flatland(弗莱特兰)-第4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！
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
brainpower； 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 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
apartmentswhich are constructed with a view to denying them that
poweryou 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 got 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
12
… Page 13…
Flatland
instead of the defensive organs of good sense and seasonable simulations；
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 immemorialand now has become a kind of
instinct among the women of our higher classesthat 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 disadvantages。
In the house of the Working Man or respectable Tradesmanwhere the
wife is allowed to turn her back upon her husband； while pursuing her
household avocationsthere are at least intervals of quiet； when the wife is
neither seen nor heard； except for the humming sound of the continuous
Peace…cry； but in the homes of the upper classes there is too often no peace。
There the voluble mouth and bright penetrating eye are ever directed
toward the Master of the household； and light itself is not more persistent
than the stream of Feminine discourse。 The tact and skill which suffice to
avert a Woman's sting are unequal to the task of stopping a Woman's
13
… Page 14…
Flatland
mouth； and as the wife has absolutely nothing to say； and absolutely no
constraint of wit； sense； or conscience to prevent her from saying it； not a
few cynics have been found to aver that they prefer the danger of the
death…dealing but inaudible sting to the safe sonorousness of a Woman's
other end。
To my readers in Spaceland the condition of our Women may seen
truly deplorable； and so indeed it is。 A Male of the lowest type of the
Isosceles may look forward to some improvement of his angle； and to the
ultimate elevation of the whole of his degraded caste； but no Woman can
entertain such hopes for her sex。 〃Once a Woman； always a Woman〃 is a
Decree of Nature； and the very Laws of Evolution seem suspended in her
disfavour。 Yet at least we can admire the wise Prearrangement which has
ordained that； as they have no hopes； so they shall have no memory to
recall； and no forethought to anticipate； the miseries and humiliations
which are at once a necessity of their existence and the basis of the
constitution of Flatland。
SECTION 5 Of our Methods of Recognizing one
another
You； who are blessed with shade as well as light； you； who are gifted
with two eyes； endowed with a knowledge of perspective； and charmed
with the enjoyment of various colours； you； who can actually SEE an
angle； and contemplate the complete circumference of a Circle in the
happy region of the Three Dimensions how shall I make it clear to you
the extreme difficulty which we in Flatland experience in recognizing one
another's configuration？
Recall what I told you above。 All beings in Flatland； animate and
inanimate； no matter what their form； present TO OUR VIEW the same； or
nearly the same； appearance； viz。 that of a straight Line。 How then can one
be distinguished from another； where all appear the same？
The answer is threefold。 The first means of recognition is the sense of
14
… Page 15…
Flatland
hearing； which with us is far more highly developed than with you； and
which enables us not only to distinguish by the voice of our personal
friends； but even to discriminate between different classes； at least so far
as concerns the three lowest orders； the Equilateral； the Square； and the
Pentagonfor the Isosceles I take no account。 But as we ascend the social
scale； the process of discriminating and being discriminated by hearing
increases in difficulty； partly because voices are assimilated； partly
because the faculty of voice…discrimination is a plebeian virtue not much
developed among the Aristocracy。 And wherever there is any danger of
imposture we cannot trust to this method。 Amongst our lowest orders； the
vocal organs are developed to a degree more than correspondent with
those of hearing； so that an Isosceles can easily feign the voice of a
Polygon； and； with some training； that of a Circle himself。 A second
method is therefore more commonly resorted to。
FEELING is； among our Women and lower classesabout our upper
classes I shall speak presentlythe principal test of recognition； at all
events between strangers； and when the question is； not as to the
individual； but as to the class。 What therefore 〃introduction〃 is among the
higher classes in Spaceland； that th
