flatland-第4节

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t；　at　least　at　the　two　extremities。　　Add　to　this　the　power　of　making　herself　practically　invisible　at　will；　and　you　will　perceive　that　a　Female；　in　Flatland；　is　a　creature　by　no　means　to　be　trifled　with。

But　here；　perhaps；　some　of　my　younger　Readers　may　ask　HOW　a　woman　in　Flatland　can　make　herself　invisible。　　This　ought；　I　think；　to　be　apparent　without　any　explanation。　　However；　a　few　words　will　make　it　clear　to　the　most　unreflecting。

Place　a　needle　on　a　table。　　Then；　with　your　eye　on　the　level　of　the　table；　look　at　it　side…ways；　and　you　see　the　whole　length　of　it；　but　look　at　it　end…ways；　and　you　see　nothing　but　a　point；　it　has　become　practically　invisible。　　Just　so　is　it　with　one　of　our　Women。　　When　her　side　is　turned　towards　us；　we　see　her　as　a　straight　line；　when　the　end　containing　her　eye　or　mouth　　for　with　us　these　two　organs　are　identical　　is　the　part　that　meets　our　eye；　then　we　see　nothing　but　a　highly　lustrous　point；　but　when　the　back　is　presented　to　our　view；　then　　being　only　sub…lustrous；　and；　indeed；　almost　as　dim　as　an　inanimate　object　　her　hinder　extremity　serves　her　as　a　kind　of　Invisible　Cap。

The　dangers　to　which　we　are　exposed　from　our　Women　must　now　be　manifest　to　the　meanest　capacity　in　Spaceland。　　If　even　the　angle　of　a　respectable　Triangle　in　the　middle　class　is　not　without　its　dangers；　if　to　run　against　a　Working　Man　involves　a　gash；　if　collision　with　an　officer　of　the　military　class　necessitates　a　serious　wound；　if　a　mere　touch　from　the　vertex　of　a　Private　Soldier　brings　with　it　danger　of　death；　　what　can　it　be　to　run　against　a　Woman；　except　absolute　and　immediate　destruction？　　And　when　a　Woman　is　invisible；　or　visible　only　as　a　dim　sub…lustrous　point；　how　difficult　must　it　be；　even　for　the　most　cautious；　always　to　avoid　collision！

Many　are　the　enactments　made　at　different　times　in　the　different　States　of　Flatland；　in　order　to　minimize　this　peril；　and　in　the　Southern　and　less　temperate　climates　where　the　force　of　gravitation　is　greater；　and　human　beings　more　liable　to　casual　and　involuntary　motions；　the　Laws　concerning　Women　are　naturally　much　more　stringent。　　But　a　general　view　of　the　Code　may　be　obtained　from　the　following　summary：　


1。　　Every　house　shall　have　one　entrance　in　the　Eastern　side；　for　the　use　of　Females　only；　by　which　all　females　shall　enter　〃in　a　becoming　and　respectful　manner〃　and　not　by　the　Men's　or　Western　door。　　＇Note：　　When　I　was　in　Spaceland　I　understood　that　some　of　your　Priestly　circles　have　in　the　same　way　a　separate　entrance　for　Villagers；　Farmers　and　Teachers　of　Board　Schools　（‘Spectator'；　Sept。　1884；　p。　1255）　that　they　may　〃approach　in　a　becoming　and　respectful　manner。〃＇

2。　　No　Female　shall　walk　in　any　public　place　without　continually　keeping　up　her　Peace…cry；　under　penalty　of　death。

3。　　Any　Female；　duly　certified　to　be　suffering　from　St。　Vitus's　Dance；　fits；　chronic　cold　accompanied　by　violent　sneezing；　or　any　disease　necessitating　involuntary　motions；　shall　be　instantly　destroyed。


In　some　of　the　States　there　is　an　additional　Law　forbidding　Females；　under　penalty　of　death；　from　walking　or　standing　in　any　public　place　without　moving　their　backs　constantly　from　right　to　left　so　as　to　indicate　their　presence　to　those　behind　them；　others　oblige　a　Woman；　when　travelling；　to　be　followed　by　one　of　her　sons；　or　servants；　or　by　her　husband；　others　confine　Women　altogether　to　their　houses　except　during　the　religious　festivals。　But　it　has　been　found　by　the　wisest　of　our　Circles　or　Statesmen　that　the　multiplication　of　restrictions　on　Females　tends　not　only　to　the　debilitation　and　diminution　of　the　race；　but　also　to　the　increase　of　domestic　murders　to　such　an　extent　that　a　State　loses　more　than　it　gains　by　a　too　prohibitive　Code。

For　whenever　the　temper　of　the　Women　is　thus　exasperated　by　confinement　at　home　or　hampering　regulations　abroad；　they　are　apt　to　vent　their　spleen　upon　their　husbands　and　children；　and　in　the　less　temperate　climates　the　whole　male　population　of　a　village　has　been　sometimes　destroyed　in　one　or　two　hours　of　simultaneous　female　outbreak。　　Hence　the　Three　Laws；　mentioned　above；　suffice　for　the　better　regulated　States；　and　may　be　accepted　as　a　rough　exemplification　of　our　Female　Code。

After　all；　our　principal　safeguard　is　found；　not　in　Legislature；　but　in　the　interests　of　the　Women　themselves。　　For；　although　they　can　inflict　instantaneous　death　by　a　retrograde　movement；　yet　unless　they　can　at　once　disengage　their　stinging　extremity　from　the　struggling　body　of　their　victim；　their　own　frail　bodies　are　liable　to　be　shattered。

The　power　of　Fashion　is　also　on　our　side。　　I　pointed　out　that　in　some　less　civilized　States　no　female　is　suffered　to　stand　in　any　public　place　without　swaying　her　back　from　right　to　left。　This　practice　has　been　universal　among　ladies　of　any　pretensions　to　breeding　in　all　well…governed　States；　as　far　back　as　the　memory　of　Figures　can　reach。　　It　is　considered　a　disgrace　to　any　State　that　legislation　should　have　to　enforce　what　ought　to　be；　and　is　in　every　respectable　female；　a　natural　instinct。　The　rhythmical　and；　if　I　may　so　say；　well…modulated　undulation　of　the　back　in　our　ladies　of　Circular　rank　is　envied　and　imitated　by　the　wife　of　a　common　Equilateral；　who　can　achieve　nothing　beyond　a　mere　monotonous　swing；　like　the　ticking　of　a　pendulum；　and　the　regular　tick　of　the　Equilateral　is　no　less　admired　and　copied　by　the　wife　of　the　progressive　and　aspiring　Isosceles；　in　the　females　of　whose　family　no　〃back…motion〃　of　any　kind　has　become　as　yet　a　necessity　of　life。　　Hence；　in　every　family　of　position　and　consideration；　〃back　motion〃　is　as　prevalent　as　time　itself；　and　the　husbands　and　sons　in　these　households　enjoy　immunity　at　least　from　invisible　attacks。

Not　that　it　must　be　for　a　moment　supposed　that　our　Women　are　destitute　of　affection。　　But　unfortunately　the　passion　of　the　moment　predominates；　in　the　Frail　Sex；　over　every　other　consideration。　This　is；　of　course；　a　necessity　arising　from　their　unfortunate　conformation。　　For　as　they　have　no　pretensions　to　an　angle；　being　inferior　in　this　respect　to　the　very　lowest　of　the　Isosceles；　they　are　consequently　wholly　devoid　of　brain…power；　and　have　neither　reflection；　judgment　nor　forethought；　and　hardly　any　memory。　　Hence；　in　their　fits　of　fury；　they　remember　no　claims　and　recognize　no　distinctions。　　I　have　actually　known　a　case　where　a　Woman　has　exterminated　her　whole　household；　and　half　an　hour　afterwards；　when　her　rage　was　over　and　the　fragments　swept　away；　has　asked　what　has　become　of　her　husband　and　her　children。

Obviously　then　a　Woman　is　not　to　be　irritated　as　long　as　she　is　in　a　position　where　she　can　turn　round。　　When　you　have　them　in　their　apartments　　which　are　constructed　with　a　view　to　denying　them　that　power　　you　can　say　and　do　what　you　like；　for　they　are　then　wholly　impotent　for　mischief；　and　will　not　remember　a　few　minutes　hence　the　incident　for　which　they　may　be　at　this　moment　threatening　you　with　death；　nor　the　promises　which　you　may　have　found　it　necessary　to　make　in　order　to　pacify　their　fury。

On　the　whole　we　get　on　pretty　smoothly　in　our　domestic　relations；　except　in　the　lower　strata　of　the　Military　Classes。　　There　the　want　of　tact　and　discretion　on　the　part　of　the　husbands　produces　at　times　indescribable　disasters。　　Relying　too　much　on　the　offensive　weapons　of　their　acute　angles　instead　of　the　defensive　organs　of　good　sense　and　seasonable　simulation；　these　reckless　creatures　too　often　neglect　the　prescribed　construction　of　the　women's　apartments；　or　irritate　their　wives　by　ill…advised　expressions　out　of　doors；　which　they　refuse　immediately　to　retract。　　Moreover　a　blunt　and　stolid　regard　for　literal　truth　indisposes　them　to　make　those　lavish　promises　by　which　the　more　judicious　Circle　can　in　a　moment　pacify　his　consort。　The　result　is　massacre；　not；　however；　without　its　advantages；　as　it　eliminates　the　more　brutal　and　troublesome　of　the　Isosceles；　and　by　many　of　our　Circles　the　destructiveness　of　the　Thinner　Sex　is　regarded　as　one　among　many　providential　arrangements　for　suppressing　redundant　population；　and　nipping　Revolution　in　the　bud。

Yet　even　in　our　best　regulated　and　most　approximately　Circular　families　I　cannot　say　that　the　ideal　of　family　life　is　so　high　as　with　you　in　Spaceland。　　There　is　peace；　in　so　far　as　the　absence　of　slaughter　may　be　called　by　that　name；　but　there　is　necessarily　little　harmony　of　tastes　or　pursuits；　and　the　cautious　wisdom　of　the　Circles　has　ensured　safety　at　the　cost　of　domestic　comfort。　In　every　Circular　or　Polygonal　household　it　has　been　a　habit　from　time　immemorial　　and　now　has　become　a　kind　of　instinct　among　the　women　of　our　higher　classes　　that　the　mothers　and　daughters　should　constantly　keep　their　eyes　and　mouths　towards　their　husband　and　his　male　friends；　and　for　a　lady　in　a　family　of　distinction　to　turn　her　back　upon　her　husband　would　be　regarded　as　a　kind　of　portent；　involving　loss　of　STATUS。　　But；　as　I　shall　soon　shew；　this　custom；　though　it　has　the　advantage　of　safety；　is　not　without　its　disadvantages。

In　the　house　of　the　Working　Man　or　respectable　Tradesman　　where　the　wife　is　allowed　to　turn　her　back　upon　her　husband；　while　pursuing　her　household　avocations　　there　are　at　least　intervals　of　quiet；　when　the　w