flatland-第20部分

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　case；　however　great　may　be　the　number　of　different　explanations；　no　one　has　adopted　or　suggested　the　theory　of　a　Fourth　Dimension。　Therefore；　pray　have　done　with　this　trifling；　and　let　us　return　to　business。

I。　　I　was　certain　of　it。　　I　was　certain　that　my　anticipations　would　be　fulfilled。　　And　now　have　patience　with　me　and　answer　me　yet　one　more　question；　best　of　Teachers！　　Those　who　have　thus　appeared　　no　one　knows　whence　　and　have　returned　　no　one　knows　whither　　have　they　also　contracted　their　sections　and　vanished　somehow　into　that　more　Spacious　Space；　whither　I　now　entreat　you　to　conduct　me？

SPHERE　（MOODILY）。　　They　have　vanished；　certainly　　if　they　ever　appeared。　　But　most　people　say　that　these　visions　arose　from　the　thought　　you　will　not　understand　me　　from　the　brain；　from　the　perturbed　angularity　of　the　Seer。

I。　　Say　they　so？　　Oh；　believe　them　not。　　Or　if　it　indeed　be　so；　that　this　other　Space　is　really　Thoughtland；　then　take　me　to　that　blessed　Region　where　I　in　Thought　shall　see　the　insides　of　all　solid　things。　　There；　before　my　ravished　eye；　a　Cube；　moving　in　some　altogether　new　direction；　but　strictly　according　to　Analogy；　so　as　to　make　every　particle　of　his　interior　pass　through　a　new　kind　of　Space；　with　a　wake　of　its　own　　shall　create　a　still　more　perfect　perfection　than　himself；　with　sixteen　terminal　Extra…solid　angles；　and　Eight　solid　Cubes　for　his　Perimeter。　And　once　there；　shall　we　stay　our　upward　course？　　In　that　blessed　region　of　Four　Dimensions；　shall　we　linger　on　the　threshold　of　the　Fifth；　and　not　enter　therein？　　Ah；　no！　　Let　us　rather　resolve　that　our　ambition　shall　soar　with　our　corporal　ascent。　　Then；　yielding　to　our　intellectual　onset；　the　gates　of　the　Sixth　Dimension　shall　fly　open；　after　that　a　Seventh；　and　then　an　Eighth　

How　long　I　should　have　continued　I　know　not。　　In　vain　did　the　Sphere；　in　his　voice　of　thunder；　reiterate　his　command　of　silence；　and　threaten　me　with　the　direst　penalties　if　I　persisted。　Nothing　could　stem　the　flood　of　my　ecstatic　aspirations。　Perhaps　I　was　to　blame；　but　indeed　I　was　intoxicated　with　the　recent　draughts　of　Truth　to　which　he　himself　had　introduced　me。　However；　the　end　was　not　long　in　coming。　　My　words　were　cut　short　by　a　crash　outside；　and　a　simultaneous　crash　inside　me；　which　impelled　me　through　space　with　a　velocity　that　precluded　speech。　Down！　down！　down！　I　was　rapidly　descending；　and　I　knew　that　return　to　Flatland　was　my　doom。　　One　glimpse；　one　last　and　never…to…be…forgotten　glimpse　I　had　of　that　dull　level　wilderness　　which　was　now　to　become　my　Universe　again　　spread　out　before　my　eye。　　Then　a　darkness。　　Then　a　final；　all…consummating　thunder…peal；　and；　when　I　came　to　myself；　I　was　once　more　a　common　creeping　Square；　in　my　Study　at　home；　listening　to　the　Peace…Cry　of　my　approaching　Wife。




Section　20。　　How　the　Sphere　encouraged　me　in　a　Vision



Although　I　had　less　than　a　minute　for　reflection；　I　felt；　by　a　kind　of　instinct；　that　I　must　conceal　my　experiences　from　my　Wife。　Not　that　I　apprehended；　at　the　moment；　any　danger　from　her　divulging　my　secret；　but　I　knew　that　to　any　Woman　in　Flatland　the　narrative　of　my　adventures　must　needs　be　unintelligible。　So　I　endeavoured　to　reassure　her　by　some　story；　invented　for　the　occasion；　that　I　had　accidentally　fallen　through　the　trap…door　of　the　cellar；　and　had　there　lain　stunned。

The　Southward　attraction　in　our　country　is　so　slight　that　even　to　a　Woman　my　tale　necessarily　appeared　extraordinary　and　well…nigh　incredible；　but　my　Wife；　whose　good　sense　far　exceeds　that　of　the　average　of　her　Sex；　and　who　perceived　that　I　was　unusually　excited；　did　not　argue　with　me　on　the　subject；　but　insisted　that　I　was　ill　and　required　repose。　　I　was　glad　of　an　excuse　for　retiring　to　my　chamber　to　think　quietly　over　what　had　happened。　　When　I　was　at　last　by　myself；　a　drowsy　sensation　fell　on　me；　but　before　my　eyes　closed　I　endeavoured　to　reproduce　the　Third　Dimension；　and　especially　the　process　by　which　a　Cube　is　constructed　through　the　motion　of　a　Square。　　It　was　not　so　clear　as　I　could　have　wished；　but　I　remembered　that　it　must　be　〃Upward；　and　yet　not　Northward〃；　and　I　determined　steadfastly　to　retain　these　words　as　the　clue　which；　if　firmly　grasped；　could　not　fail　to　guide　me　to　the　solution。　　So　mechanically　repeating；　like　a　charm；　the　words；　〃Upward；　yet　not　Northward〃；　I　fell　into　a　sound　refreshing　sleep。

During　my　slumber　I　had　a　dream。　　I　thought　I　was　once　more　by　the　side　of　the　Sphere；　whose　lustrous　hue　betokened　that　he　had　exchanged　his　wrath　against　me　for　perfect　placability。　　We　were　moving　together　towards　a　bright　but　infinitesimally　small　Point；　to　which　my　Master　directed　my　attention。　　As　we　approached；　methought　there　issued　from　it　a　slight　humming　noise　as　from　one　of　your　Spaceland　bluebottles；　only　less　resonant　by　far；　so　slight　indeed　that　even　in　the　perfect　stillness　of　the　Vacuum　through　which　we　soared；　the　sound　reached　not　our　ears　till　we　checked　our　flight　at　a　distance　from　it　of　something　under　twenty　human　diagonals。

〃Look　yonder；〃　said　my　Guide；　〃in　Flatland　thou　hast　lived；　of　Lineland　thou　hast　received　a　vision；　thou　hast　soared　with　me　to　the　heights　of　Spaceland；　now；　in　order　to　complete　the　range　of　thy　experience；　I　conduct　thee　downward　to　the　lowest　depth　of　existence；　even　to　the　realm　of　Pointland；　the　Abyss　of　No　dimensions。

〃Behold　yon　miserable　creature。　　That　Point　is　a　Being　like　ourselves；　but　confined　to　the　non…dimensional　Gulf。　　He　is　himself　his　own　World；　his　own　Universe；　of　any　other　than　himself　he　can　form　no　conception；　he　knows　not　Length；　nor　Breadth；　nor　Height；　for　he　has　had　no　experience　of　them；　he　has　no　cognizance　even　of　the　number　Two；　nor　has　he　a　thought　of　Plurality；　for　he　is　himself　his　One　and　All；　being　really　Nothing。　Yet　mark　his　perfect　self…contentment；　and　hence　learn　this　lesson；　that　to　be　self…contented　is　to　be　vile　and　ignorant；　and　that　to　aspire　is　better　than　to　be　blindly　and　impotently　happy。　Now　listen。〃

He　ceased；　and　there　arose　from　the　little　buzzing　creature　a　tiny；　low；　monotonous；　but　distinct　tinkling；　as　from　one　of　your　Spaceland　phonographs；　from　which　I　caught　these　words；　〃Infinite　beatitude　of　existence！　　It　is；　and　there　is　none　else　beside　It。〃

〃What；〃　said　I；　〃does　the　puny　creature　mean　by　'it'？〃　〃He　means　himself；〃　said　the　Sphere：　　〃have　you　not　noticed　before　now；　that　babies　and　babyish　people　who　cannot　distinguish　themselves　from　the　world；　speak　of　themselves　in　the　Third　Person？　But　hush！〃

〃It　fills　all　Space；〃　continued　the　little　soliloquizing　Creature；　〃and　what　It　fills；　It　is。　　What　It　thinks；　that　It　utters；　and　what　It　utters；　that　It　hears；　and　It　itself　is　Thinker；　Utterer；　Hearer；　Thought；　Word；　Audition；　it　is　the　One；　and　yet　the　All　in　All。　　Ah；　the　happiness　ah；　the　happiness　of　Being！〃

〃Can　you　not　startle　the　little　thing　out　of　its　complacency？〃　said　I。　〃Tell　it　what　it　really　is；　as　you　told　me；　reveal　to　it　the　narrow　limitations　of　Pointland；　and　lead　it　up　to　something　higher。〃　　〃That　is　no　easy　task；〃　said　my　Master；　〃try　you。〃

Hereon；　raising　my　voice　to　the　uttermost；　I　addressed　the　Point　as　follows：

〃Silence；　silence；　contemptible　Creature。　　You　call　yourself　the　All　in　All；　but　you　are　the　Nothing：　　your　so…called　Universe　is　a　mere　speck　in　a　Line；　and　a　Line　is　a　mere　shadow　as　compared　with　〃　　〃Hush；　hush；　you　have　said　enough；〃　interrupted　the　Sphere；　〃now　listen；　and　mark　the　effect　of　your　harangue　on　the　King　of　Pointland。〃

The　lustre　of　the　Monarch；　who　beamed　more　brightly　than　ever　upon　hearing　my　words；　shewed　clearly　that　he　retained　his　complacency；　and　I　had　hardly　ceased　when　he　took　up　his　strain　again。　〃Ah；　the　joy；　ah；　the　joy　of　Thought！　　What　can　It　not　achieve　by　thinking！　　Its　own　Thought　coming　to　Itself；　suggestive　of　Its　disparagement；　thereby　to　enhance　Its　happiness！　Sweet　rebellion　stirred　up　to　result　in　triumph！　　Ah；　the　divine　creative　power　of　the　All　in　One！　　Ah；　the　joy；　the　joy　of　Being！〃

〃You　see；〃　said　my　Teacher；　〃how　little　your　words　have　done。　　So　far　as　the　Monarch　understands　them　at　all；　he　accepts　them　as　his　own　　for　he　cannot　conceive　of　any　other　except　himself　　and　plumes　himself　upon　the　variety　of　'Its　Thought'　as　an　instance　of　creative　Power。　　Let　us　leave　this　God　of　Pointland　to　the　ignorant　fruition　of　his　omnipresence　and　omniscience：　　nothing　that　you　or　I　can　do　can　rescue　him　from　his　self…satisfaction。〃

After　this；　as　we　floated　gently　back　to　Flatland；　I　could　hear　the　mild　voice　of　my　Companion　pointing　the　moral　of　my　vision；　and　stimulating　me　to　aspire；　and　to　teach　others　to　aspire。　He　had　been　angered　at　first　　he　confessed　　by　my　ambition　to　soar　to　Dimensions　above　the　Third；　but；　since　then；　he　had　received　fresh　insight；　and　he　was　not　too　proud　to　acknowledge　his　error　to　a　Pupil。　　Then　he　proceeded　to　initiate　me　into　mysteries　yet　higher　than　those　I　had　witnessed；　shewing　me　how　to　construct　Extra…Solids　by　the　motion　of　Solids；　and　Double　Extra…Solids　by　the　motion　of　Extra…Solids；　and　all　〃strictly　according　to　Analogy〃；　all　by　methods　so　simple；　so　easy；　as　to　be　patent　even　to　the　Female　Sex。




Section　21。　　How　I　tried　to　teach　the　Theory　of　Three　Dim