第 27 节
作者:嘟嘟      更新:2021-02-20 05:57      字数:9321
  wonderful part of the story。            The Indians kill and eat them for their fat;
  although   they   believe   they   have   to   do   with   evil   spirits。    But   scientific
  men      who    have    studied    these   birds   will   tell  you    that  they    are  more
  wonderful than if all the Indians' fancies about them were true。                     They are
  great   birds;   more   than   three   feet   across   the   wings;   somewhat   like   owls;
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  somewhat   like   cuckoos;   somewhat   like   goatsuckers;   but;   on   the   whole;
  unlike   anything   in   the   world   but   themselves;   and   instead   of   feeding   on
  moths   or   mice;   they   feed   upon   hard   dry   fruits;   which   they   pick   off   the
  trees after the set of sun。        And wise men will tell you; that in making such
  a bird as that; and giving it that peculiar way of life; and settling it in that
  cavern; and a few more caverns in that part of the world; and therefore in
  making   the   caverns   ready   for   them   to   live   in;   Madam   How   must   have
  taken ages and ages; more than you can imagine or count。
  But that is among the harder lessons which come in the latter part of
  Madam   How's   book。          Children   need   not   learn   them   yet;   and   they   can
  never learn them; unless they master her alphabet; and her short and easy
  lessons for beginners; some of which I am trying to teach you now。
  But I have just recollected that we are a couple of very stupid fellows。
  We   have   been talking   all this   time   about   chalk   and   limestone;   and   have
  forgotten   to   settle   what   they   are;   and   how   they   were   made。       We   must
  think of that next time。          It will not do for us (at least if we mean to be
  scientific   men)   to   use   terms   without   defining   them;   in   plain   English;   to
  talk aboutwe don't know what。
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  CHAPTER VIII
  …MADAM HOW'S TWO GRANDSONS
  You   want   to   know;   then;   what   chalk   is? I   suppose   you   mean   what
  chalk is made of?
  Yes。    That is it。
  That   we   can   only   help   by   calling   in   the   help   of   a   very   great   giant
  whose name is Analysis。
  A giant?
  Yes。    And before we call for him I will tell you a very curious story
  about him and his younger brother; which is every word of it true。
  Once upon a time; certainly as long ago as the first man; or perhaps the
  first   rational   being   of  any   kind;   was    created;   Madam      How    had   two
  grandsons。      The elder is called Analysis; and the younger Synthesis。               As
  for who their father and mother were; there have been so many disputes on
  that question that I think children may leave it alone for the present。                For
  my   part;   I   believe   that   they   are   both;   like   St。   Patrick;   〃gentlemen;   and
  come of decent people;〃 and I have a great respect and affection for them
  both; as long as each keeps in his own place and minds his own business。
  Now you must understand that; as soon as these two baby giants were
  born;   Lady   Why;   who   sets   everything   to   do   that   work   for   which   it   is
  exactly fitted; set both of them their work。          Analysis was to take to pieces
  everything he found; and find out how it was made。                Synthesis was to put
  the pieces   together   again;  and   make   something   fresh   out   of them。       In   a
  word; Analysis was to teach men Science; and Synthesis to teach them Art。
  But    because     Analysis    was    the   elder;   Madam      How     commanded
  Synthesis   never   to   put   the   pieces   together   till   Analysis   had   taken   them
  completely apart。       And; my child; if Synthesis had obeyed that rule of his
  good old grandmother's; the world would have been far happier; wealthier;
  wiser; and better than it is now。
  But Synthesis would not。          He grew up a very noble boy。            He could
  carve;   he   could   paint;   he   could   build;   he   could   make   music;   and   write
  poems:      but    he  was    full  of  conceit   and   haste。   Whenever       his   elder
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  brother tried to do a little patient work in taking things to pieces; Synthesis
  snatched the work out of his hands before it was a quarter done; and began
  putting   it   together   again   to   suit   his   own   fancy;   and;   of   course;   put   it
  together wrong。        Then he went on to bully his elder brother; and locked
  him   up    in  prison;   and   starved    him;   till  for  many   hundred     years   poor
  Analysis never grew at all; but remained dwarfed; and stupid; and all but
  blind for want of light; while Synthesis; and all the hasty conceited people
  who followed him; grew stout and strong and tyrannous; and overspread
  the whole world; and ruled it at their will。           But the fault of all the work of
  Synthesis was just this:        that it would not work。         His watches would not
  keep time; his soldiers would not fight; his ships would not sail; his houses
  would not keep the rain out。           So every time he failed in his work he had
  to go to poor Analysis in his dungeon; and bully him into taking a thing or
  two to pieces; and giving him a few sound facts out of them; just to go on
  with till he came to grief again; boasting in the meantime that he and not
  Analysis had found out the facts。            And at last he grew so conceited that
  he fancied he knew all that Madam How could teach him; or Lady Why
  either; and that he understood all things in heaven and earth; while it was
  not the real heaven and earth that he was thinking of; but a sham heaven
  and a sham earth; which he had built up out of his guesses and his own
  fancies。
  And   the   more   Synthesis   waxed   in   pride;   and   the   more   he   trampled
  upon his poor brother; the more reckless he grew; and the more willing to
  deceive   himself。      If   his   real   flowers   would   not   grow;   he   cut   out   paper
  flowers;   and   painted   them   and   said   that   they   would   do   just   as   well   as
  natural ones。      If his dolls would not work; he put strings and wires behind
  them     to  make     them    nod   their   heads    and   open    their  eyes;   and   then
  persuaded   other   people;   and   perhaps   half…persuaded   himself;   that   they
  were alive。      If the hand of his weather…glass went down; he nailed it up to
  insure a fine day; and tortured; burnt; or murdered every one who said it
  did not keep up of itself。         And many other foolish and wicked things he
  did; which little boys need not hear of yet。
  But    at  last   his  punishment       came;    according     to  the   laws    of  his
  grandmother;   Madam   How;   which   are   like   the   laws   of   the   Medes   and
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  Persians; and alter not; as you and all mankind will sooner or later find; for
  he grew so rich and powerful that he grew careless and lazy; and thought
  about   nothing   but   eating   and   drinking;   till   people   began   to   despise   him
  more   and   more。      And   one   day   he   left   the   dungeon   of   Analysis   so   ill
  guarded; that Analysis got out and ran away。               Great was the hue and cry
  after him; and terribly would he have been punished had he been caught。
  But; lo and behold; folks had grown so disgusted with Synthesis that they
  began to take the part of Analysis。            Poor men hid him in their cottages;
  and    scholars    in  their  studies。    And     when    war   arose   about    him;and
  terrible wars did arise;good kings; wise statesmen; gallant soldiers; spent
  their    treasure   and   their   lives   in  fighting   for   him。    All    honest    folk
  welcomed   him;   because   he   was   honest;   and   all   wise   folk   used   him;   for;
  instead of being a conceited tyrant like Synthesis; he showed himself the
  most faithful; diligent; humble of servants; ready to do every man's work;
  and answer every man's questions。              And among them all he got so well
  fed that he grew very shortly into the giant that he ought to have been all
  along; and was; and will be for many a year to come; perfectly able to take
  care of himself。
  As for poor Synthesis;