Text B Time Travel（第1页）

TextBTimeTravel

—fromTheTimeMae（Chapter1）

H。G。Wells

&raveller（forsoitwillbettospeakofhim）ouemattertous。Hisgreyeyesshowinkled，andhisusuallypalefacewasflushedahefireburly，aradiaheisinthelilieshtthebubblesthatflashedandpassedinlasses。hispatents，embradcaressedusratherthaobesatupohatluxuriousafter-dimospherewhenthracefullyfreeofthetrammelsofpredheputittousinthisway—markiswithaleanfer—aswesatandlazilyadmiredhisearhisnewparadox（aswethoughtit）ay。

“Youmustfollowmecarefully。Ishallhavetotrovertowoideasthatarealmostuniversallyaccepted。Thegeometry，foriaughtyouatschoolisfoundedonamis。”

“Isnotthatratheralargethiobeginupon?”saidFilby，aivepersonwithredhair。

“Idooaskyoutoaythingwithoutreasonablegroundforit。Youwillsoonadmitasmueedfromyou。Youknowofcoursethatamathematie，alihiil，haseyouthat?herhasamathematie。Thesethiras。”

“Thatisallright，”saidthePsychologist。

“Noh，breadth，andthiess，acubehavearealexistence。”

“ThereIobject，”saidFilby。“Ofcourseasolidbodymayexist。Allrealthings—”

“Somostpeoplethink。Butwaitamoment。stanta?”

“Don’tfollowyou，”saidFilby。

“acubethatdoesnotlastforaall，havearealexistence?”

Filbybesive。“Clearly，”theTimeTravellerproceeded，“anyrealbodymusthaveextensioninfourdireusthaveLehid—Duratihanaturalinfirmityoftheflesh，whichIwillexplaintoyoui，weiooverlookthisfact。Therearereallyfourdimensions，threewhichwecallthethreeplanesofSpadafourth，Time。Thereis，however，ateodrawaiheformerthreedimensioer，becauseithappensthatourovesilyiionaloerfromthebeginningtotheendofourlives。”

“That，”saidaveryyoungman，makingspasmodiceffhthiscigaroverthelamp;“that。。。verydeed。”

“Now，itisveryremarkablethatthisissoextensivelyoverlooked，”uedtheTimeTraveller，withaslightaofess。“ReallythisiswhatismeahDimension，thoughsomepeoplewhotalkabouttheFourthDimensiondonotk。Itisonlyanotherwayoflookihereisweentimeandahreedimensionsofspaceexceptthatourovesalongit。Butsomefoolishpeoplehavegotholdsideofthatidea。YouhaveallheardwhattheyhavetosayaboutthisFourthDimension?”

“Ihavenot，”saidtheProvincialMayor。

“Itissimplythis。ThatSpaatishaveit，isspokenofashavingthreedimensions，whiaygth，Breadth，andThidisalwaysdefinablebyreferehreeplarightaheothers。Butsomephilosophicalpeoplehavebeenaskingwhythreedimensionsparticularly—whyilestotheotherthree?—ariedtostruery。ProfessorSimonNeoundingthistotheNewYorkMathematicalSoo。Youknowhowonaflatsurface，whilytwodimensions，resentafigureofathree-dimensionalsolid，andsimilarlytheythinkthatbymodelsoftheedimensionstheycouldrepresentoneoffour—iftheyastertheperspectiveofthething。See?”

“Ithinkso，”murmuredtheProvincialMayor;and，knittinghisbrosedintoaate，hislipsmovingasosmysticwords。“Yes，Ithiersometime，brighteningiorymanner。

“Well，IdonotmindtellingyouIhavebeenatworkuporyofFourDimensionsforsometime。Someofmyresultsarecurious。Forinstance，hereisaportraitofamayearsold，aeeseveherattwenty-three，andsoon。Alltheseareevideions，asitwere，Three-DimeionsofhisFour-Dimensionedbeing，whichisafixedahing。”

&ificpeople，”proceededtheTimeTraveller，afterthepauserequiredfortheproperassimilationofthis，“khatTimeisonlyakindofSpace。Hereisapopularstificdiagram，aweatherrecord。Thislihmyfihemovemeer。Yesterdayitwassohigh，yesterdaynightitfell，thenthismitroseagain，alyupwardtohere。SurelythemerottracethislineinanyofthedimensionsofSpaerallyreized?Butlyittracedsue，andthatliherefore，wemustcludewasaloime-Dimension。”

“But，”saidtheMedi，staringhardatathefire，“ifTimeisreallyonlyafourthdimensionofSpace，whyisit，andwhyhasitalwaysbeen，regardedassomethi?AndwhyoveinTimeaswemoveaboutiherdimensionsofSpace?”

&ravellersmiled。“Areyousurewemovefreelyiawego，badforwardfreelyenough，andmenalwayshavedoneso。Iadmitwemovefreelyintwodimensions。Buthoanddown?Gravitationlimitsusthere。”

“ly，”saidtheMedi。“Thereareballoons。”

“Butbeforetheballoons，saveforspasmodigaiesofthesurfahadnofreedomofvertient。”“Stilltheyovealittleupanddown，”saidtheMedi。

“Easier，fareasierdo>

“AndyouoveatallinTime，youotgetawayfromtheprese。”

“Mydearsir，thatisjustwherey。Thatisjustwherethewh。Wearealwaysgettingawayfromtheprese。Ourmeences，whichareimmaterialandhavenodimensialoime-Dimensionwithauyfromthecradletothegrave。Justasweshouldtraveldownifwebegaeymilesabovetheearth’ssurface。”

“Butthegreatdifficultyisthis，”ihePsychologist。“YoumoveaboutiionsofSpace，butyouoveaboutinTime。”

“Thatisthegermofmygreatdiscovery。Butytosaythatweoveaboutiance，ifIamreiveryvividlyIgobacktotheinstantofitsoeabsent-minded，asyousay。Ijumpbaent。OfcoursewehaveayingbaylengthofTime，ahanasavageorananimalhasofstayiheground。Butacivilizedmahanthesavagei。Hegoupagainstgravitationinaballoon，andwhyshouldheimatelyhemaybeabletostoporacceleratehisdriftaloime-Dimensiournaboutaher>

“Oh，this，”beganFilby，“isall—”

“Whynot?”saidtheTimeTraveller。