《时间机器》TheTimeMachine.docx

《时间机器》TheTimeMachine.docx

《《时间机器》TheTimeMachine.docx》由会员分享，可在线阅读，更多相关《《时间机器》TheTimeMachine.docx（57页珍藏版）》请在冰点文库上搜索。

《时间机器》TheTimeMachine

《时间机器》TheTimeMachine

thetimemachine

by

johnlogan

february22,2000

int.columbiauniversity-lecturehall-day

darkness.thenasound...

click-clack,click-clack,click-clack...

thefamiliarsoundofchalkwritingonablackboard.

fadeuptosee...

ahandzoomingacrossablackboardatincrediblespeed,

forminganendlessalgebraicequation.

amazingly,whenthewriterreachestheendoftheblackboard

hedoesnotliftthechalkandreturntotheleftsideto

beginanewline--insteadhesimplyloopsaroundand

continueswriting,righttoleft,upsidedown.

thecollegestudentsinhisclass--allmaleanddressedin

latevictorianclothes--smileatthisfamiliarpeculiarity

andtilttheirheadstotryandreadtheendlessequation,

copyingfuriouslyintonotebooks.

thehandcontinuestozoomalongtheblackboard...andthen

slows...andthenstops...thestudentswait...thehandtaps

thechalkontheblackboardforamomentandwefinally

see...

alexanderhartdegen,ahandsomeyoungmannotmucholderthan

hisstudents,standingattheblackboard.heisgazingouta

window,lookingatabirdonatreebranch.hesmiles.

thestudentsglancetooneanother.

alexanderremembershimselfandturnsbacktotheblackboard,

hishandagainflyingas:

alexander

so--length,width,breadth--

formulatetheareaandofcoursewe

arriveatsolidmass.butimagine

ifwecontinuetheequationasi've

done--can'twebegintorecognize

anotherdimensionbeyondthefirst

three?

itheorizewebegintofind

duration--theobject'splacein

time.let'snotethatas'd'

here...

alexanderreachestheleftsideoftheblackboardandloops

aroundagaininanunbrokenlinetocontinuetheequation

fromlefttorightagain.

thestudentsarehopelesslylost.theyfinallystopcopying

andjustwatchalexanderwork,admiringhisbrilliant

innovation.

meanwhile,amanwatchesfromthebackofthelecturehall.

heisdavidphilby,alexander'sclosestfriend,abitolder.

alexander

...ifweacceptthetheoretical

possibilityofdurationasafourth

dimensionwefindthatourequation

might--no,that'snotright--

heerasessomenumbersquicklywithhishand,sendingupa

cloudofchalkdust,hecoughs.

alexander

--there,thatlooksmorelike

it...

hecontinuestoscribbleatlightningspeed.then...

hebeginshummingtohimself.

thestudentswatch,amused.philbysmiles.

alexanderfinallystopshummingandwriting.stepsbackand

looksattheequation.thenheturnstohisstudents.

alexander

doesthismakeanysensetoyou?

thestudentsareconfused.oneoffers:

student

sir,ifimay,wouldn'titbe

easierifyouappliedafibonacci

sequencetothedifferential

coefficient?

alexander

（smiles）

it'snotsupposedtobeeasy,it's

supposedtobebeautiful...allof

youthinkaboutthattonightand

we'llpressontomorrogood

afternoon.

thestudentsbegintorise,classover.theyleavethe

classroomtalkingeagerlyaboutalexander'stheories,

inspired.

asuddennewangle:

fromaboveweseealexandergoingto

philby,leavingtheclassroomtalkingwithhim.wearein

theupperbalconyoftheclassroom.asolitaryfigurelooks

down,watchingthem.

thisnewfigureisathinmanwithpaleskin,drylike

parchment.somehowominous.

int.columbia-hallway-day

alexanderwalkswithphilby:

alexander

...thepointisiknowitwill

workoncethe,um,numbersandsuch

areinorder.

philby

doyouknowyouwerehumming?

alexander

iwasnot.

philby

somewherearound'd+2xysomething

something.'

alexander

damnedificankeepheroutofmy

equations.

philby

tonight'sthenight?

alexander

（checkingpocketwatch）

god,andi'mrunninglate--

aprimwomanappearsbeforethem:

primwoman

dr.hartdegen,dr.philby...dean

fultonwouldliketoseeyou.

alexanderandphilbyexchangealook.gulp.theyfollowthe

primwoman.

int.columbia-deanfulton'soffice-day

theyfollowtheprimwoman,deanfulton'ssecretary,intohis

dark,paneledoffice.

primwoman

he'soutside.

alexanderandphilbymovethroughtheofficeandouttoa

gardencourtyard...

ext.columbia-gardencourtyard-day

oddly,chickensarecluckingaboutthecourtyard.

thethinmanwesawbefore,deanfulton,iscasuallytossing

downfeedforthechickens.withhisotherhandhecarries

anumbrellatoprotecthimselffromthesun.hedoesnot

lookup.

deanfulton

gentlemen,watchyourstep.

alexanderandphilbystop.deanfultonlooksupandsmiles,

benevolent.

deanfulton

myfowlhavepollutedtheyard.

philby

deanfulton...

deanfultoncontinuestolazilyscatterfeedforhis

chickens.

deanfulton

dr.philby,dr.hartdegen.i

receivedthemostextraordinary

letterlastweek.fromaparent.

wearealwayspleasedtoreceive

lettersfromparents.theyareour

employers,afterall.this

gentleman'ssonisinyourclass,

dr.hartdegen.

alexander

（knowswhat'scoming）

isee.

deanfulton

asirecallthesyllabusthename

ofyourtutorialis'applied

mathematicsandengineering',ami

correct?

alexander

exactlycorrect,sir.

deanfultonstopsscatteringfeedandgazesatalexanderwith

asmile.thisisanoldgamebetweenthemandtheyboth

ratherenjoyit.toapoint.

deanfulton

well,justasithought.surely

it'sallbeenaterriblemistake.

thisparentactuallysuggestedthat

yourfreshmancourseinapplied

mathematicshassomehowbecomea

seminarontheoreticalphysics!

alexander

imaginethat.

deanfulton

butiknowthatnoneofmyfaculty

wouldeverdeviatefromthe

assignedcurriculum.

alexander

well...perhapsihave'deviated'

thetiniestbit.

deanfulton

mightiaskwhy?

alexander

becausetheassignedcurriculumis

boring.

philbygroansveryquietly.

alexander

sir,thatcurriculumisfortyyears

outofdate.thestudentstoday

arelookingtowardthenewcentury

--theywanttobechallengedand

inspired,notspoon-feddustyold

equationsthathavebeenproveda

thousandtimes.theywantto

explore.

deanfulton

dothey?

deanfultonsmilesandthenbeginstoscatterfeedagain.

deanfulton

whataretheseanimals,gentlemen?

alexanderandphilbyexchangealook.

philby

um,yourchickens,sir.

alexanderhelpfullyoffers:

alexander

androosters.

deanfulton

no,dr.hartdegen,theyarenot

justchickensandroosters.they

arescience.perhapstheyaren't

'inspiring'toyou.perhapsthey

don't'challenge'you--

alexander

no,sir--

deanfulton

animalhusbandryisscience,dr.

hartdegen.ihavebeenbreeding

thesefowlforfourteenyears.i

havefilledalibrarywith

informationontheirfeeding

patterns,socialbehaviorand

breeding.empirical,exacting,

quantifiablerecords.

alexander

sir--

deanfultonlooksupathim,hiseyescold:

deanfulton

'duration'isnotadimension.

scientistsdonotimaginetheworld

aroundthem.theydonotwool-

gatherorcloud-spin.theyprove.

theydemonstrate.columbia

universitydoesnotteachfantasy.

philbyshootsalexanderawarninglook,butalexandercan't

helphimself:

alexander

withrespect,sir,wouldwehave

thetelegraphwithoutfantasy?

wouldwehaveradiumandx-rays

withoutsomeonefirstdreamingwe

could?

deanfulton

theadvancesyouspeakofwerethe

resultofcountlessyearsofstudy

andempiricalexperimentation,a

carefulevolutionaryprocess,not

chalkboardparlor-tricks.

alexander

myequationsarenotparlor-tricks!

deanfulton

abstractmathematics,relativityof

dimensions,geometrical'durations'

--evenallowingfortheusesof

speculation,whatisthepoint?

alexander

becauseit'sanewwayofseeing

theworld!

ofseeingourplacein

it!

philby

sir,ifimay--

deanfulton

（withfinality,to

alexander）

youngman,wehaveawayofdoing

thingshere.radicaltheorizingis

notacceptable.haveimademyself

understood?

alexander

yes,sir.

deanfulton

verygood.nowifyouwillexcuse

usforamoment.

alexandergoesbackintotheoffice.

philby

ifimightexplain,sir--

deanfulton

yousupportedhisapplication,dr.

philby.youarehissenior,

advisor.idependuponyouto

restrainhis...excesses.any

repetitionofthebehaviori

witnessedinhisclassroomtoday

andtherewillbeconsequencesfor

youboth.

philby

yes,sir.

deanfulton

nowyouareupsettingmyfowl.

pleasego.

philbyextricateshimselffromachickenpeckingathisshoe

andgoes.

alexander（v.o.）

he'sadinosaur.he'salready

extinct,hejustdoesn'tknowit...

ext.streetcar-day

alexanderandphilbyareinanopenhorse-drawnstreetcar,

headingdowntown.everywherearoundthem,themassivecity

bustles.

newyorkcityattheendofthe19thcentury.itisvibrant

tothepointoffrenzy;reachingforthefutureinafurious

upheavalofconstruction.

title:

newyorkcity-may12,1895-5:

17p.m.

alexander

...onedayhe'llbediscoveredby

somefuturearcheologistsandthey

won'tknowwhattomakeofhim.

thethickbrow,solackingin

imagination.thedimlittleeyes,

devoidofcuriosity.

philby

youknowgenerallyteachersare

supposedtoteachrealequations

thatadduptorealnumbers.

alexander

where'sthechallengeinthat?

philby

alex,thisisyourfirstyearasan

associateprofessor.youmight

wanttoplaythingsalittlemore

conservatively.

alexander

yousoundlikemyfather...

alexanderpointstothemassesofgreybusinessmen,allin

identicalbowlerhats,marchingalongthesidewalk:

alexander

lookatthem,philby,allalike,

everyoneinanidenticalbowler

hat.doyouwantyourstudentsto

turnoutlikethem?

philby

iwantmystudentstoemergewith

theoreticalandpractical

knowledge.

alexander

idon't.iwantthemtorunalong

thisstreetandknockoffevery

bowlertheysee.

philby

youmay