Capitolo 1
Flatland of Edwin A. Abbott
1884
To
The Inhabitance of Space in general
IT IS H.C. Particularly
This Job is Devoted
From a Humble Native of Flatland
In the Hope that
Also as him it was Initiated in the Mysteries
Of Three Dimensions
Before having been practical
With Only Two
Then the Citizens of that Celestial Region
You/he/she can inhale even more tall and taller
To the Secrets of Four Five or Also Six Dimensions
Contributing with this
To the Enlargment of The imagination
And the possible Development
Of those the most greater part and excellent Gift of Modesty
Among the Superior Runs
Of Solid Humanity
FLATLAND
DIVIDES 1
THIS WORLD
Sections 1 Of the Nature of Flatland
I call our world Flatland, not because we call this way him to us,
but to make his/her nature clearer to you, my happy readers,
who are privileged to live in the Space.
You imagine an enormous sheet of paper on that right Lines,
Triangles, Plazas, Pentagons, Hexagons and the other figures,
instead of being fixed in their places, freely stirs around,
on or in the surface, but without the power to rise above
or sinking him/it under, a lot as shades--only very hard
with bright edges--and you will have as amended enough then a
notion of my country and my farmers. Alas, some years ago,
I would have had to say the "my universe: " but now my mind you/he/she has been
opened to taller perspectives of things.
In such country, you immediately will perceive, that is
impossible that should be us anything of that that you call
a kind "solid"; but I challenge says you it will imagine that
we could distinguish at least from sight the Triangles, Plazas,
and the other figures, moving himself/herself/itself around as me I have described them.
On the contrary one, we could not see anything of some kind,
not at least as to distinguish a figure from another.
Nothing was visible, neither you/he/she could be visible to us,,
except Right Lines; and the necessity of this
I will quickly show.
Puts a penny on the middle one of one of Your tables in the Space; and
tilting himself/herself/itself on it, you repute down it. A circle will appear.