flatland-第3部分

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are　of　the　most　degraded　type　（not　more　than　the　eighth　part　of　an　inch　in　size）；　they　can　hardly　be　distinguished　from　Straight　Lines　or　Women；　so　extremely　pointed　are　their　vertices。　With　us；　as　with　you；　these　Triangles　are　distinguished　from　others　by　being　called　Isosceles；　and　by　this　name　I　shall　refer　to　them　in　the　following　pages。

Our　Middle　Class　consists　of　Equilateral　or　Equal…Sided　Triangles。

Our　Professional　Men　and　Gentlemen　are　Squares　（to　which　class　I　myself　belong）　and　Five…Sided　Figures　or　Pentagons。

Next　above　these　come　the　Nobility；　of　whom　there　are　several　degrees；　beginning　at　Six…Sided　Figures；　or　Hexagons；　and　from　thence　rising　in　the　number　of　their　sides　till　they　receive　the　honourable　title　of　Polygonal；　or　many…sided。　　Finally　when　the　number　of　the　sides　becomes　so　numerous；　and　the　sides　themselves　so　small；　that　the　figure　cannot　be　distinguished　from　a　circle；　he　is　included　in　the　Circular　or　Priestly　order；　and　this　is　the　highest　class　of　all。

It　is　a　Law　of　Nature　with　us　that　a　male　child　shall　have　one　more　side　than　his　father；　so　that　each　generation　shall　rise　（as　a　rule）　one　step　in　the　scale　of　development　and　nobility。　Thus　the　son　of　a　Square　is　a　Pentagon；　the　son　of　a　Pentagon；　a　Hexagon；　and　so　on。

But　this　rule　applies　not　always　to　the　Tradesmen；　and　still　less　often　to　the　Soldiers；　and　to　the　Workmen；　who　indeed　can　hardly　be　said　to　deserve　the　name　of　human　Figures；　since　they　have　not　all　their　sides　equal。　　With　them　therefore　the　Law　of　Nature　does　not　hold；　and　the　son　of　an　Isosceles　（i。e。　a　Triangle　with　two　sides　equal）　remains　Isosceles　still。　　Nevertheless；　all　hope　is　not　shut　out；　even　from　the　Isosceles；　that　his　posterity　may　ultimately　rise　above　his　degraded　condition。　　For；　after　a　long　series　of　military　successes；　or　diligent　and　skilful　labours；　it　is　generally　found　that　the　more　intelligent　among　the　Artisan　and　Soldier　classes　manifest　a　slight　increase　of　their　third　side　or　base；　and　a　shrinkage　of　the　two　other　sides。　Intermarriages　（arranged　by　the　Priests）　between　the　sons　and　daughters　of　these　more　intellectual　members　of　the　lower　classes　generally　result　in　an　offspring　approximating　still　more　to　the　type　of　the　Equal…Sided　Triangle。

Rarely　　in　proportion　to　the　vast　numbers　of　Isosceles　births　　is　a　genuine　and　certifiable　Equal…Sided　Triangle　produced　from　Isosceles　parents。　　＇Note：　　〃What　need　of　a　certificate？〃　a　Spaceland　critic　may　ask：　　〃Is　not　the　procreation　of　a　Square　Son　a　certificate　from　Nature　herself；　proving　the　Equal…sidedness　of　the　Father？〃　　I　reply　that　no　Lady　of　any　position　will　marry　an　uncertified　Triangle。　　Square　offspring　has　sometimes　resulted　from　a　slightly　Irregular　Triangle；　but　in　almost　every　such　case　the　Irregularity　of　the　first　generation　is　visited　on　the　third；　which　either　fails　to　attain　the　Pentagonal　rank；　or　relapses　to　the　Triangular。＇　　Such　a　birth　requires；　as　its　antecedents；　not　only　a　series　of　carefully　arranged　intermarriages；　but　also　a　long；　continued　exercise　of　frugality　and　self…control　on　the　part　of　the　would…be　ancestors　of　the　coming　Equilateral；　and　a　patient；　systematic；　and　continuous　development　of　the　Isosceles　intellect　through　many　generations。

The　birth　of　a　True　Equilateral　Triangle　from　Isosceles　parents　is　the　subject　of　rejoicing　in　our　country　for　many　furlongs　around。　After　a　strict　examination　conducted　by　the　Sanitary　and　Social　Board；　the　infant；　if　certified　as　Regular；　is　with　solemn　ceremonial　admitted　into　the　class　of　Equilaterals。　　He　is　then　immediately　taken　from　his　proud　yet　sorrowing　parents　and　adopted　by　some　childless　Equilateral；　who　is　bound　by　oath　never　to　permit　the　child　henceforth　to　enter　his　former　home　or　so　much　as　to　look　upon　his　relations　again；　for　fear　lest　the　freshly　developed　organism　may；　by　force　of　unconscious　imitation；　fall　back　again　into　his　hereditary　level。

The　occasional　emergence　of　an　Equilateral　from　the　ranks　of　his　serf…born　ancestors　is　welcomed；　not　only　by　the　poor　serfs　themselves；　as　a　gleam　of　light　and　hope　shed　upon　the　monotonous　squalor　of　their　existence；　but　also　by　the　Aristocracy　at　large；　for　all　the　higher　classes　are　well　aware　that　these　rare　phenomena；　while　they　do　little　or　nothing　to　vulgarize　their　own　privileges；　serve　as　a　most　useful　barrier　against　revolution　from　below。

Had　the　acute…angled　rabble　been　all；　without　exception；　absolutely　destitute　of　hope　and　of　ambition；　they　might　have　found　leaders　in　some　of　their　many　seditious　outbreaks；　so　able　as　to　render　their　superior　numbers　and　strength　too　much　even　for　the　wisdom　of　the　Circles。　　But　a　wise　ordinance　of　Nature　has　decreed　that；　in　proportion　as　the　working…classes　increase　in　intelligence；　knowledge；　and　all　virtue；　in　that　same　proportion　their　acute　angle　（which　makes　them　physically　terrible）　shall　increase　also　and　approximate　to　the　comparatively　harmless　angle　of　the　Equilateral　Triangle。　　Thus；　in　the　most　brutal　and　formidable　of　the　soldier　class　　creatures　almost　on　a　level　with　women　in　their　lack　of　intelligence　　it　is　found　that；　as　they　wax　in　the　mental　ability　necessary　to　employ　their　tremendous　penetrating　power　to　advantage；　so　do　they　wane　in　the　power　of　penetration　itself。

How　admirable　is　this　Law　of　Compensation！　　And　how　perfect　a　proof　of　the　natural　fitness　and；　I　may　almost　say；　the　divine　origin　of　the　aristocratic　constitution　of　the　States　in　Flatland！　By　a　judicious　use　of　this　Law　of　Nature；　the　Polygons　and　Circles　are　almost　always　able　to　stifle　sedition　in　its　very　cradle；　taking　advantage　of　the　irrepressible　and　boundless　hopefulness　of　the　human　mind。　　Art　also　comes　to　the　aid　of　Law　and　Order。　It　is　generally　found　possible　　by　a　little　artificial　compression　or　expansion　on　the　part　of　the　State　physicians　　to　make　some　of　the　more　intelligent　leaders　of　a　rebellion　perfectly　Regular；　and　to　admit　them　at　once　into　the　privileged　classes；　a　much　larger　number；　who　are　still　below　the　standard；　allured　by　the　prospect　of　being　ultimately　ennobled；　are　induced　to　enter　the　State　Hospitals；　where　they　are　kept　in　honourable　confinement　for　life；　one　or　two　alone　of　the　more　obstinate；　foolish；　and　hopelessly　irregular　are　led　to　execution。

Then　the　wretched　rabble　of　the　Isosceles；　planless　and　leaderless；　are　either　transfixed　without　resistance　by　the　small　body　of　their　brethren　whom　the　Chief　Circle　keeps　in　pay　for　emergencies　of　this　kind；　or　else　more　often；　by　means　of　jealousies　and　suspicions　skilfully　fomented　among　them　by　the　Circular　party；　they　are　stirred　to　mutual　warfare；　and　perish　by　one　another's　angles。　　No　less　than　one　hundred　and　twenty　rebellions　are　recorded　in　our　annals；　besides　minor　outbreaks　numbered　at　two　hundred　and　thirty…five；　and　they　have　all　ended　thus。




Section　4。　　Concerning　the　Women



If　our　highly　pointed　Triangles　of　the　Soldier　class　are　formidable；　it　may　be　readily　inferred　that　far　more　formidable　are　our　Women。　For　if　a　Soldier　is　a　wedge；　a　Woman　is　a　needle；　being；　so　to　speak；　ALL　point；　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