The Forms of Water in Clouds and Rivers, Ice and Glaciers (§§ 9–11, 32, 67) 水的形态：雪星、冰花与冰海冰川的冬天 约翰·丁达尔 John Tyndall（1820–1893） 1872 年 冷冻图书馆 · 开架书库 · S-006201 · https://coldlibrary.com/s/006201 权利：1872 年出版；丁达尔卒于 1893 年。已按澳大利亚、欧盟、英国、中国大陆和美国的规则核对（截至 2026 年 10 月 11 日）。仅供参考，不是法律意见。 来源：Project Gutenberg，https://www.gutenberg.org/cache/epub/63803/pg63803.txt（取于 2026-10-11） 中文译文：Claude（AI），2026 · CC0 1.0 生成于 2026-10-14，来自 https://coldlibrary.com/open-stacks/tyndall-forms-of-water-snow-and-ice ---- § 9. Architecture of Snow 85. We now resemble persons who have climbed a difficult peak, and thereby earned the enjoyment of a wide prospect. Having made ourselves masters of the conditions necessary to the production of mountain snow, we are able to take a comprehensive and intelligent view of the phenomena of glaciers. 86. A few words are still necessary as to the formation of snow. The molecules and atoms of all substances, when allowed free play, build themselves into definite and, for the most part, beautiful forms called crystals. Iron, copper, gold, silver, lead, sulphur, when melted and permitted to cool gradually, all show this crystallizing power. The metal bismuth shows it in a particularly striking manner, and when properly fused and solidified, self-built crystals of great size and beauty are formed of this metal. 87. If you dissolve saltpetre in water, and allow the solution to evaporate slowly, you may obtain large crystals, for no portion of the salt is converted into vapour. The water of our atmosphere is fresh though it is derived from the salt sea. Sugar dissolved in water, and permitted to evaporate, yields crystals of sugar-candy. Alum readily crystallizes in the same way. Flints dissolved, as they sometimes are in nature, and permitted to crystallize, yield the prisms and pyramids of rock crystal. Chalk dissolved and crystallized yields Iceland spar. The diamond is crystallized carbon. All our precious stones, the ruby, sapphire, beryl, topaz, emerald, are all examples of this crystallizing power. 88. You have heard of the force of gravitation, and you know that it consists of an attraction of every particle of matter for every other particle. You know that planets and moons are held in their orbits by this attraction. But gravitation is a very simple affair compared to the force, or rather forces, of crystallization. For here the ultimate particles of matter, inconceivably small as they are, show themselves possessed of attractive and repellent poles, by the mutual action of which the shape and structure of the crystal are determined. In the solid condition the attracting poles are rigidly locked together; but if sufficient heat be applied the bond of union is dissolved, and in the state of fusion the poles are pushed so far asunder as to be practically out of each other's range. The natural tendency of the molecules to build themselves together is thus neutralized. 89. This is the case with water, which as a liquid is to all appearance formless. When sufficiently cooled the molecules are brought within the play of the crystallizing force, and they then arrange themselves in forms of indescribable beauty. When snow is produced in calm air, the icy particles build themselves into beautiful stellar shapes, each star possessing six rays. There is no deviation from this type, though in other respects the appearances of the snow-stars are infinitely various. In the polar regions these exquisite forms were observed by Dr. Scoresby, who gave numerous drawings of them. I have observed them in mid-winter filling the air, and loading the slopes of the Alps. But in England they are also to be seen, and no words of mine could convey so vivid an impression of their beauty as the annexed drawings of a few of them, executed at Greenwich by Mr. Glaisher. 90. It is worth pausing to think what wonderful work is going on in the atmosphere during the formation and descent of every snow-shower: what building power is brought into play! and how imperfect seem the productions of human minds and hands when compared with those formed by the blind forces of nature! 91. But who ventures to call the forces of nature blind? In reality, when we speak thus we are describing our own condition. The blindness is ours; and what we really ought to say, and to confess, is that our powers are absolutely unable to comprehend either the origin or the end of the operations of nature. 92. But while we thus acknowledge our limits, there is also reason for wonder at the extent to which science has mastered the system of nature. From age to age, and from generation to generation, fact has been added to fact, and law to law, the true method and order of the Universe being thereby more and more revealed. In doing this science has encountered and overthrown various forms of superstition and deceit, of credulity and imposture. But the world continually produces weak persons and wicked persons; and as long as they continue to exist side by side, as they do in this our day, very debasing beliefs will also continue to infest the world. § 10. Atomic Poles 93. "What did I mean when, a few moments ago (88), I spoke of attracting and repellent poles?" Let me try to answer this question. You know that astronomers and geographers speak of the earth's poles, and you have also heard of magnetic poles, the poles of a magnet being the points at which the attraction and repulsion of the magnet are as it were concentrated. 94. Every magnet possesses two such poles; and if iron filings be scattered over a magnet, each particle becomes also endowed with two poles. Suppose such particles devoid of weight and floating in our atmosphere, what must occur when they come near each other? Manifestly the repellent poles will retreat from each other, while the attractive poles will approach and finally lock themselves together. And supposing the particles, instead of a single pair, to possess several pairs of poles arranged at definite points over their surfaces; you can then picture them, in obedience to their mutual attractions and repulsions, building themselves together to form masses of definite shape and structure. 95. Imagine the molecules of water in calm cold air to be gifted with poles of this description, which compel the particles to lay themselves together in a definite order, and you have before your mind's eye the unseen architecture which finally produces the visible and beautiful crystals of the snow. Thus our first notions and conceptions of poles are obtained from the sight of our eyes in looking at the effects of magnetism; and we then transfer these notions and conceptions to particles which no eye has ever seen. The power by which we thus picture to ourselves effects beyond the range of the senses is what philosophers call the Imagination, and in the effort of the mind to seize upon the unseen architecture of crystals, we have an example of the "scientific use" of this faculty. Without imagination we might have *critical* power, but not *creative* power in science. § 11. Architecture of Lake Ice 96. We have thus made ourselves acquainted with the beautiful snow-flowers self-constructed by the molecules of water in calm cold air. Do the molecules show this architectural power when ordinary water is frozen? What, for example, is the structure of the ice over which we skate in winter? Quite as wonderful as the flowers of the snow. The observation is rare, if not new, but I have seen in water slowly freezing six-rayed ice-stars formed, and floating free on the surface. A six-rayed star, moreover, is typical of the construction of all our lake ice. It is built up of such forms wonderfully interlaced. 97. Take a slab of lake ice and place it in the path of a concentrated sunbeam. Watch the track of the beam through the ice. Part of the beam is stopped, part of it goes through; the former produces internal liquefaction, the latter has no effect whatever upon the ice. But the liquefaction is not uniformly diffused. From separate spots of the ice little shining points are seen to sparkle forth. Every one of those points is surrounded by a beautiful liquid flower with six petals. 98. Ice and water are so optically alike that unless the light fall properly upon these flowers you cannot see them. But what is the central spot? A vacuum. Ice swims on water because, bulk for bulk, it is lighter than water; so that when ice is melted it shrinks in size. Can the liquid flowers then occupy the whole space of the ice melted? Plainly no. A little empty space is formed with the flowers, and this space, or rather its surface, shines in the sun with the lustre of burnished silver. 99. In all cases the flowers are formed parallel to the surface of freezing. They are formed when the sun shines upon the ice of every lake; sometimes in myriads, and so small as to require a magnifying glass to see them. They are always attainable, but their beauty is often marred by internal defects of the ice. Even one portion of the same piece of ice may show them exquisitely, while a second portion shows them imperfectly. 100. Annexed is a very imperfect sketch of these beautiful figures. 101. Here we have a reversal of the process of crystallization. The searching solar beam is delicate enough to take the molecules down without deranging the order of their architecture. Try the experiment for yourself with a pocket-lens on a sunny day. You will not find the flowers confused; they all lie parallel to the surface of freezing. In this exquisite way every bit of the ice over which our skaters glide in winter is put together. 102. I said in (97) that a portion of the sunbeam was stopped by the ice and liquefied it. What is this portion? The dark heat of the sun. The great body of the light waves and even a portion of the dark ones, pass through the ice without losing any of their heating power. When properly concentrated on combustible bodies, even after having passed through the ice, their burning power becomes manifest. 103. And the ice itself may be employed to concentrate them. With an ice-lens in the polar regions Dr. Scoresby has often concentrated the sun's rays so as to make them burn wood, fire gunpowder, and melt lead; thus proving that the heating power is retained by the rays, even after they have passed through so cold a substance. 104. By rendering the rays of the electric lamp parallel, and then sending them through a lens of ice, we obtain all the effects which Dr. Scoresby obtained with the rays of the sun. § 32. Winter on the Mer de Glace 225. The winter chosen is an inclement one. There is snow in London, snow in Paris, snow in Geneva; snow near Chamouni so deep that the road fences are entirely effaced. On Christmas night—nearly at mid-night—1859, your deputy reaches Chamouni. 226. The snow fell heavily on December 26; but on the 27th, during a lull in the storm, we turn out. There are with me four good guides and a porter. They tie planks to their feet to prevent them from sinking in the snow; I neglect this precaution and sink often to the waist. Four or five times during our ascent the slope cracks with an explosive sound, and the snow threatens to come down in avalanches. The freshly-fallen snow was in that particular condition which causes its granules to adhere, and hence every flake falling on the trees had been retained there. The laden pines presented beautiful and often fantastic forms. 227. After five hours and a half of arduous work the Montanvert was attained. We unlocked the forsaken auberge, round which the snow was reared in buttresses. I have already spoken of the complex play of crystallising forces. The frost-figures on the window-panes of the auberge were wonderful: mimic shrubs and ferns wrought by the building power while hampered by the adhesion between the glass and the film in which it worked. The appearance of the glacier was very impressive; all sounds were stilled. The cascades which in summer fill the air with their music were silent, hanging from the ledges of the rocks in fluted columns of ice. The surface of the glacier was obviously higher than it had been in summer; suggesting the thought that while the winter cold maintained the lower end of the glacier jammed between its boundaries, the upper portions still moved downwards and thickened the ice. The peak of the Aiguille du Dru shook out a cloud-banner, the origin and nature of which have been already explained (84). (See *Frontispiece*.) 228. On the morning of the 28th this banner was strikingly large and grand, and reddened by the light of the rising sun, it glowed like a flame. Roses of cloud also clustered round the crests of the Grande Jorasse and hung upon the pinnacles of Charmoz. Four men, well roped together, descended to the glacier. I had trained one of them in 1857, and he was now to fix the stakes. The storm had so distributed the snow as to leave alternate lengths of the glacier bare and thickly covered. Where much snow lay great caution was required, for hidden crevasses were underneath. The men sounded with their staffs at every step. Once while looking at the party through my telescope the leader suddenly disappeared; the roof of a crevasse had given way beneath him; but the other three men promptly gathered round and lifted him out of the fissure. The true line was soon picked up by the theodolite; one by one the stakes were fixed until a series of eleven of them stood across the glacier. 229. To get higher up the valley was impracticable; the snow was too deep, and the aspect of the weather too threatening; so the theodolite was planted amid the pines a little way below the Montanvert, whence through a vista I could see across the glacier. The men were wrapped at intervals by whirling snow-wreaths which quite hid them, and we had to take advantage of the lulls in the wind. Fitfully it came up the valley, darkening the air, catching the snow upon the glacier, and tossing it throughout its entire length into high and violently agitated clouds, separated from each other by cloudless spaces corresponding to the naked portions of the ice. In the midst of this turmoil the men continued to work. Bravely and steadfastly stake after stake was set, until at length a series of ten of them was fixed across the glacier. 230. Many of the stakes were fixed in the snow. They were four feet in length, and were driven in to a depth of about three feet. But that night, while listening to the wild onset of the storm, I thought it possible that the stakes and the snow which held them might be carried bodily away before the morning. The wind, however, lulled. We rose with the dawn, but the air was thick with descending snow. It was all composed of those exquisite six-petaled flowers, or six-rayed stars, which have been already figured and described (§ 9). The weather brightening, the theodolite was planted at the end of the first line. The men descended, and, trained by their previous experience, rapidly executed the measurements. The first line was completed before 11 A. M. Again the snow began to fall, filling all the air. Spangles innumerable were showered upon the heights. Contrary to expectation, the men could be seen and directed through the shower. 231. To reach the position occupied by the theodolite at the end of our second line, I had to wade breast-deep through snow which seemed as dry and soft as flour. The toil of the men upon the glacier in breaking through the snow was prodigious. But they did not flinch, and after a time the leader stood behind the farthest stake, and cried, *Nous avons fini*. I was surprised to hear him so distinctly, for falling snow had been thought very deadening to sound. The work was finished, and I struck my theodolite with a feeling of a general who had won a small battle. 232. We put the house in order, packed up, and shot by glissade down the steep slopes of *La Filia* to the vault of the Arveiron. We found the river feeble, but not dried up. Many weeks must have elapsed since any water had been sent down from the surface of the glacier. But at the setting in of winter the fissures were in a great measure charged with water; and the Arveiron of to-day was probably due to the gradual *drainage* of the glacier. There was now no danger of entering the vault, for the ice seemed as firm as marble. In the cavern we were bathed by blue light. The strange beauty of the place suggested magic, and put me in mind of stories about fairy caves which I had read when a boy. At the source of the Arveiron our winter visit to the Mer de Glace ends; next morning your deputy was on his way to London. § 67. Conclusion 491. Here, my friend, our labours close. It has been a true pleasure to me to have you at my side so long. In the sweat of our brows we have often reached the heights where our work lay, but you have been steadfast and industrious throughout, using in all possible cases your own muscles instead of relying upon mine. Here and there I have stretched an arm and helped you to a ledge, but the work of climbing has been almost exclusively your own. It is thus that I should like to teach you all things; showing you the way to profitable exertion, but leaving the exertion to you—more anxious to bring out your manliness in the presence of difficulty than to make your way smooth by toning difficulties down. 492. Steadfast, prudent, without terror, though not at all times without awe, I have found you on rock and ice, and you have shown the still rarer quality of steadfastness in intellectual effort. As here set forth, our task seems plain enough, but you and I know how often we have had to wrangle resolutely with the facts to bring out their meaning. The work, however, is now done, and you are master of a fragment of that sure and certain knowledge which is founded on the faithful study of nature. Is it not worth the price paid for it? Or rather, was not the paying of the price—the healthful, if sometimes hard, exercise of mind and body, upon alp and glacier—a portion of our delight? 493. Here then we part. And should we not meet again, the memory of these days will still unite us. Give me your hand. Good bye. ---- 中文译文 · Claude（AI）译 第 9 节　雪的建筑 85. 现在我们就像登上了一座艰险山峰的人，因此赢得了欣赏广阔景色的乐趣。既然我们已经掌握了产生高山积雪所必需的条件，我们就能够对冰川的种种现象作一番全面而明白的考察了。 86. 关于雪的形成，还需要说几句话。一切物质的分子和原子，如果让它们自由活动，都会把自己建造成一定的、大多是美丽的形状，叫作晶体。铁、铜、金、银、铅、硫，熔化后让它们慢慢冷却，都显示出这种结晶的能力。金属铋显示得特别惊人：适当地熔化、凝固之后，这种金属会形成又大又美、自己建造起来的晶体。 87. 如果你把硝石溶在水里，让溶液慢慢蒸发，就可以得到大块的晶体，因为盐没有一部分变成蒸气。我们大气中的水是淡的，尽管它来自咸的海洋。糖溶在水里，让它蒸发，就生成冰糖的晶体。明矾也很容易照样结晶。燧石溶解了（在自然界里它们有时就是这样），再让它结晶，就生成水晶的棱柱和棱锥。白垩溶解后再结晶，就生成冰洲石。金刚石是结晶的碳。我们所有的宝石，红宝石、蓝宝石、绿柱石、黄玉、祖母绿，都是这种结晶能力的例子。 88. 你听说过引力，也知道它就是每一个物质微粒对其他每一个微粒的吸引。你知道行星和卫星是靠这种吸引保持在它们的轨道上的。但是，同结晶的力——或者毋宁说结晶的种种力——比起来，引力是一件很简单的事。因为在这里，物质的最终微粒，尽管小得不可想象，却显示出具有吸引的极和排斥的极，晶体的形状和结构就是由这些极的相互作用决定的。在固态下，吸引的极牢牢地锁在一起；但是如果施加足够的热，结合的纽带就解开了，在熔融状态下，这些极被推得相距如此之远，实际上已经在彼此的作用范围之外。分子把自己建造在一起的天然倾向，就这样被抵消了。 89. 水就是这种情形，作为液体，它看上去是没有形状的。当它冷却到足够的程度时，分子就进入了结晶力的作用范围，于是它们把自己排列成美得无法形容的形状。当雪在平静的空气中产生时，冰的微粒就把自己建造成美丽的星形，每一颗星都有六条光芒。这个类型从无例外，尽管在其他方面，雪星的样子千变万化。在极地，斯科斯比博士观察过这些精致的形状，并且画了许多图。我曾在隆冬看见它们充满空中，堆满阿尔卑斯山的山坡。但是在英国也能看到它们，我的任何言语，都不能像附上的几幅图那样生动地传达它们的美，那是格莱舍先生在格林尼治画的。 90. 值得停下来想一想，在每一场雪的形成和降落过程中，大气中正进行着多么奇妙的工作：多么巨大的建造之力在起作用啊！而人的头脑和双手的产物，同自然的盲目之力所造的东西相比，显得多么不完美啊！ 91. 可是谁敢把自然的力量称为盲目的呢？实际上，我们这样说的时候，描述的是我们自己的状况。盲目的是我们；我们真正应当说、应当承认的是：我们的能力完全不能理解自然运作的起源，也不能理解它的终结。 92. 但是，在我们这样承认自己的局限的同时，也有理由惊叹科学已经在多大程度上掌握了自然的体系。一代又一代，一辈又一辈，事实加上事实，定律加上定律，宇宙真正的方法和秩序就这样越来越多地显露出来。在这样做的时候，科学遭遇并推翻了各种形式的迷信和欺骗、轻信和诈伪。但是世界上不断地产生软弱的人和邪恶的人；只要他们并存，就像在我们今天这样，非常卑劣的信仰也就会继续侵扰这个世界。 第 10 节　原子的极 93. “几分钟前（88），我说到吸引的极和排斥的极，那是什么意思？”让我试着回答这个问题。你知道天文学家和地理学家说到地球的极，你也听说过磁极；磁体的极，就是磁体的吸引和排斥仿佛集中于其上的那些点。 94. 每一块磁体都有两个这样的极；如果把铁屑撒在磁体上，每一个微粒也都会获得两个极。假设这样的微粒没有重量，飘浮在我们的大气中，当它们彼此靠近时，必定会发生什么呢？显然，互相排斥的极会彼此退开，而互相吸引的极会彼此靠拢，最后锁在一起。再假设这些微粒不是只有一对极，而是有好几对极，排列在它们表面上一定的点上；那么你就可以想象，它们服从于彼此的吸引和排斥，把自己建造在一起，形成具有一定形状和结构的团块。 95. 设想水的分子在平静寒冷的空气中被赋予了这种极，迫使微粒按照一定的次序排列在一起，那么，你心灵的眼睛前面，就有了那最终产生出看得见的、美丽的雪晶的看不见的建筑。这样，我们最初关于极的观念和概念，是从我们观看磁的效应时眼睛所见得来的；然后我们把这些观念和概念转移到从来没有眼睛看见过的微粒上去。我们借以向自己描绘出感官范围以外的效应的这种能力，哲学家称之为想象力；而在心灵努力把握晶体那看不见的建筑时，我们就有了这种官能的“科学用途”的一个例子。没有想象力，我们在科学中也许会有*批判的*能力，却不会有*创造的*能力。 第 11 节　湖冰的建筑 96. 这样，我们已经熟悉了水分子在平静寒冷的空气中自己建造起来的美丽的雪花。当普通的水结冰时，分子也显示出这种建筑能力吗？比如说，我们冬天在上面溜冰的冰，是什么结构呢？它和雪花一样奇妙。这种观察即使不是新的，也是少见的：我曾看见在慢慢结冰的水里，形成了六条光芒的冰星，自由地浮在水面上。而且，六条光芒的星，是我们所有湖冰的构造的典型。湖冰就是由这样的形状奇妙地交织而成的。 97. 拿一块湖冰，把它放在一束会聚的阳光的路径上。注视光束穿过冰的轨迹。光束的一部分被挡住了，一部分穿了过去；前者在冰的内部引起融化，后者对冰毫无作用。但是融化并不是均匀地散布的。从冰的一个个分开的点上，可以看到闪亮的小点迸发出来。每一个这样的小点周围，都有一朵美丽的六瓣液体花朵。 98. 冰和水在光学上如此相似，除非光恰好照在这些花朵上，否则你看不见它们。但是中心的那一点是什么呢？是真空。冰浮在水上，是因为同样的体积，冰比水轻；所以冰融化时体积会缩小。那么，这些液体花朵能占满融化了的冰的全部空间吗？显然不能。花朵中形成了一点小小的空隙，这个空隙，或者毋宁说它的表面，在阳光下闪着擦亮的银子的光泽。 99. 在一切情况下，这些花朵都平行于结冰的表面而形成。每一个湖的冰，在阳光照射下都会形成这些花朵；有时数以万计，小得要用放大镜才看得见。它们总是可以得到的，但是它们的美常常被冰内部的缺陷所破坏。甚至同一块冰，一部分可以把它们显示得很精致，而另一部分则显示得不完美。 100. 附图是这些美丽图形的一幅很不完善的草图。 101. 这里我们看到的是结晶过程的逆转。那束深入的太阳光线精细得足以把分子拆下来，而不打乱它们建筑的秩序。在晴天，拿一只袖珍放大镜，你自己试一试这个实验。你会发现这些花朵并不杂乱；它们全都平行于结冰的表面。我们的溜冰者冬天在上面滑行的每一块冰，就是以这种精妙的方式拼合起来的。 102. 我在（97）里说过，有一部分阳光被冰挡住了，并使冰融化。这一部分是什么呢？是太阳的暗热。大部分光波，甚至一部分暗的波，穿过冰而丝毫不损失它们的加热能力。即使在穿过冰之后，把它们适当地会聚在可燃物上，它们的燃烧能力也会显示出来。 103. 而冰本身也可以用来会聚它们。斯科斯比博士在极地常常用冰透镜会聚太阳光线，使它们能点燃木头、引爆火药、熔化铅；这就证明，这些光线即使穿过了如此寒冷的物质，也仍然保持着加热能力。 104. 把电灯的光线变成平行光，然后让它们穿过一块冰透镜，我们就能得到斯科斯比博士用太阳光线得到的一切效应。 第 32 节　冰海冰川的冬天 225. 选定的这个冬天是一个严酷的冬天。伦敦下雪，巴黎下雪，日内瓦下雪；霞慕尼附近的雪深得把路边的篱笆全都埋没了。1859 年圣诞节的夜里，将近午夜时分，你的代表到达了霞慕尼。 226. 12 月 26 日雪下得很大；但是 27 日，趁着风暴停歇的间隙，我们出发了。和我一起的有四位好向导和一个挑夫。他们在脚上绑了木板，以免陷进雪里；我没有采取这个预防措施，常常陷到齐腰深。在我们攀登的过程中，有四五次，雪坡发出爆炸般的声音裂开，雪眼看就要化作雪崩冲下来。 新落的雪正处于那种使它的颗粒互相黏附的特殊状态，所以落在树上的每一片雪花都留在了那里。负着雪的松树呈现出美丽的、常常是奇幻的形状。 227. 经过五个半小时艰苦的跋涉，到达了蒙唐维尔。我们打开了那座被遗弃的客栈的锁，客栈四周的雪堆得像一道道扶壁。我已经说过结晶力复杂的作用。客栈窗玻璃上的霜花奇妙极了：那是建造之力在受到玻璃同它在其中工作的那层薄膜之间的黏附的妨碍时，造出来的模仿灌木和蕨类的形象。冰川的样子非常动人；一切声音都静止了。夏天里用它们的音乐充满空气的瀑布，此刻都沉默了，像一根根带凹槽的冰柱，从岩石的突出处垂下来。冰川的表面显然比夏天高了；这使人想到，当冬天的寒冷使冰川的下端卡在两边之间不动时，它的上部仍在向下移动，使冰加厚了。德吕针峰的峰顶抖出一面云旗，它的起源和性质前面已经解释过了（84）。（见卷首插图。） 228. 28 日早晨，这面旗子显得格外宽大壮丽，被初升的太阳染红了，像火焰一样燃烧着。玫瑰色的云朵也簇拥在大若拉斯峰的峰顶周围，挂在夏尔莫峰的尖顶上。四个人用绳子牢牢地连在一起，下到冰川上。其中一人是我在 1857 年训练过的，现在由他来插标杆。风暴把雪分布成这样：冰川上一段裸露，一段积雪很厚，相间排列。在积雪多的地方，需要格外小心，因为下面有隐藏的冰裂缝。那些人每走一步都用手杖试探。有一次，我正用望远镜看着这一行人，领头的人突然不见了；一道冰裂缝的顶盖在他脚下塌了下去；但是另外三个人立刻围拢过来，把他从裂缝里拉了出来。经纬仪很快就找到了真正的测线；标杆一根接一根地插下去，直到一排十一根标杆横立在冰川上。 229. 要再往山谷上方去是不可能了；雪太深，天气的样子也太吓人；于是我们把经纬仪架在蒙唐维尔稍下方的松林中间，从那里透过一条林间的空隙，我可以望到冰川对面。那些人不时被旋转的雪团裹住，完全看不见了，我们不得不利用风的间歇。风一阵一阵地从山谷里吹上来，使空气变暗，卷起冰川上的雪，把它沿着冰川的全长抛成一团团高高的、剧烈翻腾的云，云与云之间隔着一块块无云的空间，正对着冰面上那些裸露的部分。在这片混乱之中，那些人继续工作。他们勇敢而坚定地插下一根又一根标杆，最后一排十根标杆横立在冰川上。 230. 许多标杆是插在雪里的。它们长四英尺，插进去大约三英尺深。但是那天夜里，我听着风暴狂暴的袭击，想到标杆和固定它们的雪，也许会在早晨之前被整个儿刮走。然而，风停了。我们天一亮就起来，可是空中满是飘落的雪。它全是由那些精致的六瓣花朵，或者说六条光芒的星星组成的，这些前面已经图示和描述过了（第 9 节）。天气转晴，经纬仪架在了第一条测线的末端。那些人下到冰川上，凭着前一次的经验，迅速地完成了测量。第一条测线在上午十一点前就完成了。雪又开始下了，充满了整个天空。数不清的亮片洒落在高处。出乎意料的是，透过这场雪，那些人仍然看得见，也仍然指挥得动。 231. 为了到达第二条测线末端经纬仪所在的位置，我不得不在齐胸深的雪里跋涉，那雪又干又软，像面粉一样。冰川上那些人破雪开路的辛劳是巨大的。但是他们没有退缩，过了一阵，领头的人站到了最远的那根标杆后面，喊道：“我们完成了。”我很惊讶能听得这么清楚，因为人们一向认为飘落的雪会使声音变得很沉闷。工作完成了，我收起经纬仪，心情就像一位打赢了一场小仗的将军。 232. 我们把屋子收拾好，打好行李，沿着拉菲利亚的陡坡一路滑下，到了阿韦龙河的冰窟。我们发现河水很弱，但没有干涸。冰川表面一定已经有好几个星期没有送下水来了。但是在冬天开始的时候，裂缝里大多充满了水；今天的阿韦龙河，大概是冰川逐渐*排水*的结果。现在进入冰窟已经没有危险了，因为冰看上去坚硬得像大理石一样。在冰洞里，我们沐浴在蓝色的光中。这地方奇异的美使人想到魔法，使我想起了小时候读过的关于仙洞的故事。我们冬天的冰海之行，在阿韦龙河的源头结束了；第二天早晨，你的代表已经在回伦敦的路上了。 第 67 节　结语 491. 我的朋友，我们的劳作到这里就结束了。这么久有你在我身边，对我来说真是一种乐趣。我们常常汗流满面，才到达我们工作的高处，但是你始终坚定而勤勉，在一切可能的情况下都用自己的肌肉，而不依赖我的。我这里那里伸出一只手臂，帮你登上一道岩架，但是攀登的工作几乎完全是你自己的。我愿意这样来教你一切事情：给你指出有益的努力的道路，却把努力留给你自己；与其用缓和困难的办法来为你铺平道路，我更急于在困难面前激发出你的男子气概。 492. 坚定、谨慎、毫无恐惧，虽然并不总是毫无敬畏——我在岩石上、在冰上看到的你就是这样，而且你还表现出一种更为罕见的品质：在智力的努力中也坚定不移。像这里所写的这样，我们的任务看来够清楚的了，但是你我都知道，我们多少次不得不同事实坚决地争辩，才能把它们的意义揭示出来。然而，工作现在完成了，你掌握了一小部分可靠而确实的知识，这种知识是建立在忠实地研究自然的基础上的。它难道不值得为它付出的代价吗？或者毋宁说，付出代价这件事本身——在高山牧场上、在冰川上身心健康的、虽然有时是艰苦的锻炼——不也是我们乐趣的一部分吗？ 493. 那么，我们就在这里分手吧。如果我们不再相见，对这些日子的记忆仍会把我们联结在一起。把手给我。再见。