Chapter 5 "Utopia" Part II-1

Raphael Hithlad's speech on the ideal prosperity of a certain country, quoted by Thomas More, Lord Chancellor of the London Citizenship and Administration The central part of Utopia Island is the widest, extending to 200 miles. Most of the island is no less than this width, except that the two ends gradually taper. The circumference of 500 miles from one end to the other makes the whole island a crescent shape, with a gap between the two corners. There is a strait about eleven miles long, and a vast sea of ​​water spreads out. Surrounded by land and protected from the wind, the bay is like a huge lake, calm and unwavering, making almost the entire belly of the island country into a harbor for ships. It is navigable everywhere, and the residents are very convenient. The entrance and exit of the port are very dangerous, full of shoals and submerged reefs. About the middle, there is a rock standing upright, which is clearly visible, so it does not pose a danger. A fortress is built on it, guarded by a garrison .In addition, there are underwater reefs, so it is difficult to guard against. Only the natives are familiar with the various waterways. It is difficult for outsiders to enter the bay without being guided by the Utopians. Follow the obvious signs on the shore as a guide. Once these signs are moved, no matter how powerful the enemy fleet is, it is easy to be lured to destruction. The outer side of the island is also full of harbors. However, natural or engineered defenses are excellent everywhere, and a few defenders can To deter powerful enemies from approaching the shore. According to legend and terrain, the island was not originally surrounded by sea. King Utopus, who conquered this island (formerly called Abraxa Island) and named it, made the island uncivilized. The inhabitants became highly cultured and educated people, and today stand above almost all others. As soon as Utopus landed on the main island, he was victorious. Then he ordered fifteen miles to be dug on the side of the main island where it joins the mainland, to let the sea flow in, Surround the island. He not only asked the residents to do this work, but in order not to make them feel that this kind of work is dishonorable, he also let his own soldiers participate in it. The futility of the work was such that everyone paled in amazement at its completion. There were fifty-four cities on the island, all of great size and splendor, with a common language, traditions, customs, and laws. The layout of the cities was also similar, and even where the terrain permitted The nearest city is less than twenty-four miles apart, and the farthest is never more than a day's walk. Every year three experienced senior citizens from each city travel to Amauroti Assemble to discuss matters related to the interests of the whole island. As a city in the center of the country, Amauroti is conveniently located for representatives from all walks of life. It is regarded as the main city, that is, the capital. The jurisdiction of each city is properly allocated, In each direction of any city there is at least a twelve-mile area, or even wider, that is, on the side where the two cities are farthest from each other. The countryside is full of well-spaced farm dwellings, equipped with sufficient farm implements. The citizens move here in turn. Each peasant household must consist of at least forty male and female members, plus two serfs. One man and one man are respectively in charge of management. Every three

① Abraxa (Abraxa) - It is said that the Greek letters that make up the real name represent the number 365, which is equal to the number of days in a year, and it has a mysterious meaning. ——Chinese translator Ten households have one chief, named Feilaha.① Twenty people from each household return to the city each year, all of whom have lived in the countryside for two years. Their vacancies are filled by another twenty people from the city. These newcomers have never lived there for a year and are more familiar with farming The newcomers themselves turn to train another group of people the next year. In this way, there is no danger of problems in annual grain production due to lack of technology. If everyone is newcomers who do not understand agriculture at the same time , this danger would be unavoidable. Although the change of agricultural personnel is the rule, lest any one should be compelled, against his will, to remain long and hard at work, yet many have a natural inclination for farming, and they are permitted to live more Several years. The duty of the agricultural personnel is to plow the fields, feed the livestock, cut the timber, or transport the timber to the city by land or by water, as is convenient. They use ingenious methods to raise chickens on a large scale. The hens do not need to hatch eggs. Agricultural personnel keep a large number of eggs at the same temperature, so that they mature and hatch. As soon as the chicks shed their shells, they attach themselves to people and regard them as their own mothers!

They raise a small number of horses, all of which are good breeds, which are only used for young people to gallop and exercise, and are not used for other purposes. The plow and pack transportation are done by cattle. They know that cattle are not as good as horses, but cattle are more hardworking than horses, and they are less Sickness. Besides, cattle are more economical and labor-intensive to raise. Cattle beyond the service age can also be eaten. They grow grain for food. They drink wine made from grapes or apples or pears, or even just water. They sometimes drink clear water, but usually with boiled honey or licorice that is abundant in the area. Although they know the amount of food consumed in the city and the surrounding area, they produce more grain and livestock than they need. They divide the surplus

①Phylarch—Greek, meaning tribal chief. ——Chinese translator To neighboring residents. When they need items that cannot be found in the countryside, they send people to the city to obtain the full supply without any exchange in kind, and the city officials send out these supplies without the trouble of negotiating. Anyway, the monthly holidays On that day, many people in the countryside went to the city for vacation. When the harvest was approaching, the agricultural felaha notified the city officials of the number of people who should be sent to the countryside. After the harvesting army arrived quickly at the appointed time, they almost all harvested quickly on a sunny day.

About cities, especially the city of Amauroti As long as we are familiar with one of them, we are familiar with all of them, because as far as the topography permits, they are exactly alike. So I will give a description of one city (it does not matter which city).But what better city than Mauroti?First of all, no other city has a higher status than it, and the rest of the cities push it to be the seat of the Senate. Second, there is no other city that I am most familiar with, because it is the city I have lived in for five full years. Listen to me Going down. Ama Uroti is on a not too steep hill, almost square. It is about two miles wide and winds down from near the top of the hill to the Anidro River. It stretches slightly longer along the river Some. The Anidro originates in a small stream eighty miles upstream from the city, and is widened by the confluence of several tributaries (two of which are of considerable force).

, so that the Anidro River was half a mile wide when it flowed before the city. At a little further, the river was still wider, and poured sixty miles into the sea. Every six hours, the sea rises and falls, and the tide is fierce. When the tide rises, the river is forced to retreat, and the sea invades the riverbed for twenty miles. At this time, even as far as thirty miles away, the river is salty. On the top of the river, the taste of the water gradually fades, so the section of the Anidro River near the city is not polluted by the tide. Once the tide recedes, the clear water in the river flows down to the mouth of the river. The city has a bridge on the other side of the river. The foundations were not made of wooden piles but of huge stone arches. The bridge is located at the farthest point from the sea, so ships can sail along this side of the city without hindrance. There is also a small river here, with a gentle and pleasant flow. The mind of the people. It originates from the hill on which the city's foundations are located, and flows through the middle of the city into the Anidro River. Since the source of this river is in the outskirts of the city, the residents built a fortification there and connected it with the city. In case the enemy attacks, the river will not be cut off or diverted, nor will it be polluted by poison. Residents use tile pipes to divert water from the source to the lower parts of the city. Where the terrain is not suitable for installing water pipes, there are large-capacity water pipes. The rainwater pool is also convenient. There is a high and thick wall around the city, on which watchtowers and battlements are densely covered. There are blockhouses built on three sides of the city, and there are wide and deep dry moats around it, which are overgrown with thorns and difficult to cross. The remaining side uses the river as a moat. The layout of the streets is good for traffic and free from wind damage. The buildings are beautiful, lined up in long strips, row after row, like the buildings across the street. The fronts of the houses in each section of the building Separated from each other, there is a 20-foot-wide road in the middle. There is a spacious garden behind the houses of the entire building, surrounded by the back of the building, and the garden is right in it. The front door of each house leads to the street, and the back door leads to the garden. In addition, the installed It is a folding door, which is easy to push open by hand, and then closes automatically, and anyone can enter at will. Therefore, nothing is private property anywhere. In fact, they exchange houses every ten years by lottery. Utopians love their own In the garden, there are grapes, various fruit trees and flowers and plants in the garden. It is well cultivated, lush and lush, and the fruits are so many and delicious. The garden is the most beneficial and entertaining thing for the people of the city at first sight. The founder of the city seems to have cherished the garden most. In fact, the Utopians declared, The whole design of the city was originally sketched out by King Utop himself. As for the finishing, he saw that it was beyond the strength of one man's life, so he left it to posterity. Their chronicle is as long as a thousand years. In seven hundred and sixty years, it is written in detail and earnestly. According to historical records, at first the houses were low and low, no different from shacks, and they were made of any available wood, surrounded by mud walls. The roof was steep and made of thatched grass. The appearance of each household is very beautiful, and it is a three-story building. The walls are made of solid stone or plaster, and some are built of bricks, and the center of the wall is filled with gravel.High-priced cement, very finely prepared, can prevent fire, and is superior to lead plates in resisting storms. They use glass windows to prevent wind, and glass is widely used in Utopia; they also occasionally use linen cloth instead of glass for windows, and the cloth is coated with transparent oil or amber. . This method has two advantages, the light is more sufficient, and the wind resistance is more effective.