　course；　in　our　country　of　Flatland；　there　are　no　tablets　but　Lines；　and　no　diagrams　but　Lines；　all　in　one　straight　Line　and　only　distinguishable　by　difference　of　size　and　brightness；　so　that；　when　I　had　finished　my　treatise　（which　I　entitled；　〃Through　Flatland　to　Thoughtland〃）　I　could　not　feel　certain　that　many　would　understand　my　meaning。

Meanwhile　my　life　was　under　a　cloud。　　All　pleasures　palled　upon　me；　all　sights　tantalized　and　tempted　me　to　outspoken　treason；　because　I　could　not　but　compare　what　I　saw　in　Two　Dimensions　with　what　it　really　was　if　seen　in　Three；　and　could　hardly　refrain　from　making　my　comparisons　aloud。　　I　neglected　my　clients　and　my　own　business　to　give　myself　to　the　contemplation　of　the　mysteries　which　I　had　once　beheld；　yet　which　I　could　impart　to　no　one；　and　found　daily　more　difficult　to　reproduce　even　before　my　own　mental　vision。

One　day；　about　eleven　months　after　my　return　from　Spaceland；　I　tried　to　see　a　Cube　with　my　eye　closed；　but　failed；　and　though　I　succeeded　afterwards；　I　was　not　then　quite　certain　（nor　have　I　been　ever　afterwards）　that　I　had　exactly　realized　the　original。　　This　made　me　more　melancholy　than　before；　and　determined　me　to　take　some　step；　yet　what；　I　knew　not。　I　felt　that　I　would　have　been　willing　to　sacrifice　my　life　for　the　Cause；　if　thereby　I　could　have　produced　conviction。　But　if　I　could　not　convince　my　Grandson；　how　could　I　convince　the　highest　and　most　developed　Circles　in　the　land？

And　yet　at　times　my　spirit　was　too　strong　for　me；　and　I　gave　vent　to　dangerous　utterances。　　Already　I　was　considered　heterodox　if　not　treasonable；　and　I　was　keenly　alive　to　the　danger　of　my　position；　nevertheless　I　could　not　at　times　refrain　from　bursting　out　into　suspicious　or　half…seditious　utterances；　even　among　the　highest　Polygonal　and　Circular　society。　　When；　for　example；　the　question　arose　about　the　treatment　of　those　lunatics　who　said　that　they　had　received　the　power　of　seeing　the　insides　of　things；　I　would　quote　the　saying　of　an　ancient　Circle；　who　declared　that　prophets　and　inspired　people　are　always　considered　by　the　majority　to　be　mad；　and　I　could　not　help　occasionally　dropping　such　expressions　as　〃the　eye　that　discerns　the　interiors　of　things〃；　and　〃the　all…seeing　land〃；　once　or　twice　I　even　let　fall　the　forbidden　terms　〃the　Third　and　Fourth　Dimensions〃。　　At　last；　to　complete　a　series　of　minor　indiscretions；　at　a　meeting　of　our　Local　Speculative　Society　held　at　the　palace　of　the　Prefect　himself；　　some　extremely　silly　per