¡¡¡¡It¡¡is¡¡as¡¡if¡¡there¡¡were¡¡a¡¡natural¡¡law¡¡which¡¡ordained¡¡that¡¡to¡¡achieve¡¡this¡¡end£»¡¡to¡¡refine¡¡the¡¡curve¡¡of¡¡a¡¡piece¡¡of¡¡furniture£»¡¡or¡¡a¡¡ship's¡¡keel£»¡¡or¡¡the¡¡fuselage¡¡of¡¡an¡¡airplane£»¡¡until¡¡gradually¡¡it¡¡partakes¡¡of¡¡the¡¡elementary¡¡purity¡¡of¡¡the¡¡curve¡¡of¡¡'a¡¡human¡¡breast¡¡or¡¡shoulder£»¡¡there¡¡must¡¡be¡¡the¡¡experimentation¡¡of¡¡several¡¡generations¡¡of¡¡craftsmen¡£¡¡In¡¡anything¡¡at¡¡all£»¡¡perfection¡¡is¡¡finally¡¡attained¡¡not¡¡when¡¡there¡¡is¡¡no¡¡longer¡¡anything¡¡to¡¡add£»¡¡but¡¡when¡¡there¡¡is¡¡no¡¡longer¡¡anything¡¡to¡¡take¡¡away£»¡¡when¡¡a¡¡body¡¡has¡¡been¡¡stripped¡¡down¡¡to¡¡its¡¡nakedness¡£¡¡
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¡¡¡¡Have¡¡they¡¡ever¡¡really¡¡asked¡¡themselves¡¡this¡¡question£¿¡¡The¡¡central¡¡struggle¡¡of¡¡men¡¡has¡¡ever¡¡been¡¡to¡¡understand¡¡one¡¡another£»¡¡to¡¡join¡¡together¡¡for¡¡the¡¡mon¡¡weal¡£¡¡And¡¡it¡¡is¡¡this¡¡very¡¡thing¡¡that¡¡the¡¡machine¡¡helps¡¡them¡¡to¡¡do£¡¡¡It¡¡begins¡¡by¡¡annihilating¡¡time¡¡and¡¡space¡£¡¡
¡¡¡¡To¡¡me£»¡¡in¡¡France£»¡¡a¡¡friend¡¡speaks¡¡from¡¡America¡£¡¡The¡¡energy¡¡that¡¡brings¡¡me¡¡his¡¡voice¡¡is¡¡born¡¡of¡¡dammed¡up¡¡waters¡¡a¡¡thousand¡¡miles¡¡from¡¡where¡¡he¡¡sits¡£¡¡The¡¡energy¡¡I¡¡burn¡¡up¡¡in¡¡listening¡¡to¡¡him¡¡is¡¡dispensed¡¡in¡¡the¡¡same¡¡instant¡¡by¡¡a¡¡lake¡¡formed¡¡in¡¡the¡¡River¡¡Yser¡¡which£»¡¡four¡¡thousand¡¡miles¡¡from¡¡him¡¡and¡¡five¡¡hundred¡¡from¡¡me£»¡¡melts¡¡like¡¡snow¡¡in¡¡the¡¡action¡¡of¡¡the¡¡turbines¡£¡¡Transport¡¡of¡¡the¡¡mails£»¡¡transport¡¡of¡¡the¡¡human¡¡voice£»¡¡transport¡¡of¡¡flickering¡¡pictures¡¡¡¡¡in¡¡this¡¡century¡¡as¡¡in¡¡others¡¡our¡¡highest¡¡acplishments¡¡still¡¡have¡¡the¡¡single¡¡aim¡¡of¡¡bringing¡¡men¡¡together¡£¡¡Do¡¡our¡¡dreamers¡¡hold¡¡that¡¡the¡¡invention¡¡of¡¡writing£»¡¡of¡¡printing£»¡¡of¡¡the¡¡sailing¡¡ship£»¡¡degraded¡¡the¡¡human¡¡spirit£¿¡¡
¡¡¡¡It¡¡seems¡¡to¡¡me¡¡that¡¡those¡¡who¡¡plain¡¡of¡¡man's¡¡progress¡¡confuse¡¡ends¡¡with¡¡means¡£¡¡True£»¡¡that¡¡man¡¡who¡¡struggles¡¡in¡¡the¡¡unique¡¡hope¡¡of¡¡material¡¡gain¡¡will¡¡harvest¡¡nothing¡¡worth¡¡while¡£¡¡But¡¡how¡¡can¡¡anyone¡¡conceive¡¡that¡¡the¡¡machine¡¡is¡¡an¡¡end£¿¡¡It¡¡is¡¡a¡¡tool¡£¡¡As¡¡much¡¡a¡¡tool¡¡as¡¡is¡¡the¡¡plough¡£¡¡The¡¡microscope¡¡is¡¡a¡¡tool¡£¡¡What¡¡disservice¡¡do¡¡we¡¡do¡¡the¡¡life¡¡of¡¡the¡¡spirit¡¡when¡¡we¡¡analyze¡¡the¡¡universe¡¡through¡¡a¡¡tool¡¡created¡¡by¡¡the¡¡science¡¡of¡¡optics£»¡¡or¡¡seek¡¡to¡¡bring¡¡together¡¡those¡¡who¡¡love¡¡one¡¡another¡¡and¡¡are¡¡parted¡¡in¡¡space£¿¡¡
¡¡¡¡¡¨Agreed£¡¡¨¡¡my¡¡dreamers¡¡will¡¡say£»¡¡¡¨but¡¡explain¡¡to¡¡us¡¡why¡¡it¡¡is¡¡that¡¡a¡¡decline¡¡in¡¡human¡¡values¡¡has¡¡acpanied¡¡the¡¡rise¡¡of¡¡the¡¡machine£¿¡¨¡¡Oh£»¡¡I¡¡miss¡¡the¡¡village¡¡with¡¡its¡¡crafts¡¡and¡¡its¡¡folksongs¡¡as¡¡much¡¡as¡¡they¡¡do£¡¡¡The¡¡town¡¡fed¡¡by¡¡Hollywood¡¡seems¡¡to¡¡me£»¡¡too£»¡¡impoverished¡¡despite¡¡its¡¡electric¡¡street¡¡lamps¡£¡¡I¡¡quite¡¡agree¡¡that¡¡men¡¡lose¡¡their¡¡creative¡¡instincts¡¡when¡¡they¡¡are¡¡fed¡¡thus¡¡without¡¡raising¡¡a¡¡hand¡£¡¡And¡¡I¡¡can¡¡see¡¡that¡¡it¡¡is¡¡tempting¡¡to¡¡accuse¡¡industry¡¡of¡¡this¡¡evil¡£¡¡
¡¡¡¡But¡¡we¡¡lack¡¡perspective¡¡for¡¡the¡¡judgment¡¡of¡¡transformations¡¡that¡¡go¡¡so¡¡deep¡£¡¡What¡¡are¡¡the¡¡hundred¡¡years¡¡of¡¡the¡¡history¡¡of¡¡the¡¡machine¡¡pared¡¡with¡¡the¡¡two'¡¡hundred¡¡thousand¡¡years¡¡of¡¡the¡¡history¡¡of¡¡man£¿¡¡It¡¡was¡¡only¡¡yesterday¡¡that¡¡we¡¡began¡¡to¡¡pitch¡¡our¡¡camp¡¡in¡¡this¡¡country¡¡of¡¡laboratories¡¡and¡¡power¡¡stations£»¡¡that¡¡we¡¡took¡¡possession¡¡of¡¡this¡¡new£»¡¡this¡¡still¡¡unfinished£»¡¡house¡¡we¡¡live¡¡in¡£¡¡Everything¡¡round¡¡us¡¡is¡¡new¡¡and¡¡different¡¡¡¡¡our¡¡concerns£»¡¡our¡¡working¡¡habits£»¡¡our¡¡relations¡¡with¡¡one¡¡another¡£¡¡Title£º¡¡Wind£»¡¡Sand£»¡¡and¡¡Stars¡¡
¡¡¡¡Author£º¡¡Antoine¡¡de¡¡Saint¡Exupery¡¡
¡¡¡¡Translator£º¡¡Lewis¡¡Galantiere¡¡
¡¡¡¡Publisher£º¡¡Harcourt¡¡Brace¡¡Javanovich£»¡¡New¡¡York£»¡¡1967¡¡
¡¡¡¡Date¡¡first¡¡posted£º¡¡February¡¡2000¡¡
¡¡¡¡Date¡¡most¡¡recently¡¡updated£º¡¡January¡¡2006¡¡
¡¡¡¡XML¡¡markup¡¡by¡¡Wesman¡¡02/23/2000¡£¡¡
¡¡¡¡Wind¡¡Sand¡¡and¡¡Stars
¡¡¡¡Antoine¡¡de¡¡Saint¡Exupery
¡¡¡¡4
¡¡¡¡The¡¡Elements
¡¡¡¡When¡¡Joseph¡¡Conrad¡¡described¡¡a¡¡typhoon¡¡he¡¡said¡¡very¡¡little¡¡about¡¡towering¡¡waves£»¡¡or¡¡darkness£»¡¡or¡¡the¡¡whistling¡¡of¡¡the¡¡wind¡¡in¡¡the¡¡shrouds¡£¡¡He¡¡knew¡¡better¡£¡¡Instead£»¡¡he¡¡took¡¡his¡¡reader¡¡down¡¡into¡¡the¡¡hold¡¡of¡¡the¡¡vessel£»¡¡packed¡¡with¡¡emigrant¡¡coolies£»¡¡where¡¡the¡¡rolling¡¡and¡¡the¡¡pitching¡¡of¡¡the¡¡ship¡¡had¡¡ripped¡¡up¡¡and¡¡scattered¡¡their¡¡bags¡¡and¡¡bundles£»¡¡burst¡¡open¡¡their¡¡boxes£»¡¡and¡¡flung¡¡their¡¡humble¡¡belongings¡¡into¡¡a¡¡crazy¡¡heap¡£¡¡Family¡¡treasures¡¡painfully¡¡collected¡¡in¡¡a¡¡lifetime¡¡of¡¡poverty£»¡¡pitiful¡¡mementoes¡¡so¡¡alike¡¡that¡¡nobody¡¡but¡¡their¡¡owners¡¡could¡¡have¡¡told¡¡them¡¡apart£»¡¡had¡¡lost¡¡their¡¡identity¡¡and¡¡lapsed¡¡into¡¡chaos£»¡¡into¡¡anonymity£»¡¡into¡¡an¡¡amorphous¡¡magma¡£¡¡It¡¡was¡¡this¡¡human¡¡drama¡¡that¡¡Conrad¡¡described¡¡when¡¡he¡¡painted¡¡a¡¡typhoon¡£¡¡
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