PART II
OTHER WORLDS
“O brave new worlds, that have such people in them!”
Chapter 13
It was the last day but one of the 1999th year of our era, and the first day of the Long Vacation. Having amused myself till a late hour with my favourite recreation of Geometry, I had retired1 to rest with an unsolved problem in my mind. In the night I had a dream.
I saw before me a vast multitude of small Straight Lines (which I naturally assumed to be Women) interspersed2 with other Beings still smaller and of the nature of lustrous3 points — all moving to and fro in one and the same Straight Line, and, as nearly as I could judge, with the same velocity4.
A noise of confused, multitudinous chirping5 or twittering issued from them at intervals6 as long as they were moving; but sometimes they ceased from motion, and then all was silence.
Approaching one of the largest of what I thought to be Women, I accosted7 her, but received no answer. A second and a third appeal on my part were equally ineffectual. Losing patience at what appeared to me intolerable rudeness, I brought my mouth into a position full in front of her mouth so as to intercept8 her motion, and loudly repeated my question, “Woman, what signifies this concourse, and this strange and confused chirping, and this monotonous9 motion to and fro in one and the same Straight Line?”
“I am no Woman,” replied the small Line. “I am the Monarch10 of the world. But thou, whence intrudest thou into my realm of Lineland?” Receiving this abrupt11 reply, I begged pardon if I had in any way startled or molested12 his Royal Highness; and describing myself as a stranger I besought13 the King to give me some account of his dominions14. But I had the greatest possible difficulty in obtaining any information on points that really interested me; for the Monarch could not refrain from constantly assuming that whatever was familiar to him must also be known to me and that I was simulating ignorance in jest. However, by persevering15 questions I elicited16 the following facts:
It seemed that this poor ignorant Monarch — as he called himself — was persuaded that the Straight Line which he called his Kingdom, and in which he passed his existence, constituted the whole of the world, and indeed the whole of Space. Not being able either to move or to see, save in his Straight Line, he had no conception of anything out of it. Though he had heard my voice when I first addressed him, the sounds had come to him in a manner so contrary to his experience that he had made no answer, “seeing no man”, as he expressed it, “and hearing a voice as it were from my own intestines17.” Until the moment when I placed my mouth in his World, he had neither seen me, nor heard anything except confused sounds beating against — what I called his side, but what he called his INSIDE or STOMACH; nor had he even now the least conception of the region from which I had come. Outside his World, or Line, all was a blank to him; nay18, not even a blank, for a blank implies Space; say, rather, all was non-existent.
His subjects — of whom the small Lines were men and the Points Women — were all alike confined in motion and eye-sight to that single Straight Line, which was their World. It need scarcely be added that the whole of their horizon was limited to a Point; nor could any one ever see anything but a Point. Man, woman, child, thing — each was a Point to the eye of a Linelander. Only by the sound of the voice could sex or age be distinguished19. Moreover, as each individual occupied the whole of the narrow path, so to speak, which constituted his Universe, and no one could move to the right or left to make way for passers by, it followed that no Linelander could ever pass another. Once neighbours, always neighbours. Neighbourhood with them was like marriage with us. Neighbours remained neighbours till death did them part.
Such a life, with all vision limited to a Point, and all motion to a Straight Line, seemed to me inexpressibly dreary21; and I was surprised to note the vivacity22 and cheerfulness of the King. Wondering whether it was possible, amid circumstances so unfavourable to domestic relations, to enjoy the pleasures of conjugal23 union, I hesitated for some time to question his Royal Highness on so delicate a subject; but at last I plunged24 into it by abruptly25 inquiring as to the health of his family. “My wives and children,” he replied, “are well and happy.”
Staggered at this answer — for in the immediate26 proximity27 of the Monarch (as I had noted28 in my dream before I entered Lineland) there were none but Men — I ventured to reply, “Pardon me, but I cannot imagine how your Royal Highness can at any time either see or approach their Majesties29, when there are at least half a dozen intervening individuals, whom you can neither see through, nor pass by? Is it possible that in Lineland proximity is not necessary for marriage and for the generation of children?”
“How can you ask so absurd a question?” replied the Monarch. “If it were indeed as you suggest, the Universe would soon be depopulated. No, no; neighbourhood is needless for the union of hearts; and the birth of children is too important a matter to have been allowed to depend upon such an accident as proximity. You cannot be ignorant of this. Yet since you are pleased to affect ignorance, I will instruct you as if you were the veriest baby in Lineland. Know, then, that marriages are consummated30 by means of the faculty31 of sound and the sense of hearing.
“You are of course aware that every Man has two mouths or voices — as well as two eyes — a bass32 at one and a tenor33 at the other of his extremities34. I should not mention this, but that I have been unable to distinguish your tenor in the course of our conversation.” I replied that I had but one voice, and that I had not been aware that his Royal Highness had two. “That confirms my impression,” said the King, “that you are not a Man, but a feminine Monstrosity with a bass voice, and an utterly35 uneducated ear. But to continue.
“Nature having herself ordained36 that every Man should wed20 two wives —” “Why two?” asked I. “You carry your affected37 simplicity38 too far”, he cried. “How can there be a completely harmonious39 union without the combination of the Four in One, viz. the Bass and Tenor of the Man and the Soprano and Contralto of the two Women?” “But supposing,” said I, “that a man should prefer one wife or three?” “It is impossible,” he said; “it is as inconceivable as that two and one should make five, or that the human eye should see a Straight Line.” I would have interrupted him; but he proceeded as follows:
“Once in the middle of each week a Law of Nature compels us to move to and fro with a rhythmic40 motion of more than usual violence, which continues for the time you would take to count a hundred and one. In the midst of this choral dance, at the fifty-first pulsation41, the inhabitants of the Universe pause in full career, and each individual sends forth42 his richest, fullest, sweetest strain. It is in this decisive moment that all our marriages are made. So exquisite43 is the adaptation of Bass to Treble, of Tenor to Contralto, that oftentimes the Loved Ones, though twenty thousand leagues away, recognize at once the responsive note of their destined44 Lover; and, penetrating45 the paltry46 obstacles of distance, Love unites the three. The marriage in that instant consummated results in a threefold Male and Female offspring which takes its place in Lineland.”
“What! Always threefold?” said I. “Must one wife then always have twins?”
“Bass-voiced Monstrosity! yes,” replied the King. “How else could the balance of the Sexes be maintained, if two girls were not born for every boy? Would you ignore the very Alphabet of Nature?” He ceased, speechless for fury; and some time elapsed before I could induce him to resume his narrative47.
“You will not, of course, suppose that every bachelor among us finds his mates at the first wooing in this universal Marriage Chorus. On the contrary, the process is by most of us many times repeated. Few are the hearts whose happy lot it is at once to recognize in each other’s voices the partner intended for them by Providence48, and to fly into a reciprocal and perfectly49 harmonious embrace. With most of us the courtship is of long duration. The Wooer’s voices may perhaps accord with one of the future wives, but not with both; or not, at first, with either; or the Soprano and Contralto may not quite harmonize. In such cases Nature has provided that every weekly Chorus shall bring the three Lovers into closer harmony. Each trial of voice, each fresh discovery of discord50, almost imperceptibly induces the less perfect to modify his or her vocal51 utterance52 so as to approximate to the more perfect. And after many trials and many approximations, the result is at last achieved. There comes a day at last, when, while the wonted Marriage Chorus goes forth from universal Lineland, the three far-off Lovers suddenly find themselves in exact harmony, and, before they are awake, the wedded53 Triplet is rapt vocally54 into a duplicate embrace; and Nature rejoices over one more marriage and over three more births.”
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1
retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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interspersed
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| adj.[医]散开的；点缀的v.intersperse的过去式和过去分词 | |
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3
lustrous
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| adj.有光泽的；光辉的 | |
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velocity
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| n.速度，速率 | |
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chirping
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| 鸟叫，虫鸣( chirp的现在分词 ) | |
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intervals
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| n.[军事]间隔( interval的名词复数 )；间隔时间；[数学]区间；（戏剧、电影或音乐会的）幕间休息 | |
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7
accosted
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| v.走过去跟…讲话( accost的过去式和过去分词 )；跟…搭讪；（乞丐等）上前向…乞讨；（妓女等）勾搭 | |
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intercept
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| vt.拦截，截住，截击 | |
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monotonous
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| adj.单调的，一成不变的，使人厌倦的 | |
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monarch
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| n.帝王，君主，最高统治者 | |
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abrupt
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| adj.突然的，意外的；唐突的，鲁莽的 | |
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12
molested
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| v.骚扰( molest的过去式和过去分词 )；干扰；调戏；猥亵 | |
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13
besought
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| v.恳求，乞求（某事物）( beseech的过去式和过去分词 )；(beseech的过去式与过去分词) | |
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14
dominions
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| 统治权( dominion的名词复数 )； 领土； 疆土； 版图 | |
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persevering
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| a.坚忍不拔的 | |
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elicited
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| 引出，探出( elicit的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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intestines
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| n.肠( intestine的名词复数 ) | |
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18
nay
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| adv.不；n.反对票，投反对票者 | |
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distinguished
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| adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的 | |
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wed
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| v.娶，嫁，与…结婚 | |
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dreary
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| adj.令人沮丧的，沉闷的，单调乏味的 | |
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vivacity
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| n.快活，活泼，精神充沛 | |
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conjugal
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| adj.婚姻的，婚姻性的 | |
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plunged
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| v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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abruptly
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| adv.突然地，出其不意地 | |
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immediate
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| adj.立即的；直接的，最接近的；紧靠的 | |
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proximity
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| n.接近，邻近 | |
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noted
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| adj.著名的，知名的 | |
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majesties
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| n.雄伟( majesty的名词复数 )；庄严；陛下；王权 | |
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consummated
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| v.使结束( consummate的过去式和过去分词 )；使完美；完婚；（婚礼后的）圆房 | |
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faculty
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| n.才能；学院，系；(学院或系的)全体教学人员 | |
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bass
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| n.男低音(歌手)；低音乐器；低音大提琴 | |
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tenor
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| n.男高音（歌手），次中音（乐器），要旨，大意 | |
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extremities
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| n.端点( extremity的名词复数 )；尽头；手和足；极窘迫的境地 | |
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utterly
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| adv.完全地，绝对地 | |
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ordained
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| v.任命（某人）为牧师( ordain的过去式和过去分词 )；授予（某人）圣职；（上帝、法律等）命令；判定 | |
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affected
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| adj.不自然的，假装的 | |
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simplicity
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| n.简单，简易；朴素；直率，单纯 | |
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39
harmonious
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| adj.和睦的，调和的，和谐的，协调的 | |
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40
rhythmic
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| adj.有节奏的，有韵律的 | |
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41
pulsation
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| n.脉搏，悸动，脉动；搏动性 | |
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42
forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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43
exquisite
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| adj.精美的；敏锐的；剧烈的，感觉强烈的 | |
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44
destined
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| adj.命中注定的；(for)以…为目的地的 | |
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45
penetrating
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| adj.（声音）响亮的，尖锐的adj.（气味）刺激的adj.（思想）敏锐的，有洞察力的 | |
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46
paltry
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| adj.无价值的，微不足道的 | |
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47
narrative
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| n.叙述，故事；adj.叙事的，故事体的 | |
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48
providence
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| n.深谋远虑，天道，天意；远见；节约；上帝 | |
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49
perfectly
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| adv.完美地，无可非议地，彻底地 | |
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50
discord
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| n.不和，意见不合，争论，（音乐）不和谐 | |
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51
vocal
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| adj.直言不讳的；嗓音的；n.[pl.]声乐节目 | |
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52
utterance
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| n.用言语表达，话语，言语 | |
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53
wedded
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| adj.正式结婚的；渴望…的，执著于…的v.嫁，娶，（与…）结婚( wed的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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54
vocally
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| adv. 用声音, 用口头, 藉著声音 | |
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