关于本书
这部经典科幻小说讲述了一位古怪的发明家，他认为时间不过是第四维度。在向一群心存怀疑的朋友展示了一个神秘的小模型之后，他造出了一台更大的机器，踏上一段超越人类经验边界、挑战存在本质的旅程。
开篇
I. Introduction
一、引言
The Time Traveller (for so it will be convenient to speak of him) was expounding a recondite matter to us.
时间旅行者（这样称呼他会比较方便）正在向我们阐述一个深奥的问题。
His grey eyes shone and twinkled, and his usually pale face was flushed and animated.
他灰色的眼睛闪闪发亮，他那平时苍白的脸涨红了，显得神采奕奕。
The fire burnt brightly, and the soft radiance of the incandescent lights in the lilies of silver caught the bubbles
炉火烧得很旺，银制百合花形灯座里白炽灯柔和的光辉映照着那些气泡，
that flashed and passed in our glasses.
它们在我们的酒杯里闪烁着、消逝着。
Our chairs, being his patents, embraced and caressed us rather than submitted to be sat upon,
我们的椅子是他的专利发明，与其说是听凭我们坐在上面，不如说是拥抱着、抚慰着我们，
and there was that luxurious after-dinner atmosphere, when thought runs gracefully free of the trammels of precision.
那时正是晚饭后那种惬意的氛围，思想优雅地挣脱了精确性的束缚，自由驰骋。
And he put it to us in this way—marking the points with a lean forefinger—
他是这样向我们讲述的——用一根瘦削的食指标示着要点——
as we sat and lazily admired his earnestness over this new paradox (as we thought it) and his fecundity.
而我们坐在那里，懒洋洋地欣赏着他对这个新悖论（我们是这样认为的）的认真劲儿，以及他的丰富想象力。
“You must follow me carefully.
“你们必须仔细地跟上我。
I shall have to controvert one or two ideas that are almost universally accepted.
我将不得不驳斥一两个几乎被普遍接受的观念。
The geometry, for instance, they taught you at school is founded on a misconception.”
比如说，他们在学校里教给你们的几何学，就是建立在一个误解之上的。”
“Is not that rather a large thing to expect us to begin upon?” said Filby, an argumentative person with red hair.
“要我们从这么大的一件事开始，是不是有点过分了？”菲尔比说，他是个红头发、爱争论的人。
“I do not mean to ask you to accept anything without reasonable ground for it.
“我并不打算要求你们接受任何没有合理根据的东西。
You will soon admit as much as I need from you.
你们很快就会承认我需要你们承认的那么多。
You know of course that a mathematical line, a line of thickness nil, has no real existence.
你们当然知道，一条数学上的线，一条粗细为零的线，并不真实存在。
They taught you that?
他们教过你们这个吧？
Neither has a mathematical plane.
数学上的平面也不存在。
These things are mere abstractions.”
这些东西仅仅是抽象概念。”
“That is all right,” said the Psychologist.
“那没问题。”心理学家说。