登陆注册
15518700000016

第16章

FROM DR.RUDOLF STAUB,IN PARIS,TO DR.JULIUS HIRSCH,AT GOTTINGEN.

My dear brother in Science--I resume my hasty notes,of which I sent you the first instalment some weeks ago.I mentioned then that I intended to leave my hotel,not finding it sufficiently local and national.It was kept by a Pomeranian,and the waiters,without exception,were from the Fatherland.I fancied myself at Berlin,Unter den Linden,and I reflected that,having taken the serious step of visiting the head-quarters of the Gallic genius,I should try and project myself;as much as possible,into the circumstances which are in part the consequence and in part the cause of its irrepressible activity.It seemed to me that there could be no well-grounded knowledge without this preliminary operation of placing myself in relations,as slightly as possible modified by elements proceeding from a different combination of causes,with the spontaneous home-life of the country.

I accordingly engaged a room in the house of a lady of pure French extraction and education,who supplements the shortcomings of an income insufficient to the ever-growing demands of the Parisian system of sense-gratification,by providing food and lodging for a limited number of distinguished strangers.I should have preferred to have my room alone in the house,and to take my meals in a brewery,of very good appearance,which I speedily discovered in the same street;but this arrangement,though very lucidly proposed by myself;was not acceptable to the mistress of the establishment (a woman with a mathematical head),and I have consoled myself for the extra expense by fixing my thoughts upon the opportunity that conformity to the customs of the house gives me of studying the table-manners of my companions,and of observing the French nature at a peculiarly physiological moment,the moment when the satisfaction of the TASTE,which is the governing quality in its composition,produces a kind of exhalation,an intellectual transpiration,which,though light and perhaps invisible to a superficial spectator,is nevertheless appreciable by a properly adjusted instrument.

I have adjusted my instrument very satisfactorily (I mean the one I carry in my good square German head),and I am not afraid of losing a single drop of this valuable fluid,as it condenses itself upon the plate of my observation.A prepared surface is what I need,and I have prepared my surface.

Unfortunately here,also,I find the individual native in the minority.There are only four French persons in the house--the individuals concerned in its management,three of whom are women,and one a man.This preponderance of the feminine element is,however,in itself characteristic,as I need not remind you what an abnormally--developed part this sex has played in French history.

The remaining figure is apparently that of a man,but I hesitate to classify him so superficially.He appears to me less human than simian,and whenever I hear him talk I seem to myself to have paused in the street to listen to the shrill clatter of a hand-organ,to which the gambols of a hairy homunculus form an accompaniment.

同类推荐
热门推荐
  • 平凡爱人

    平凡爱人

    喜欢记得收藏,收藏,收藏。重要的事情说三遍,不喜欢的记得留下脚印。
  • 暖妻上瘾

    暖妻上瘾

    这是一次虐心的爱恋,夏暖的外表却成为了寒冬复仇的工具,原来每一次的接近都是有目的的,原来每一次的惊喜都是精心设计,她到最后已经不知道到底什么是真什么是假了,也许,她真的从始至终就只是一颗棋子而已,被伤到体无完肤却依然爱着她,至最后一刻她在平静的原谅中意识到!(本文纯属虚构,请勿模仿。)
  • 笑指江山

    笑指江山

    当自由之身得到侵犯,当从人变奴那种心酸,当举目无亲成为事实,魏子归还能不能发挥他的聪明才智,与三寸不烂之舌,在这个陌生且充满危机的世界里生存下去!?
  • 吃在韩娱

    吃在韩娱

    唯美食与爱不可辜负。鲁菜纯正浓厚,粤菜鲜香清爽,川菜百菜百味,淮扬意合南北,Cthugha轻身延年,Cthulhu清热润肺,Hastur性凉味甘,Nyarlathotep固本培元……“嗯,鸡叉你看来还是炖了比较好吃。”
  • 领主有毒

    领主有毒

    她是地狱恶鬼眼中的煞神,一朝穿越,虐渣配,砍怪兽,反正有女主光环罩着,谁怕谁。但是在走向世界霸主的路上,按照剧情君的尿性,怎么可能会没有一个可以上天入地的男主呢?于是,宠妻狂魔男主大大,带着某若,打怪升级,把世界彻底玩坏,然而世人还要不时的被塞一嘴的狗粮,,,看恶魔女主步步侵占男主心,看宠妻狂魔步步玩坏世界学生党作者,掉更新极慢,适宜攒肥了再看。第一次挖坑,自己挖的坑,跪着也要填完。请多多支持。
  • 天神之罚

    天神之罚

    神之罚,谁能逃?手中剑,何所向?站上巅峰,饮血,品泪,问心归何处,谁又在风中轻轻吟唱?在那久远的年代,这片大陆曾经出现一个对抗天神的奇人,愤怒的天神禁锢和诅咒这片大陆,而数万年之后,主人公不知不觉中传承了他的衣钵,逐渐发现了各种隐藏的古老线索,在复杂危险的修真界中穿行成长,陷入各种正魔争斗,在名与利,爱与恨的交织中,寻找生命的真谛。当神罚降临大陆,主人公在好友和挚爱帮助下,一同抗衡天神带给这片大陆的不公命运。与天斗,其乐无穷!我的承诺:完本,不写打怪升级,不写无关紧要的剧情和人物。关于作品,可以查看作者相关部分里的写作计划。
  • 儿童医学宝典

    儿童医学宝典

    本书系时尚家庭生活丛书之一,全书分别从婴儿的营养哺育、卫生保健、智力开发等三方面向您提供一些科学的育儿方法。
  • 豪门危情:地狱名媛

    豪门危情:地狱名媛

    闪婚闪离又怎样,就这样被你轻易挂上离异二手女人的标签?未免太小看本姑娘了!呸,离开你之后,不知道生活得有多好。当挽着优秀的新男友回来,不要闪瞎你们的狗眼!你们以为离婚是被打入地狱,本千金却认为是涅槃重生的机会。本千金回来了。害得本千金家破人亡的人,你们都要付出代价!还有那个自以为是的前夫……你就从没有想过,当初离婚的真相么?
  • 找对方法

    找对方法

    你的员工,更多的并不是不想做好工作,而是不懂得或者是找不到好的工作方法!企业的低效能是人的低效能所造成的,可以这样说:人的问题是企业永远的问题。它直接关系着一个企业的效率、效能,关系着企业的核心竞争力。现实工作证明,只有善于主动思考、勤于发现总结并最快掌握方法的人,才能获得最快的认可与提升。即便他不是“自动自发”地工作,也会按部就班地完成任务。因此,从某种意义上讲,方法是一切管理理念得以实现的根基,是有效解决一切问题的必要条件。
  • 一世安然吧

    一世安然吧

    18岁,正值青春最美好的时刻,18岁那天,她订婚的日子,可是,18岁那天,她的订婚宴却成了别人的。她深爱的那个男人在给了她一枪后和另一个女人订婚。她的第一次却在生日前一个晚上给了一个陌生男子。18岁,一个刺眼的字眼。18岁,她经历了无数坎坷。都说上帝在给你关上一扇门后,又会给你开一扇窗。她怀孕了,却被外公强行拉去坠胎,她逃离A市,遇到和自己同命相连的好朋友,两个人都怀着小宝宝,她的朋友在生下两个小宝宝后难产而死,同一天,她也生下一对龙凤胎,之后,一个人抚养4个小孩。幸福的5个人的生活在一个女人的嫉妒中结束。这个女人就是夺走她未婚夫的女人,这个女人杀了她其中一个孩子。她回国,唯一的目的就是复仇!