erewhon-第15部分

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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
contemptuous　tone　which　would　seem　to　say；　〃I；　if　I　were　you；
should　be　a　better　man　than　you　are；〃　a　tone　which　is　held　quite
reasonable　in　regard　to　physical　ailment。　　Hence；　though　they
conceal　ill　health　by　every　cunning　and　hypocrisy　and　artifice
which　they　can　devise；　they　are　quite　open　about　the　most　flagrant
mental　diseases；　should　they　happen　to　exist；　which　to　do　the
people　justice　is　not　often。　　Indeed；　there　are　some　who　are；　so　to
speak；　spiritual　valetudinarians；　and　who　make　themselves
exceedingly　ridiculous　by　their　nervous　supposition　that　they　are
wicked；　while　they　are　very　tolerable　people　all　the　time。　　This
however　is　exceptional；　and　on　the　whole　they　use　much　the　same
reserve　or　unreserve　about　the　state　of　their　moral　welfare　as　we
do　about　our　health。

Hence　all　the　ordinary　greetings　among　ourselves；　such　as；　How　do
you　do？　and　the　like；　are　considered　signs　of　gross　ill…breeding；
nor　do　the　politer　classes　tolerate　even　such　a　common
complimentary　remark　as　telling　a　man　that　he　is　looking　well。
They　salute　each　other　with；　〃I　hope　you　are　good　this　morning；〃　or
〃I　hope　you　have　recovered　from　the　snappishness　from　which　you
were　suffering　when　I　last　saw　you；〃　and　if　the　person　saluted　has
not　been　good；　or　is　still　snappish；　he　says　so　at　once　and　is
condoled　with　accordingly。　　Indeed；　the　straighteners　have　gone　so
far　as　to　give　names　from　the　hypothetical　language　（as　taught　at
the　Colleges　of　Unreason）；　to　all　known　forms　of　mental
indisposition；　and　to　classify　them　according　to　a　system　of　their
own；　which；　though　I　could　not　understand　it；　seemed　to　work　well
in　practice；　for　they　are　always　able　to　tell　a　man　what　is　the
matter　with　him　as　soon　as　they　have　heard　his　story；　and　their
familiarity　with　the　long　names　assures　him　that　they　thoroughly
understand　his　case。

The　reader　will　have　no　difficulty　in　believing　that　the　laws
regarding　ill　health　were　frequently　evaded　by　the　help　of
recognised　fictions；　which　every　one　understood；　but　which　it　would
be　considered　gross　ill…breeding　to　even　seem　to　understand。　　Thus；
a　day　or　two　after　my　arrival　at　the　Nosnibors'；　one　of　the　many
ladies　who　called　on　me　made　excuses　for　her　husband's　only　sending
his　card；　on　the　ground　that　when　going　through　the　public　market…
place　that　morning　he　had　stolen　a　pair　of　socks。　　I　had　already
been　warned　that　I　should　never　show　surprise；　so　I　merely
expressed　my　sympathy；　and　said　that　though　I　had　only　been　in　the
capital　so　short　a　time；　I　had　already　had　a　very　narrow　escape
from　stealing　a　clothes…brush；　and　that　though　I　had　resisted
temptation　so　far；　I　was　sadly　afraid　that　if　I　saw　any　object　of
special　interest　that　was　neither　too　hot　nor　too　heavy；　I　should
have　to　put　myself　in　the　straightener's　hands。

Mrs。　Nosnibor；　who　had　been　keeping　an　ear　on　all　that　I　had　been
saying；　praised　me　when　the　lady　had　gone。　　Nothing；　she　said；
could　have　been　more　polite　according　to　Erewhonian　etiquette。　　She
then　explained　that　to　have　stolen　a　pair　of　socks；　or　〃to　have　the
socks〃　（in　more　colloquial　language）；　was　a　recognised　way　of
saying　that　the　person　in　question　was　slightly　indisposed。

In　spite　of　all　this　they　have　a　keen　sense　of　the　enjoyment
consequent　upon　what　they　call　being　〃well。〃　　They　admire　mental
health　and　love　it　in　other　people；　and　take　all　the　pains　they　can
（consistently　with　their　other　duties）　to　secure　it　for　themselves。
They　have　an　extreme　dislike　to　marrying　into　what　they　consider
unhealthy　families。　　They　send　for　the　straightener　at　once
whenever　they　have　been　guilty　of　anything　seriously　flagitious
often　even　if　they　think　that　they　are　on　the　point　of　committing
it；　and　though　his　remedies　are　sometimes　exceedingly　painful；
involving　close　confinement　for　weeks；　and　in　some　cases　the　most
cruel　physical　tortures；　I　never　heard　of　a　reasonable　Erewhonian
refusing　to　do　what　his　straightener　told　him；　any　more　than　of　a
reasonable　Englishman　refusing　to　undergo　even　the　most　frightful
operation；　if　his　doctors　told　him　it　was　necessary。

We　in　England　never　shrink　from　telling　our　doctor　what　is　the
matter　with　us　merely　through　the　fear　that　he　will　hurt　us。　　We
let　him　do　his　worst　upon　us；　and　stand　it　without　a　murmur；
because　we　are　not　scouted　for　being　ill；　and　because　we　know　that
the　doctor　is　doing　his　best　to　cure　us；　and　that　he　can　judge　of
our　case　better　than　we　can；　but　we　should　conceal　all　illness　if
we　were　treated　as　the　Erewhonians　are　when　they　have　anything　the
matter　with　them；　we　should　do　the　same　as　with　moral　and
intellectual　diseases；we　should　feign　health　with　the　most
consummate　art；　till　we　were　found　out；　and　should　hate　a　single
flogging　given　in　the　way　of　mere　punishment　more　than　the
amputation　of　a　limb；　if　it　were　kindly　and　courteously　performed
from　a　wish　to　help　us　out　of　our　difficulty；　and　with　the　full
consciousness　on　the　part　of　the　doctor　that　it　was　only　by　an
accident　of　constitution　that　he　was　not　in　the　like　plight
himself。　　So　the　Erewhonians　take　a　flogging　once　a　week；　and　a
diet　of　bread　and　water　for　two　or　three　months　together；　whenever
their　straightener　recommends　it。

I　do　not　suppose　that　even　my　host；　on　having　swindled　a　confiding
widow　out　of　the　whole　of　her　property；　was　put　to　more　actual
suffering　than　a　man　will　readily　undergo　at　the　hands　of　an
English　doctor。　　And　yet　he　must　have　had　a　very　bad　time　of　it。
The　sounds　I　heard　were　sufficient　to　show　that　his　pain　was
exquisite；　but　he　never　shrank　from　undergoing　it。　　He　was　quite
sure　that　it　did　him　good；　and　I　think　he　was　right。　　I　cannot
believe　that　that　man　will　ever　embezzle　money　again。　　He　maybut
it　will　be　a　long　time　before　he　does　so。

During　my　confinement　in　prison；　and　on　my　journey；　I　had　already
discovered　a　great　deal　of　the　above；　but　it　still　seemed
surpassingly　strange；　and　I　was　in　constant　fear　of　committing　some
piece　of　rudeness；　through　my　inability　to　look　at　things　from　the
same　stand…point　as　my　neighbours；　but　a