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madam how and lady why(豪夫人和怀女士)-第37章

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does know; and knows a great deal; and very accurately; what he does not 

know is the matter itself。        He will tell you wonderful things about oxygen 

gashow the air is full of it; the water full of it; every living thing full of it; 

how it changes hard bright steel into soft; foul rust; how a candle cannot 



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                              MADAM HOW AND LADY WHY 



burn without it; or you live without it。       But what it is he knows not。 

    Will he ever know? 

     That is Lady Why's concern; and not ours。            Meanwhile he has a right 

to find out if he can。     But what do you want to ask him next? 

    What?      Oh!     What carbonic acid is。       He can tell you that。      Carbon 

and oxygen gas。 

    But what is carbon? 

    Nobody knows。 

    Why; here is this stupid Analysis at fault again。 

    Nay;   nay;   again。   Be   patient   with   him。  If   he   cannot   tell   you   what 

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 



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                               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。 



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     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
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