fabre, poet of science-第34部分

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！



〃only　the　barren　contemplation　of　a　vast　ossuary　which　speaks　only　to　the

eyes；　and　not　to　the　mind　or　imagination；〃　and　that　the　true　history　of

insects　should　be　that　of　their　habits；　their　industries；　their　battles；

their　loves；　and　their　private　and　social　life；　that　one　must　〃search

everywhere；　on　the　ground；　under　the　soil；　in　the　waters；　in　the　air；　under

the　bark　of　trees；　in　the　depth　of　the　woods；　in　the　sands　of　the　desert；

and　even　on　and　in　the　bodies　of　animals。〃



Was　not　this　in　reality　the　ambitious　programme　which　Fabre　was　later　to

propose　to　himself　when　he　entered　into　his　Harmas　and　founded　his　living

laboratory　of　entomology；　he　also　having　set　himself　as　his　exclusive

object　the　study　of　〃the　insects；　the　habits　of　life；　the　labours；　the

struggles　and　the　propagation　of　this　little　world；　which　agriculture　and

philosophy　should　closely　consider〃？　（14/7。）



Dufour　also　had　admirably　grasped　the　place　of　the　insect　in　the　general

harmony　of　the　universe；　and　he　clearly　perceived　that　parasitism；　that

imbrication　of　mutually　usurping　lives；　is　〃a　law　of　equilibration；　whose

object　is　to　set　a　limit　to　the　excessive　multiplication　of　individuals　of

the　same　type；〃　that　the　parasites　are　predestined　to　an　imprescriptible

mission；　and　that　this　mysterious　law　〃defies　all　explanation。〃



On　the　other　hand；　he　did　not　become　very　intimate　with　these　tiny　peoples；

his　attention　was　dispersed　over　too　many　points；　perhaps　he　was

fundamentally　incapable　of　concentrating　himself　for　a　long　period　upon　a

circumscribed　object；　perhaps　he　lacked　that　first　condition　of　genius；

patience；　so　essential　to　such　researches：　although　he　enriched　science　by

an　infinite　multitude　of　precious　facts　and　has　recorded　a　quantity　of

details　concerning　the　habits　of　insects；　he　did　not　succeed　in

representing　any　one　of　these　innumerable　little　minds。　He　had　an　intense

feeling　for　nature；　but　he　was　not　able　to　interpret　it；　and　his　immense

volume　of　work；　scattered　through　nearly　three　hundred　monographs；　remains

ineffective。



Let　us　compare　with　his　work　the　vast　epic　of　the　〃Souvenirs。〃　We　become

familiar　with　the　whole　life　of　the　least　insect；　and　all　its　unending

related　circumstances；　we　obtain　sudden　glimpses　of　insight　into　our　own

organization；　with　its　abysses　and　its　lacunae；　and　also　into　those　rich

provinces　or　faculties　which　we　are　only　beginning　to　suspect　in　the　depths

of　our　unconscious　activity。



In　the　evening　twilight；　after　the　vast　andante　of　the　cicadae　is　hushed；

at　the　hour　when　the　shining　glow…worms　〃light　their　blue　fires；〃　and　the

〃pale　Italian　cricket；　delirious　with　its　nocturnal　madness；　chirrups　among

the　rosemary　thickets；〃　while　in　the　distance　sounds　the　melodious　tinkle

of　the　bell…ringer　frogs；　replying　from　one　hiding…place　to　another；　the

old　master　shows　us　that　profound　and　mysterious　magic　with　which　matter　is

endowed　by　the　faintest　glimmer　of　life。



He　shows　us　the　intimate　connection　of　things；　the　universal　harmony　which

so　intimately　allies　all　creatures；　and　he　shows　us　also　that　everywhere

and　all　around　us；　in　the　smallest　object；　poetry　exists　like　a　hidden

flame；　if　only　we　know　how　to　seek　it。



And　in　revealing　so　many　marvellous　energies　in　even　the　lowest　creatures；

he　helps　us　to　divine　the　infinity　of　phenomena　still　unguessed…at；　which

the　subtlety　of　the　unknowable　force　which　thrills　through　the　whole

universe　hides　from　us　under　the　most　trivial　appearances。



For　he　has　not　told　everything；　this　incommensurable　region；　which　had

hitherto　remained　unworked；　is　far　from　being　exhausted。



How　many　unknown　and　hidden　things　are　still　left　to　be　gleaned！　There　will

be　a　harvest　for　all。　Remember　that　〃even　the　humblest　species　either　has

no　history；　or　the　little　that　has　been　written　concerning　it　calls　for

serious　revision〃　（14/8。）；　that　a　single　bush；　such　as　the　bramble；

suffices　to　rear　more　than　fifty　species　of　insects；　and　that　each　species；

according　to　the　just　observation　of　Réaumur；　〃has　its　habits；　its　tricks

of　cunning；　its　customs；　its　industries；　its　art；　its　architecture；　its

different　instincts；　and　its　individual　genius。〃



What　a　stupendous　alphabet　to　decipher；　of　which　we　have　as　yet　only

commenced　to　read　the　first　few　letters！　When　we　are　able　to　read　it　almost

entirely；　when　observers　are　more　numerous　and　have　concerted　their

efforts；　mutually　illuminating；　completing　and　correcting　one　another；

then；　and　then　only；　we　shall　succeed；　if　not　in　resolving　some　of　those

high　problems　which　have　never　ceased　to　interest　mankind；　at　least　in

seizing　some　reflected　knowledge　of　ourselves；　and　in　seeing　a　little

farther　into　the　kingdom　of　the　mind。





CHAPTER　15。　THE　EVENINGS　AT　SéRIGNAN。



But　it　will　doubtless　be　long　before　a　new　Fabre　will　resume；　with　the　same

heroic　ardour；　the　life　of　solitary　labour；　varied　only　by　a　few　austere

recreations。



Rising　at　six　o'clock；　he　would　first　of　all　pace　the　tiles　of　his　kitchen；

breakfast　in　hand；　so　imperious　in　him　was　the　need　of　action；　if　his　mind

was　to　work　successfully；　that　even　at　this　moment　of　morning　meditation

his　body　must　already　be　in　movement。　Then；　after　many　turns　among　the

bushes　of　the　enclosure；　all　irised　with　drops　of　dew　which　were　already

evaporating；　he　went　straight　to　his　cell：　that　is；　to　the　silence　of　his

laboratory。



There；　in　unsociable　silence；　invisible　to　all；　he　worked　hard　and　steadily

until　noon；　pursuing　an　observation　or　carrying　out　some　experiment；　or

recording　what　he　saw　or　what　he　had　seen　the　day　before；　or　re…drafting

his　records　in　their　final　form。



How　many　who　have　come　hither　to　knock　upon　the　door　in　these　morning

hours；　or　to　ring　at　the　little　gate；　silent　as　the　tomb；　which　gives　upon

the　private　path　frequented　only　by　foot…passengers　on　their　way　to　the

fields；　have　undertaken　a　fruitless　journey！　But　without　such　discipline

would　it　have　been　possible　to　accomplish　such　a　task　as　his？



At　last　he　would　leave　his　workroom；　jaded；　exhausted　by　the　excessive

intensity　of　his　work；　〃face　pale　and　features　drawn。〃　（15/1。）



Now　he　is　〃at　leisure：　the　half…day　is　over〃　（15/2。）；　and　he　can　satisfy

his　immense　need　not　of　repose；　but　of　relaxation　and　distraction　in　less

severe　occupations；　for　he　is　never　at　any　time　nor　anywhere　inactive；

incessantly　making　notes；　with　little　stumps　of　pencil　which　he　carries

about　in　his　pockets；　and　on　the　first　scrap　of　paper　that　comes　to　hand；

of　all　that　passes　through　his　mind。　Those　eternal　afternoons；　which

usually；　in　the　depth　of　the　French　provinces；　prove　so　dull　and　wearisome；

seem　short　enough　to　him。　Now　he　will　halt　before　his　plants；　now　stoop　to

the　ground；　the　better　to　observe　a　passing　insect；　always　in　search　of

some　fresh　subject　of　study；　or　now　bending　over　his　microscope。　（15/3。）

Then　he　undertakes；　for　his　later…born　children　at　Sérignan；　the　duties

which　he　formerly　performed　for　the　elder　family　at　Orange：　he　teaches　them

himself；　he　has　much　to　do　with　them；　for　their　sake　and　for　his　own　as

well；　for　he　is　jealous　of　possessing　them；　and　he　regrets　parting　with

them。　They　too　have　their　tasks　arranged　in　advance。



They　are　his　assistants；　his　appointed　collaborators；　who　keep　and　relieve

guard；　undertaking；　in　his　absence；　some　observation　already　in　hand；　so

that　no　detail　may　be　lost；　no　incident　of　the　story　that　unrolls　itself

sometimes　with　exasperating　slowness　beneath　the　bell…covers　of　the

laboratory　or　on　some　bush　in　the　garden。　He　inspires　the　whole　household

with　the　fire　of　his　own　genius；　and　all　those　about　him　are　almost　as

interested　as　he。



At　home；　in　the　house；　always　wearing　his　eternal　felt　hat；　and　absorbed　in

meditation；　he　speaks　little；　holding　that　every　word　should　have　its

object；　and　only　employing　a　term　when　he　has　tested　its　weight　and

meaning。　Silence　at　mealtimes　again　is　a　rule　that　no　one　of　his　household

would　infringe。　But　he　unbends　his　brow　when　he　receives　a　friend　at　his

hospitable　table；　where　but　lately　his　smiling　wife　would　sit；　full　of

little　attentions　for　him。　（15/4。）



Frugal　in　all　respects；　he　barely　touches　the　dishes　before　him；　avoiding

all　meats；　and　saving　himself　wholly　for　the　fruits；　for　is　not　man

naturally　frugivorous；　by　his　teeth；　his　stomach；　and　his　bowels？　Certain

dishes　repel　him；　for　reasons　of　sentiment　rather　than　through　any　real

disgust；　such　as　paté　de　foie　gras；　which　reminds　him　too　forcibly　of　the

so　cruelly　tortured　goose；　such　cruelty　is　too　high　a　price　to　pay　for　a

mere　greasy　mouthful。　（15/5。）　On　the　other　hand；　he　drinks　wine　with

pleasure；　the　harsh；　rough　〃wine　of　the　country〃　of　the　plains　of　Sérignan。

He　is　also　well　able　to　appreciate　good　things　and　appetizing　cookery；　no

one　ever　had　a　finer　palate；　but　he　is　happiest　in　seeing　others　appreciate

the　pleasures　of　the　table。　Witness　that　breakfast　worthy　of　Gargantua；

which　he　himself　organized　in　honour　of　his　guests；　whom　he　had　invited　to

an　excursion　over　the　Ventoux　Alp；　where　he　seems　expressly　to　have

commanded　〃that　all　should　come　in　shoals。〃　What　a　tinkling　of　bottles；

what　piles　of　bread！　There　are　green　olives　〃flowing　with　brine；〃　black

olives　〃seasoned　with　oil；〃　sausages　of　Arles　〃with　rosy　flesh；　marbled

with　cubes　of　fat　and　whole　peppercorns；〃　legs　of　mutton　stuffed　with

garlic　〃to　dull　the　keen　edge　of　hunger〃；　chickens　〃to　amuse　the　molars〃；

melons　of　Cavaillon　too；　with　white　pulp；　not　forgetting　those　with　orange

pulp；　and　to　crown　the　feast　those　little　cheeses；　so　delightfully

flavoured；　peculiar　to　Mont　Ventoux；　〃spiced　with　mountain　herbs；〃　which

melt　in　the　mouth。　（15/6。）



But　his　greatest　pleasure　is　his　pipe；　a　briar；　which　in　absence　of　mind　he

is　always　allowing　to　go　out；　and　always　relighting。



Respectful　of　all　traditions；　he　has　kept　up　the　o