THE
I-WORD
DECEMBER 1912
| I-Copyright 1912 ka-HW PERCIVAL |
AMADODA NABANGANE
Kungani isikhathi sihlukaniswe njengoba kunjalo?
Ukuze umuntu agcine umlando wezenzakalo; ukuze alinganise amabanga ezenzakalo ngombono wesikhathi esedlule, futhi alindele lezo ezizayo. Njengoba izazi ezithile zefilosofi zichaza, isikhathi “siwukulandelana kwezenzakalo endaweni yonke.” Lowo muntu wayengase alandele ukuphila kwakhe nebhizinisi lakhe, kanye nezabanye abantu, wayebophekile ukuba asungule izindlela zokulungisa izenzakalo ngesikhathi. Kwakungokwemvelo ukulinganisa izenzakalo emhlabeni “ngokulandelana kwezigigaba endaweni yonke.” Izilinganiso noma ukuhlukaniswa kwesikhathi wayekunikezwe ngokwemvelo. Umuntu kwakumelwe abe isibukeli esihle futhi agcine umlando walokho ayekubonile. Amandla akhe okubuka ayebukhali ngokwanele ukuba abone ukuthi impilo yakhe yayiphawulwe yizinkathi zokukhanya nobumnyama ezilandelanayo, zemini nobusuku. Isikhathi sokukhanya sasibangelwa ukuba khona, ubumnyama nokungabikho, kwelanga. Wabona izinkathi zokufudumala nokubanda zazibangelwa ukuma kwelanga ezulwini. Wafunda imilaza futhi waqaphela izinguquko zayo, nokuthi izinkathi zonyaka zashintsha njengoba imilaza ishintsha. Indlela yelanga yabonakala idlula kumaqoqo ezinkanyezi, imilaza, abantu basendulo ababeyibala njengeshumi nambili futhi bayibiza ngokuthi i-zodiac, noma umbuthano wezimpilo. Leli kwakuyikhalenda labo. Imilaza noma izimpawu zazibizwa ngamagama ahlukene phakathi kwabantu abahlukene. Ngaphandle kokumbalwa inani labalwa njengeshumi nambili. Lapho ilanga selidlulile kunoma yiluphi uphawu olulodwa phakathi kwabo bonke abayishumi nambili futhi liqala uphawu olufanayo, lowo mbuthano noma umjikelezo wawubizwa ngokuthi unyaka. Njengoba esinye isibonakaliso sidlula futhi esinye sikhuphuka, abantu bazi ngokuhlangenwe nakho ukuthi isizini izoshintsha. Isikhathi esisuka kwesinye isibonakaliso siye kwesinye sasibizwa ngokuthi inyanga yelanga. AmaGreki namaRoma ayenenkinga yokuhlukanisa inani lezinsuku enyangeni, ngisho nenani lezinyanga ngonyaka. Kodwa ekugcineni bamukela umyalo owawusetshenziswa abaseGibhithe. Sisebenzisa okufanayo namuhla. Okunye ukuhlukana kwenziwa izigaba zenyanga. Kwathatha izinsuku ezingu-29 nengxenye ukuba inyanga idlule ezigabeni zayo ezine isuka ekwethwaseni kwenyanga iye ekwethwaseni kwenyanga elandelayo. Izigaba ezine zakha inyanga eyodwa, enamasonto amane kanye nengxenye. Ukwehlukaniswa kosuku kusukela ekuphumeni kwelanga kuze kufike endaweni ephakeme kunazo zonke emazulwini kanye nasekushoneni kwelanga kwakuphawulwa ngokohlelo olusikiselwe emazulwini. I-sun dial yamukelwa kamuva. Isimangaliso solwazi lwezinkanyezi siboniswa ukunemba okwamiswa ngakho amatshe aseStonehenge eSalisbury Plain eNgilandi, ezikhathini zangaphambi komlando. Kwaklanywa izinsimbi, njengengilazi yehora, newashi lamanzi ukuze kukalwe izikhathi. Ekugcineni iwashi lasungulwa futhi lenziwa iphethini yezimpawu eziyishumi nambili zeZodiac, ngaphandle kokuthi eziyishumi nambili, njengoba babecabanga, ukuze kube lula, zibalwe kabili. Amahora ayishumi nambili emini namahora ayishumi nambili ebusuku.
Ngaphandle kwekhalenda, ukulinganisa nokulungisa ukuhamba kwesikhathi, umuntu ubengeke abe nempucuko, angabi nasiko, angabi nabhizinisi. Iwashi okungenzeka ukuthi manje selikhona into encane, limele umsebenzi owenziwe umugqa omude womakhenikha nabacabangi. Ikhalenda liwumphumela wengqikithi yomqondo womuntu wokulinganisa izenzakalo zendawo yonke, nokulawula izindaba zakhe ngalesi silinganiso.
Umngani [HW Percival]