madam how and lady why(豪夫人和怀女士)-第24章
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！
carbon is； he can tell you what is carbon； which is well worth knowing。
He will tell you； for instance； that every time you breathe or speak； what
comes out of your mouth is carbonic acid； and that； if your breath comes
on a bit of slacked lime； it will begin to turn it back into the chalk from
which it was made； and that； if your breath comes on the leaves of a
growing plant； that leaf will take the carbon out of it； and turn it into wood。
And surely that is worth knowing；that you may be helping to make chalk；
or to make wood； every time you breathe。
Well； that is very curious。
But now； ask him； What is carbon？ And he will tell you； that many
things are carbon。 A diamond is carbon； and so is blacklead； and so is
charcoal and coke； and coal in part； and wood in part。
What？ Does Analysis say that a diamond and charcoal are the same
thing？
Yes。
Then his way of taking things to pieces must be a very clumsy one； if
he can find out no difference between diamond and charcoal。
Well； perhaps it is： but you must remember that； though he is very
oldas old as the first man who ever livedhe has only been at school for
the last three hundred years or so。 And remember； too； that he is not like
you； who have some one else to teach you。 He has had to teach himself；
and find out for himself； and make his own tools； and work in the dark
besides。 And I think it is very much to his credit that he ever found out
that diamond and charcoal were the same things。 You would never have
95
… Page 96…
MADAM HOW AND LADY WHY
found it out for yourself； you will agree。
No： but how did he do it？
He taught a very famous chemist； Lavoisier； about ninety years ago；
how to burn a diamond in oxygenand a very difficult trick that is； and
Lavoisier found that the diamond when burnt turned almost entirely into
carbonic acid and water； as blacklead and charcoal do； and more； that each
of them turned into the same quantity of carbonic acid； And so he knew； as
surely as man can know anything； that all these things； however different
to our eyes and fingers； are really made of the same thing；pure carbon。
But what makes them look and feel so different？
That Analysis does not know yet。 Perhaps he will find out some day；
for he is very patient； and very diligent； as you ought to be。 Meanwhile；
be content with him： remember that though he cannot see through a
milestone yet； he can see farther into one than his neighbours。 Indeed his
neighbours cannot see into a milestone at all； but only see the outside of it；
and know things only by rote； like parrots； without understanding what
they mean and how they are made。
So now remember that chalk is carbonate of lime； and that it is made
up of three things； calcium； oxygen； and carbon； and that therefore its
mark is CaCO（3）； in Analysis's language； which I hope you will be able to
read some day。
But how is it that Analysis and Synthesis cannot take all this chalk to
pieces； and put it together again？
Look here； what is that in the chalk？
Oh！ a shepherd's crown； such as we often find in the gravel； only fresh
and white。
Well； you know what that was once。 I have often told you： a live
sea…egg； covered with prickles； which crawls at the bottom of the sea。
Well； I am sure that Master Synthesis could not put that together again：
and equally sure that Master Analysis might spend ages in taking it to
pieces； before he found out how it was made。 Andwe are lucky to…day；
for this lower chalk to the south has very few fossils in ithere is
something else which is not mere carbonate of lime。 Look at it。
A little cockle； something like a wrinkled hazel…nut。
96
… Page 97…
MADAM HOW AND LADY WHY
No； that is no cockle。 Madam How invented that ages and ages
before she thought of cockles； and the animal which lived inside that shell
was as different from a cockle…animal as a sparrow is from a dog。 That is
a Terebratula； a gentleman of a very ancient and worn…out family。 He
and his kin swarmed in the old seas； even as far back as the time when the
rocks of the Welsh mountains were soft mud； as you will know when you
read that great book of Sir Roderick Murchison's； Siluria。 But as the ages
rolled on； they got fewer and fewer； these Terebratulae； and now there are
hardly any of them left； only six or seven sorts are left about these islands；
which cling to stones in deep water； and the first time I dredged two of
them out of Loch Fyne； I looked at them with awe； as on relics from
another world； which had lasted on through unnumbered ages and changes；
such as one's fancy could not grasp。
But you will agree that； if Master Analysis took that shell to pieces；
Master Synthesis would not be likely to put it together again； much less to
put it together in the right way； in which Madam How made it。
And what was that？
By making a living animal； which went on growing； that is； making
itself； and making； as it grew； its shell to live in。 Synthesis has not found
out yet the first step towards doing that； and； as I believe； he never will。
But there would be no harm in his trying？
Of course not。 Let everybody try to do everything they fancy。 Even if
they fail； they will have learnt at least that they cannot do it。
But nowand this is a secret which you would never find out for
yourself； at least without the help of a microscopethe greater part of this
lump of chalk is made up of things which neither Analysis can perfectly
take to pieces； nor Synthesis put together again。 It is made of dead
organisms； that is； things which have been made by living creatures。 If
you washed and brushed that chalk into powder； you would find it full of
little things like the Dentalina in this drawing； and many other curious
forms。 I will show you some under the microscope one day。
They are the shells of animals called Foraminifera； because the shells
of some of them are full of holes； through which they put out tiny arms。
So small they are and so many； that there may be； it is said； forty thousand
97
… Page 98…
MADAM HOW AND LADY WHY
of them in a bit of chalk an inch every way。 In numbers past counting；
some whole； some broken； some ground to the finest powder； they make
up vast masses of England； which are now chalk downs； and in some
foreign countries they make up whole mountains。 Part of the building
stone of the Great Pyramid in Egypt is composed； I am told； entirely of
them。
And how did they get into the chalk？
Ah！ How indeed？ Let us think。 The chalk must have been laid
down at the bottom of a sea； because there are sea…shells in it。 Besides； we
find little atomies exactly like these alive now in many seas； and therefore
it is fair to suppose these lived in the sea also。
Besides； they were not washed into the chalk by any sudden flood。 The
water in which they settled must have been quite still； or these little
delicate creatures would have been ground into powderor rather into
paste。 Therefore learned men soon made up their minds that these things
were laid down at the bottom of a deep sea； so deep that neither wind； nor
tide； nor currents could stir the everlasting calm。
Ah！ it is worth thinking over； for it shows how shrewd a giant Analysis
is； and how fast he works in these days； now that he has got free and well
fed；worth thinking over； I say； how our notions about these little atomies
have changed during the last forty years。
We used to find them sometimes washed up among the sea…sand on the
wild Atlantic coast； and we were taught； in the days when old Dr。 Turton
was writing his book on British shells at Bideford； to call them Nautili；
because their shells were like Nautilus shells。 Men did not know then
that the animal which lives in them is no more like a Nautilus animal than
it is like a cow。
For a Nautilus； you must know； is made like a cuttlefish； with eyes；
and strong jaws for biting； and arms round them； and has a heart； and gills；
and a stomach； and is altogether a very well… made beast； and； I suspect； a
terrible tyrant to little fish and sea…slugs； just as the cuttlefish is。 But the
creatures which live in these little shells are about the least finished of
Madam How's works。 They have neither mouth nor stomach； eyes nor
limbs。 They are mere live bags full of jelly； which can take almost any
98
… Page 99…
MADAM HOW AND LADY WHY
shape they like； and thrust out armsor what serve for arms through the
holes in their shells； and then contract them into themselves again； as this
Globigerina does。 What they feed on； how they grow； how they make
their exquisitely…formed shells； whether； indeed； they are； strictly speaking；
animals or vegetables； Analysis has not yet found out。 But when you
come to read about them； you will find that they； in their own way； are just
as wonderful and mysterious as a butterfly or a rose； and just as necessary；
likewise； to Madam How's work； for out of them； as I told you； she makes
whole sheets of down； whole ranges of hills。
No one knew anything； I believe； about them； save that two or three
kinds of them were found in chalk； till a famous Frenchman； called
D'Orbigny； just thirty years ago； told the world how he had found many
beautiful fresh kinds； and； more strange still； that some of these kinds were
still alive at the bottom of the Adriatic； and of the harbour of Alexandria；
in Egypt。
Then in 1841 a gentleman named Edward Forbes；now with God
whos
