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！
courtesy； so that I must have indeed been shy and nervous if I had
not at once felt welcome。 Scarcely was the ceremony of my
introduction well completed before a servant announced that dinner
was ready in the next room。 I was exceedingly hungry； and the
dinner was beyond all praise。 Can the reader wonder that I began
to consider myself in excellent quarters？ 〃That man embezzle
money？〃 thought I to myself； 〃impossible。〃
But I noticed that my host was uneasy during the whole meal； and
that he ate nothing but a little bread and milk； towards the end of
dinner there came a tall lean man with a black beard； to whom Mr。
Nosnibor and the whole family paid great attention： he was the
family straightener。 With this gentleman Mr。 Nosnibor retired into
another room； from which there presently proceeded a sound of
weeping and wailing。 I could hardly believe my ears； but in a few
minutes I got to know for a certainty that they came from Mr。
Nosnibor himself。
〃Poor papa；〃 said Arowhena； as she helped herself composedly to the
salt； 〃how terribly he has suffered。〃
〃Yes；〃 answered her mother； 〃but I think he is quite out of danger
now。〃
Then they went on to explain to me the circumstances of the case；
and the treatment which the straightener had prescribed； and how
successful he had beenall which I will reserve for another
chapter； and put rather in the form of a general summary of the
opinions current upon these subjects than in the exact words in
which the facts were delivered to me； the reader； however； is
earnestly requested to believe that both in this next chapter and
in those that follow it I have endeavoured to adhere most
conscientiously to the strictest accuracy； and that I have never
willingly misrepresented； though I may have sometimes failed to
understand all the bearings of an opinion or custom。
CHAPTER X： CURRENT OPINIONS
This is what I gathered。 That in that country if a man falls into
ill health； or catches any disorder； or fails bodily in any way
before he is seventy years old； he is tried before a jury of his
countrymen； and if convicted is held up to public scorn and
sentenced more or less severely as the case may be。 There are
subdivisions of illnesses into crimes and misdemeanours as with
offences amongst ourselvesa man being punished very heavily for
serious illness； while failure of eyes or hearing in one over
sixty…five； who has had good health hitherto； is dealt with by fine
only； or imprisonment in default of payment。 But if a man forges a
cheque； or sets his house on fire； or robs with violence from the
person； or does any other such things as are criminal in our own
country； he is either taken to a hospital and most carefully tended
at the public expense； or if he is in good circumstances； he lets
it be known to all his friends that he is suffering from a severe
fit of immorality； just as we do when we are ill； and they come and
visit him with great solicitude； and inquire with interest how it
all came about； what symptoms first showed themselves； and so
forth；questions which he will answer with perfect unreserve； for
bad conduct； though considered no less deplorable than illness with
ourselves； and as unquestionably indicating something seriously
wrong with the individual who misbehaves； is nevertheless held to
be the result of either pre…natal or post…natal misfortune。
The strange part of the story； however； is that though they ascribe
moral defects to the effect of misfortune either in character or
surroundings； they will not listen to the plea of misfortune in
cases that in England meet with sympathy and commiseration only。
Ill luck of any kind； or even ill treatment at the hands of others；
is considered an offence against society； inasmuch as it makes
people uncomfortable to hear of it。 Loss of fortune； therefore； or
loss of some dear friend on whom another was much dependent； is
punished hardly less severely than physical delinquency。
Foreign； indeed； as such ideas are to our own； traces of somewhat
similar opinions can be found even in nineteenth…century England。
If a person has an abscess； the medical man will say that it
contains 〃peccant〃 matter； and people say that they have a 〃bad〃
arm or finger； or that they are very 〃bad〃 all over； when they only
mean 〃diseased。〃 Among foreign nations Erewhonian opinions may be
still more clearly noted。 The Mahommedans； for example； to this
day； send their female prisoners to hospitals； and the New Zealand
Maories visit any misfortune with forcible entry into the house of
the offender； and the breaking up and burning of all his goods。
The Italians； again； use the same word for 〃disgrace〃 and
〃misfortune。〃 I once heard an Italian lady speak of a young friend
whom she described as endowed with every virtue under heaven； 〃ma；〃
she exclaimed； 〃povero disgraziato； ha ammazzato suo zio。〃 （〃Poor
unfortunate fellow； he has murdered his uncle。〃）
On mentioning this； which I heard when taken to Italy as a boy by
my father； the person to whom I told it showed no surprise。 He
said that he had been driven for two or three years in a certain
city by a young Sicilian cabdriver of prepossessing manners and
appearance； but then lost sight of him。 On asking what had become
of him； he was told that he was in prison for having shot at his
father with intent to kill himhappily without serious result。
Some years later my informant again found himself warmly accosted
by the prepossessing young cabdriver。 〃Ah； caro signore；〃 he
exclaimed； 〃sono cinque anni che non lo vedotre anni di militare；
e due anni di disgrazia；〃 &c。 （〃My dear sir； it is five years
since I saw youthree years of military service； and two of
misfortune〃）during which last the poor fellow had been in prison。
Of moral sense he showed not so much as a trace。 He and his father
were now on excellent terms； and were likely to remain so unless
either of them should again have the misfortune mortally to offend
the other。
In the following chapter I will give a few examples of the way in
which what we should call misfortune； hardship； or disease are
dealt with by the Erewhonians； but for the moment will return to
their treatment of cases that with us are criminal。 As I have
already said； these； though not judicially punishable； are
recognised as requiring correction。 Accordingly； there exists a
class of men trained in soul…craft； whom they call straighteners；
as nearly as I can translate a word which literally means 〃one who
bends back the crooked。〃 These men practise much as medical men in
England； and receive a quasi…surreptitious fee on every visit。
They are treated with the same unreserve； and obeyed as readily； as
our own doctorsthat is to say； on the whole sufficientlybecause
people know that it is their interest to get well as soon as they
can； and that they will not be scouted as they would be if their
bodies were out of order； even though they may have to undergo a
very painful course of treatment。
When I say that they will not be scouted； I do not mean that an
Erewhonian will suffer no social inconvenience in consequence； we
will say； of having committed fraud。 Friends will fall away from
him because of his being less pleasant company； just as we
ourselves are disinclined to make companions of those who are
either poor or poorly。 No one with any sense of self…respect will
place himself on an equality in the matter of affection with those
who are less lucky than himself in birth； health； money； good
looks； capacity； or anything else。 Indeed； that dislike and even
disgust should be felt by the fortunate for the unfortunate； or at
any rate for those who have been discovered to have met with any of
the more serious and less familiar misfortunes； is not only
natural； but desirable for any society； whether of man or brute。
The fact； therefore； that the Erewhonians attach none of that guilt
to crime which they do to physical ailments； does not prevent the
more selfish among them from neglecting a friend who has robbed a
bank； for instance； till he has fully recovered； but it does
prevent them from even thinking of treating criminals with that
contemptu