`About eight or nine in the morning I came to the same seat of yellow metal from which I had viewed the world upon the evening of my arrival. I thought of my hasty conclusions upon that evening and could not refrain from laughing bitterly at my confidence. Here was the same beautiful scene, the same abundant foliage1, the same splendid palaces and magnificent ruins, the same silver river running between its fertile banks. The gay robes of the beautiful people moved hither and thither2 among the trees. Some were bathing in exactly the place where I had saved Weena, and that suddenly gave me a keen stab of pain. And like blots3 upon the landscape rose the cupolas above the ways to the Under-world. I understood now what all the beauty of the Over- world people covered. Very pleasant was their day, as pleasant as the day of the cattle in the field. Like the cattle, they knew of no enemies and provided against no needs. And their end was the same.
`I grieved to think how brief the dream of the human intellect had been. It had committed suicide. It had set itself steadfastly4 towards comfort and ease, a balanced society with security and permanency as its watchword, it had attained5 its hopes--to come to this at last. Once, life and property must have reached almost absolute safety. The rich had been assured of his wealth and comfort, the toiler6 assured of his life and work. No doubt in that perfect world there had been no unemployed7 problem, no social question left unsolved. And a great quiet had followed.
`It is a law of nature we overlook, that intellectual versatility8 is the compensation for change, danger, and trouble. An animal perfectly9 in harmony with its environment is a perfect mechanism10. Nature never appeals to intelligence until habit and instinct are useless. There is no intelligence where there is no change and no need of change. Only those animals partake of intelligence that have to meet a huge variety of needs and dangers.
`So, as I see it, the Upper-world man had drifted towards his feeble prettiness, and the Under-world to mere11 mechanical industry. But that perfect state had lacked one thing even for mechanical perfection--absolute permanency. Apparently12 as time went on, the feeding of the Under-world, however it was effected, had become disjointed. Mother Necessity, who had been staved off for a few thousand years, came back again, and she began below. The Under-world being in contact with machinery13, which, however perfect, still needs some little thought outside habit, had probably retained perforce rather more initiative, if less of every other human character, than the Upper. And when other meat failed them, they turned to what old habit had hitherto forbidden. So I say I saw it in my last view of the world of Eight Hundred and Two Thousand Seven Hundred and One. It may be as wrong an explanation as mortal wit could invent. It is how the thing shaped itself to me, and as that I give it to you.
`After the fatigues14, excitements, and terrors of the past days, and in spite of my grief, this seat and the tranquil15 view and the warm sunlight were very pleasant. I was very tired and sleepy, and soon my theorizing passed into dozing16. Catching17 myself at that, I took my own hint, and spreading myself out upon the turf I had a long and refreshing18 sleep.
`I awoke a little before sunsetting. I now felt safe against being caught napping by the Morlocks, and, stretching myself, I came on down the hill towards the White Sphinx. I had my crowbar in one hand, and the other hand played with the matches in my pocket.
`And now came a most unexpected thing. As I approached the pedestal of the sphinx I found the bronze valves were open. They had slid down into grooves19.
`At that I stopped short before them, hesitating to enter.
`Within was a small apartment, and on a raised place in the corner of this was the Time Machine. I had the small levers in my pocket. So here, after all my elaborate preparations for the siege of the White Sphinx, was a meek20 surrender. I threw my iron bar away, almost sorry not to use it.
`A sudden thought came into my head as I stooped towards the portal. For once, at least, I grasped the mental operations of the Morlocks. Suppressing a strong inclination21 to laugh, I stepped through the bronze frame and up to the Time Machine. I was surprised to find it had been carefully oiled and cleaned. I have suspected since that the Morlocks had even partially22 taken it to pieces while trying in their dim way to grasp its purpose.
`Now as I stood and examined it, finding a pleasure in the mere touch of the contrivance, the thing I had expected happened. The bronze panels suddenly slid up and struck the frame with a clang. I was in the dark--trapped. So the Morlocks thought. At that I chuckled23 gleefully.
`I could already hear their murmuring laughter as they came towards me. Very calmly I tried to strike the match. I had only to fix on the levers and depart then like a ghost. But I had overlooked one little thing. The matches were of that abominable24 kind that light only on the box.
`You may imagine how all my calm vanished. The little brutes25 were close upon me. One touched me. I made a sweeping26 blow in the dark at them with the levers, and began to scramble27 into the saddle of the machine. Then came one hand upon me and then another. Then I had simply to fight against their persistent28 fingers for my levers, and at the same time feel for the studs over which these fitted. One, indeed, they almost got away from me. As it slipped from my hand, I had to butt29 in the dark with my head--I could hear the Morlock's skull30 ring--to recover it. It was a nearer thing than the fight in the forest, I think, this last scramble.
`But at last the lever was fitted and pulled over. The clinging hands slipped from me. The darkness presently fell from my eyes. I found myself in the same grey light and tumult31 I have already described.
“上午八九点钟时，我来到那张黄色金属做的椅子旁，我刚到的那天晚上曾坐在上面眺望这个世界。我想起那天晚上匆忙做出的结论，不禁对我的自信发出苦笑。这里的景色还是那般美丽，绿叶郁郁葱葱，宫殿辉煌壮丽，废墟广阔动人，银色的长河在肥沃的两岸间奔流不息。那些美丽的小人身穿鲜艳的饱子在树林里闪动，有的正在我救威娜的地方沐浴，这使我突然感到一阵剧烈的心痛。通往地下世界的深井上盖着一个个圆顶，看上去就像这幅风景画上的斑斑污渍。我现在明白了这些地上人的美丽所掩盖的一切。他们在白天犹如田野里的牲口非常快乐，他们和牲口一样，不知道有敌人，并且没有任何应急措施，他们的结局也是一样的。
“我一想到人类的智慧之梦是多么短促就十分悲伤。这梦自杀了，它不停地追求舒适和安逸，追求一个把安全与永恒当作口号的平衡的社会，它实现了它的希望，终于实现了这个希望。生命和财产曾一度处于几乎是绝对的安全之中，富人的财富和舒适得到了保障，劳苦者的生活和工作也得到了保障。毫无疑问，在那个完美的世界里，没有失业问题，没有尚待解决的社会问题。于是世界就变得太平无事。
“我们忽视了一条自然法则，即多方面的才智是随变化、危险和麻烦之后而来的补偿。一只同环比完奖他协调的动物就是一台完美的机器，它只在习忱和本能变得无用的时候才求助于智慧。没有变化和不需变化的地方就不会有智慧，只有那些要遭遇千难万险的动物才能拥有智慧。
“因此，就像我所看到的，地上人慢慢变得纤弱美丽，地下世界走向单纯的机械工业。但是，这种完美的状态即使对完美的机械来说也缺少一样东西——绝对的永恒。显而易见，随着时间的推移，地下人的吃饭问题，不管是如何解决的，反正已逐渐脱节。被挡驾了几千年的‘需求之母’又回来啦，它首先来到地下。地下人整天和机器打交道，这些机器无论有多完美，它们仍旧需要地下人除了保持习惯外再要稍稍动点脑筋，这就很可能促使他们保留了更多的主动性，如果他们的其余人性都不如地上人的话。当他们没有别的肉可吃时，他们便转向了老习惯一直禁止的东西。所以我说我在802701年的世界里看到了这一情景。我的解释或许是凡人都可能设想的一种错误解释。不过事情就是这样在我眼前出现的，我如实告诉了你们。
“经过几天的劳累、激动和惊吓，并且尽管我很悲伤，这张椅子、这宁静的风景和温暖的阳光是令人心旷神怡的。我很累很困，思索了不久就打起磕睡来。发现自己昏昏欲睡，我便任其自然，干脆在草地上伸开四肢，痛痛快快地睡了一觉。
“太阳快要下山时我醒了过来。我现在感到即使莫洛克人发现我在睡觉也没什么不安全的。我伸了个懒腰，下山朝白色斯芬克斯像走去。我一只手握着铁挺，另一只手在裤袋里抚弄火柴。
“这时，一件根本意想不到的事情发生了。我走近斯芬克斯像的底座时，发现铜门都开着，门全都滑进了门槽。
“见此情景，我走到门前又突然停住脚步，犹豫要不要进去。
“里面是一个小房间，时间机器就在一个角落的高处。我口袋里装着小操纵杆。就此，我做好了攻打白色斯芬克斯像的准备之后，这边却老老实实地投降了。我扔下手中的铁棒，没派上用场真有点遗憾。
“当我弯腰准备进门时，头脑里突然闪现出一个想法，觉得至少这次我是把握住了莫洛克人的内心活动。我抑制住想放声大笑的强烈冲动，跨进门框，走到时间机器前。我吃惊地发现机器被小心地上过油，还擦得干干净净。因此，我一直怀疑莫洛克人因稀里糊涂想掌握机器的用途甚至把部分装置拆开过。
“我站在那里端详着这台机器，连用手摸摸心里都是乐滋滋的。可就在这时，我预料中的事情发生了。铜门突然滑出门槽，砰的一声同门框合拢了。我站在黑暗中，陷入了圈套。莫洛克人是这样想的。对此我乐得暗暗发笑。
“我已经能够听到他们朝我走来时发出的轻笑。我镇定自若，准备划亮火柴。我只要装上操纵杆就可以人不知鬼不觉地离去。可我疏忽了一件小事，我的火柴是那种只能在火柴盒上划亮的可恶货色。
“你们也许可以想象到我是多么惊惶失措。那些小畜生已靠近我，其中一个碰到了我。黑暗中，我用操纵杆朝他们挥打，同时迅速爬上时间机器的鞍座。这时一只手摸到我身上，紧接着又是一只手。现在我要打开他们不断抓过来的手，保住我的操纵杆，同时摸到装操纵杆的螺栓。果然，有一根操纵杆差点让他们抢走。当它从我手里脱落时，我只得用自己的头在黑暗中顶撞他们以夺回操纵杆。我听到了莫洛克人的头颅骨格格作响。我想，这最后一次争夺战真是短兵相接，比树林里的那一战更加激烈。
“终于操纵杆装好了，推动了。抓着我的那些手纷纷脱开。黑暗立即在我眼前消失了，我发现自己又回到了我描述过的那种灰光和混乱中。”
收听单词发音 |
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foliage
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| n.叶子，树叶，簇叶 | |
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thither
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| adv.向那里；adj.在那边的，对岸的 | |
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blots
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| 污渍( blot的名词复数 )； 墨水渍； 错事； 污点 | |
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steadfastly
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| adv.踏实地，不变地；岿然；坚定不渝 | |
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attained
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| （通常经过努力）实现( attain的过去式和过去分词 )； 达到； 获得； 达到（某年龄、水平、状况） | |
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toiler
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| 辛劳者，勤劳者 | |
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unemployed
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| adj.失业的，没有工作的；未动用的，闲置的 | |
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versatility
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| n.多才多艺，多样性，多功能 | |
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perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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mechanism
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| n.机械装置；机构，结构 | |
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mere
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| adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过 | |
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apparently
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| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
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machinery
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| n.(总称)机械，机器；机构 | |
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fatigues
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| n.疲劳( fatigue的名词复数 )；杂役；厌倦；（士兵穿的）工作服 | |
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tranquil
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| adj. 安静的, 宁静的, 稳定的, 不变的 | |
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dozing
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| v.打瞌睡,假寐 n.瞌睡 | |
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catching
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| adj.易传染的，有魅力的，迷人的，接住 | |
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refreshing
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| adj.使精神振作的，使人清爽的，使人喜欢的 | |
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grooves
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| n.沟( groove的名词复数 )；槽；老一套；（某种）音乐节奏v.沟( groove的第三人称单数 )；槽；老一套；（某种）音乐节奏 | |
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meek
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| adj.温顺的，逆来顺受的 | |
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inclination
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| n.倾斜；点头；弯腰；斜坡；倾度；倾向；爱好 | |
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partially
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| adv.部分地，从某些方面讲 | |
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chuckled
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| 轻声地笑( chuckle的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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abominable
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| adj.可厌的，令人憎恶的 | |
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brutes
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| 兽( brute的名词复数 )； 畜生； 残酷无情的人； 兽性 | |
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sweeping
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| adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的 | |
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scramble
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| v.爬行，攀爬，杂乱蔓延，碎片，片段，废料 | |
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persistent
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| adj.坚持不懈的，执意的；持续的 | |
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butt
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| n.笑柄；烟蒂；枪托；臀部；v.用头撞或顶 | |
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skull
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| n.头骨；颅骨 | |
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tumult
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| n.喧哗；激动，混乱；吵闹 | |
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