Машина времени
Chapter 1
‘Somostpeoplethink. Butwaitamoment. Cananinstantaneouscubeexist?’
‘Don’tfollowyou,’saidFilby.
‘Canacubethatdoesnotlastforanytimeatall,havearealexistence?’
Filbybecamepensive. ‘Clearly,’theTimeTravellerproceeded,‘anyrealbodymusthaveextensioninfourdirections: itmusthaveLength,Breadth,Thickness,and—Duration. Butthroughanaturalinfirmityoftheflesh,whichIwillexplaintoyouinamoment,weinclinetooverlookthisfact. Therearereallyfourdimensions,threewhichwecallthethreeplanesofSpace,andafourth,Time. Thereis,however,atendencytodrawanunrealdistinctionbetweentheformerthreedimensionsandthelatter,becauseithappensthatourconsciousnessmovesintermittentlyinonedirectionalongthelatterfromthebeginningtotheendofourlives.’
‘That,’saidaveryyoungman,makingspasmodiceffortstorelighthiscigaroverthelamp;‘that...veryclearindeed.’
‘Now,itisveryremarkablethatthisissoextensivelyoverlooked,’continuedtheTimeTraveller,withaslightaccessionofcheerfulness. ‘ReallythisiswhatismeantbytheFourthDimension,thoughsomepeoplewhotalkabouttheFourthDimensiondonotknowtheymeanit. ItisonlyanotherwayoflookingatTime. ThereisnodifferencebetweenTimeandanyofthethreedimensionsofSpaceexceptthatourconsciousnessmovesalongit. Butsomefoolishpeoplehavegotholdofthewrongsideofthatidea. YouhaveallheardwhattheyhavetosayaboutthisFourthDimension?’
‘Ihavenot,’saidtheProvincialMayor.
‘Itissimplythis. ThatSpace,asourmathematicianshaveit,isspokenofashavingthreedimensions,whichonemaycallLength,Breadth,andThickness,andisalwaysdefinablebyreferencetothreeplanes,eachatrightanglestotheothers.
