Robert Charles Winthrop，1809—1894，was a descendant of John Winthrop，the first Governor of the Colony of Massachusetts Bay.He was born in Boston，studied at the public Latin School，graduated at Harvard in 1828，and studied law with Daniel Webster.Possessing an ample fortune，he made little effort to practice his profession.In 1834 he was elected to the Legislature of his native state，and was reelected five times；three years he was Speaker of the House of Representatives.In 1840 he was chosen to Congress，and sat as Representative for ten years.In 1847 he was chosen Speaker of the House.He also served a short time in the Senate.His published writings are chiefly in the form of addresses and speeches；they are easy，finished，and scholarly.As a speaker，Mr.Winthrop was ready，full-voiced，and self-possessed.

There are fields enough for the wildest and most extravagant theorizings，within man's own appropriate domain，without overleaping the barriers which separate things human and divine.Indeed，I have often thought that modern science had afforded a most opportune and providential safety valve for the intellectual curiosity and ambition of man，at a moment when the progress of education，invention，and liberty had roused and stimulated him to a pitch of such unprecedented eagerness and ardor.Astronomy，Chemistry，and，more than all，Geology，with their incidental branches of study，have opened an inexhaustible field for investigation and speculation.Here，by the aid of modern instruments and modern modes of analysis，the most ardent and earnest spirits may find ample room and verge enough for their insatiate activity and audacious enterprise，and may pursue their course not only without the slightest danger of doing mischief to others，but with the certainty of promoting the great end of scientific truth.

Let them lift their vast reflectors or refractors to the skies，and detect new planets in their hiding places.Let them waylay the fugitive comets in their flight，and compel them to disclose the precise period of their orbits，and to give bonds for their punctual return.Let them drag out reluctant satellites from “their habitual concealments.”Let them resolve the unresolvable nebulae of Orion or Andromeda.They need not fear.The sky will not fall，nor a single star be shaken from its sphere.

Let them perfect and elaborate their marvelous processes of making the light and the lightning their ministers，for putting “a pencil of rays”into the hand of art，and providing tongues of fire for the communication of intelligence.Let them foretell the path of the whirlwind，and calculate the orbit of the storm.Let them hang out their gigantic pendulums，and make the earth do the work of describing and measuring her own motions.Let them annihilate human pain，and literally“charm ache with air，and agony with ether.”The blessing of God will attend all their toils，and the gratitude of man will await all their triumphs.

Let them dig down into the bowels of the earth.Let them rive asunder the massive rocks，and unfold the history of creation as it lies written on the pages of their piled up strata.Let them gather up the fossil fragments of a lost Fauna，reproducing the ancient forms which inhabited the land or the seas，bringing them together，bone to his bone，till Leviathan and Behemoth stand before us in bodily presence and in their full proportions，and we almost tremble lest these dry bones should live again！Let them put nature to the rack，and torture her，in all her forms，to the betrayal of her inmost secrets and confidences.They need not forbear.The foundations of the round world have been laid so strong that they can not be moved.

But let them not think by searching to find out God.Let them not dream of understanding the Almighty to perfection.Let them not dare to apply their tests and solvents，their modes of analysis or their terms of definition，to the secrets of the spiritual kingdom.Let them spare the foundations of faith.Let them be satisfied with what is revealed of the mysteries of the Divine Nature.Let them not break through the bounds to gaze after the Invisible.

譯文　TRANSLATION

羅伯特·查爾斯·溫斯洛普（1809—1894），其先祖為馬薩諸塞灣殖民地第一任總督約翰·溫斯洛普。羅伯特·查爾斯·溫斯洛普出生于波士頓，曾就讀于波士頓拉丁公學(xué)，1828年畢業(yè)于哈佛，師從丹尼爾·韋伯斯特攻讀法律。羅伯特·查爾斯·溫斯洛普家道殷實，無須為謀生辛勞。1834年，他當(dāng)選馬薩諸塞州州議員，五年后連任。他曾擔(dān)任三年馬薩諸塞州眾議院院長。1840年，他進入國會，擔(dān)任十年美國眾議院議員。1847年，當(dāng)選美國眾議院院長。他還曾在參議院短期供職。羅伯特·查爾斯·溫斯洛普是一位聲情并茂、泰然自若、才思敏捷的演說家。

無須僭越人神之限，在人類適宜的領(lǐng)域，就有足夠的疆土供最狂野、最恣肆的理論馳騁。的確，我一直認(rèn)為，伴隨著教育的進步以及發(fā)明和自由，人類空前的熱忱與激情得以喚醒、勃發(fā)，而現(xiàn)代科學(xué)則為他們的雄心和知性的好奇提供了絕佳的天賜的安全閥。天文學(xué)、化學(xué)，乃至地質(zhì)學(xué)，以及它們的各個分支學(xué)科，為人類開啟了一個永不枯竭的探究與沉思的天地。在現(xiàn)代工具和分析模式的輔助下，即使那些最為熱切、充滿渴望的人們在科學(xué)領(lǐng)域也能找到滿足他們無盡尋索與無畏探險的廣闊空間。這樣的追求不僅毫無損害他人之虞而且有助于發(fā)現(xiàn)偉大的科學(xué)真諦。

讓他們將反射器和折射望遠鏡對準(zhǔn)天空，找出那隱匿的新行星。讓他們?nèi)r截那些漂泊不定的彗星，迫使這些彗星披露精確的運行周期，并保證準(zhǔn)時回歸。讓他們將那些不情不愿的衛(wèi)星從“慣常的隱匿處”拖曳出來。讓他們?nèi)ト芙饽遣荒苋芙獾墨C戶座和仙女座星云。他們不必?fù)?dān)心。天空不會墜下，也沒有哪顆星會從星宇搖落。

為將“光之筆”置于自己的巧手之中，為給智慧的交流提供火一般的語言，就讓他們?nèi)ネ晟啤⒕苣窍肼涮焱獾倪^程——讓光與閃電成為他們的仆從。讓他們?nèi)ヮA(yù)言龍卷風(fēng)的路徑，去測算暴風(fēng)雨的軌跡。讓他們懸起碩大的鐘擺，使地球描繪和度量自身的運動。讓他們令人類的痛苦消失殆盡，切實做到“以空氣魅惑疼痛，用乙醚麻醉煩惱”。上帝將為他們的辛勞賜福，人們則將滿懷感恩恭候他們的凱旋。

讓他們向地球深處開掘。讓他們劈開巨石，展現(xiàn)寫在巖層上的創(chuàng)世史。讓他們搜集業(yè)已滅絕的動物群化石，再現(xiàn)那些曾出沒于陸地與海洋中的古代動物，將它們的骸骨一塊塊地拼接起來，俾使那些龐然巨獸重新矗立于我們面前，而我們幾乎股栗欲墮，唯恐具具尸骸當(dāng)真復(fù)活！讓他們將自然縛在刑架上，用盡酷刑地拷問“她”，以便迫她說出最深的秘密。他們不必克制。這世界的基礎(chǔ)堅固如斯，已不可撼動。

但，讓他們不要試圖去發(fā)現(xiàn)上帝。讓他們不要夢想能完全理解萬能的主。讓他們不要用實驗、溶劑、分析模式、定義、術(shù)語來探研精神王國的奧秘。讓他們不要觸碰信仰的基石。讓他們滿足于神性所展現(xiàn)出的匪夷所思。讓他們不要逾越邊界去諦視那不可見者。