“All right! Glad to hear it. Where are we? Over 71the North Sea. Take my advice, and get up sharp. The captain has asked to see you. You’ll find me knocking about somewhere round here when you’re ready.”
Thoroughly8 alive to the situation, I was not long in getting into my clothes. But my disgust was great on finding sundry9 half-dried splashes of blood on my coat, a souvenir of my luckless pursuer. In the excitement and darkness I had overlooked these hideous10 traces which now seemed to threaten me with the brand of Cain. Throwing aside the polluted garment, I stepped into the outer chamber11, my pleasure quite overcast12 for the moment. Burnett was there, and a hearty13 breakfast was awaiting me, to which I promised to do summary and sweeping14 justice. The room, but feebly apparent the foregoing night, was now flooded with the sunlight, but the height at which we floated rendered the air most chilly15 and penetrating16. The silvery grey colour of the walls, floor, chairs, benches, tables, and even the dishes and mugs, wrought17 on me an impressive effect, curiously18 set off by the red cap worn by Burnett. Through the open doorway19 gleamed the same silvery grey livery of the flooring and bulwark20 of the passage already mentioned, and, framed, as it were, in silver, glowed a truly magnificent cloud-picture. This skyscape, 72however, was unstable21, mass after mass of mist, shaped into turrets22, battlements, and mountains, rolled by in picturesque23 splendour, bearing artistic24 testimony25 to the speed at which we or they were moving. “Beautiful, isn’t it?” said Burnett. “Here, eat your breakfast, and then I’ll show you round our cloud empire. Or perhaps you had best see the captain as soon as possible.”
I said I thought that would be best.
“But where’s your coat, man? Oh, I remember. Wait and I’ll fetch you one of mine.”
In a short time the missing garment was made good, and I was falling to with avidity:—
“How do you manage your meals and service here? Have you cooks or servants?”
“Of course not. We are anarchists26, and everything depends on private initiative. Every man is as good as another, and every man is a volunteer. Later on you will be expected to bestir yourself also.”
“But how do you avoid chaos27?”
“There is no chaos to avoid. Outside the engine-room and conning-tower there is little a man cannot quickly learn to do at need. We are very simple in our wants—that is part of our creed—and, consequently, have a deal of leisure. The watches are the worst part, for the captain is very particular.”
73“Ah, wait a minute. What authority has he?”
“The authority of the soul of this enterprise, and its best man. We would voluntarily support him in a crisis. Five days ago a couple of Italians turned rusty28. He shot both where they stood, and the men in their hearts approved of it. But he is an iron man. Wait till you see him?”
“Is any one on the Attila free to go where he likes?”
“Yes, except into the captain’s quarters. To pass there a permit is required to all except myself, Schwartz, and Thomas. The engine-room watchers pass through every three hours, and a passage runs from it to the conning-tower and magazine below. You may guess what the latter contains.”
“How many men are aboard?”
“Twenty-five, excluding ourselves. Eight are Germans, six Englishmen, four French, two Russians, one an Italian, and the others Swiss, some of those whom Hartmann employed at Berne.”
“Berne; was that where the Attila was built?”
“That’s it. Hartmann, Schwartz, and his Swiss workmen put her together. He made money there, as you know, and this was his grand investment. It was kept beautifully dark in the wooded grounds of his villa29. We are going there now, so you will see the place for yourself.”
74“But does any one know of the Attila?”
“No outsider probably who would be believed if he said anything. We have our friends down below, of course—never you fear—but they are mum. The hour has not yet struck, but the preparations for the festival are being merrily carried out. The Attila is a secret for the present. To avoid being seen we take every precaution possible, and never approach the ground except at night; in the daytime, well, there are clouds, and, if none, we simply mount higher, and then our colour is enough to conceal30 us.”
“But what if you meet a balloon?”
“Oh, there’s very little chance of that. And if there was, the balloonist might find cause to regret the meeting. But come, and I’ll take you round to the captain. He is a better spokesman than I.”
“Right you are.”
We stepped out on to the passage, and rushing to the bulwark (if I may so call it) I gazed rapturously into the abyss below. It was indeed a glorious sight. The clouds hung around and below us, but here and there through their rents flashed the blue of a waste of rolling waters. Ever and anon these gaps would be speckled with rushing sea-birds, whose cries, mellowed32 by the distance, broke on the ear like music. Above in the clear blue sky shone the sun at the 75keystone of his low winter arch, lighting33 up the cloud masses with a splendour words cannot describe. Far ahead through a break on my right a faint thin streak34 like distant land seemed visible.
“Hallo,” I cried, “look there, land!”
Burnett shaded his eyes.
“I can see nothing. Ah, yes! By Jove! who’s on watch? We ought to be rising.”
As he spoke31 a sudden pitch of the a?ronef nearly upset us—the speed rapidly increased, and the wind became positively35 cutting.
“We are rising fast,” said Burnett. “See, we are leaving the cloud-bank far below us.”
But a new marvel36 had just caught my eye, and, clinging to the hand-rail, I gazed upwards37 in astonishment38. The wall of the chamber behind us was continuous with the main mass of the a?ronef, which, looking from where we stood, exhibited the graceful39 lines of a ship’s hull40. Round this hull and presumably half-way up it ran the railed passage where we were standing41, communicating here and there with doorways42 let into the grey side. Some thirty feet above us this side curved upwards and inwards so as to terminate in a flat, railed deck on which a few moving heads were just visible. But above this again rose a forest of thin grey poles running up to a vast oblong 76a?roplane which stretched some way beyond the hull. All these props43 were carefully stayed together, and those towards the bow were somewhat higher than those in the stern; provision being thus made for the inclination44 of the a?roplane consistently with due maintenance of the hull’s equilibrium45 below. In the latter part of the nineteenth century much progress had been made in experiments with a?roplanes; those of Maxim46 being particularly suggestive and interesting. I was, therefore, at no loss to probe the significance of this portion of the mechanism47.
“The captain wishes to see you,” said Burnett, who was talking to a sullen-looking fellow by the doorway; “come along.”
I GAZED UPWARDS IN ASTONISHMENT.
77He stepped briskly along the passage, and, when we had gone some fifteen yards, turned up one of the alleys48. Entering behind him I came to a small court surrounded with rooms and cabins, leaving which we ascended49 a spiral staircase to the upper deck. Glancing hastily around I saw five or six men pacing about chatting, while from other courts below came the sounds of singing and laughter. This deck, which capped the entire hull, was no less than eighty yards in length with an extreme breadth of at least thirty-five. Broad at the stern it narrowed off to a sharp point at the bow. The props attached to the a?roplane were set in six rows, curving close together amidships where there stood a small circular citadel50, evidently the stronghold of the captain. Here were mounted three or four cannon51 of the quick-firing sort fashioned out of the same grey substance as the Attila, but the utility of which in a vessel52 carrying dynamite53 was not immediately obvious. The citadel itself bore no outward signs of comfort. It had four square windows and a plain hole of an entrance let into bare shining walls. An exterior54 wall six feet high, surmounted55 with spikes56, and having here and there a recess57 sheltering a machine gun, enclosed it. A fitter abode58 for the man I could not conceive. 78Sullen, isolated59, and menacing, it inspired me with a vague premonitory dread60.
Burnett strode up to the entrance and pressed a knob. I heard the ting of an electric bell, and a man (Thomas, if I remember aright) came out and said the captain would see me alone. Mastering some natural excitement I bowed and followed him in. We passed through the inner portal and found ourselves in a narrow hall, flights of steps from which led down into the inmost vitals of the Attila. On our right was a door half open. My escort motioned me to enter and, pulling the door to, left me face to face with Hartmann.
点击
收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
blurred
|
|
| v.（使）变模糊( blur的过去式和过去分词 )；（使）难以区分；模模糊糊；迷离 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
mingling
|
|
| adj.混合的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
snugly
|
|
| adv.紧贴地；贴身地；暖和舒适地；安适地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
meditate
|
|
| v.想，考虑，（尤指宗教上的）沉思，冥想 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
dressing
|
|
| n.(食物)调料；包扎伤口的用品，敷料 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
apprehensions
|
|
| 疑惧 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
berth
|
|
| n.卧铺，停泊地，锚位；v.使停泊 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
thoroughly
|
|
| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
sundry
|
|
| adj.各式各样的，种种的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
hideous
|
|
| adj.丑陋的，可憎的，可怕的，恐怖的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
chamber
|
|
| n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
overcast
|
|
| adj.阴天的，阴暗的，愁闷的；v.遮盖，（使）变暗，包边缝；n.覆盖，阴天 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
hearty
|
|
| adj.热情友好的；衷心的；尽情的，纵情的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
sweeping
|
|
| adj.范围广大的，一扫无遗的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
chilly
|
|
| adj.凉快的，寒冷的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
penetrating
|
|
| adj.（声音）响亮的，尖锐的adj.（气味）刺激的adj.（思想）敏锐的，有洞察力的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
wrought
|
|
| v.引起；以…原料制作；运转；adj.制造的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
curiously
|
|
| adv.有求知欲地；好问地；奇特地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
doorway
|
|
| n.门口，(喻)入门；门路，途径 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
bulwark
|
|
| n.堡垒，保障，防御 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
unstable
|
|
| adj.不稳定的，易变的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
turrets
|
|
| （六角）转台( turret的名词复数 )； （战舰和坦克等上的）转动炮塔； （摄影机等上的）镜头转台； （旧时攻城用的）塔车 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
picturesque
|
|
| adj.美丽如画的，（语言）生动的，绘声绘色的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
artistic
|
|
| adj.艺术(家)的，美术(家)的；善于艺术创作的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
testimony
|
|
| n.证词；见证，证明 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
26
anarchists
|
|
| 无政府主义者( anarchist的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
27
chaos
|
|
| n.混乱，无秩序 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
28
rusty
|
|
| adj.生锈的；锈色的；荒废了的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
29
villa
|
|
| n.别墅，城郊小屋 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
30
conceal
|
|
| v.隐藏，隐瞒，隐蔽 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
31
spoke
|
|
| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
32
mellowed
|
|
| （使）成熟( mellow的过去式和过去分词 )； 使色彩更加柔和，使酒更加醇香 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
33
lighting
|
|
| n.照明，光线的明暗，舞台灯光 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
34
streak
|
|
| n.条理，斑纹，倾向，少许，痕迹；v.加条纹，变成条纹，奔驰，快速移动 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
35
positively
|
|
| adv.明确地，断然，坚决地；实在，确实 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
36
marvel
|
|
| vi.(at)惊叹vt.感到惊异；n.令人惊异的事 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
37
upwards
|
|
| adv.向上，在更高处...以上 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
38
astonishment
|
|
| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
39
graceful
|
|
| adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
40
hull
|
|
| n.船身；(果、实等的)外壳；vt.去(谷物等)壳 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
41
standing
|
|
| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
42
doorways
|
|
| n.门口，门道( doorway的名词复数 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
43
props
|
|
| 小道具； 支柱( prop的名词复数 )； 支持者； 道具； （橄榄球中的）支柱前锋 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
44
inclination
|
|
| n.倾斜；点头；弯腰；斜坡；倾度；倾向；爱好 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
45
equilibrium
|
|
| n.平衡，均衡，相称，均势，平静 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
46
maxim
|
|
| n.格言，箴言 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
47
mechanism
|
|
| n.机械装置；机构，结构 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
48
alleys
|
|
| 胡同，小巷( alley的名词复数 )； 小径 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
49
ascended
|
|
| v.上升，攀登( ascend的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
50
citadel
|
|
| n.城堡；堡垒；避难所 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
51
cannon
|
|
| n.大炮，火炮；飞机上的机关炮 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
52
vessel
|
|
| n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
53
dynamite
|
|
| n./vt.(用)炸药(爆破) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
54
exterior
|
|
| adj.外部的，外在的；表面的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
55
surmounted
|
|
| 战胜( surmount的过去式和过去分词 )； 克服（困难）； 居于…之上； 在…顶上 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
56
spikes
|
|
| n.穗( spike的名词复数 )；跑鞋；（防滑）鞋钉；尖状物v.加烈酒于( spike的第三人称单数 )；偷偷地给某人的饮料加入（更多）酒精（ 或药物）；把尖状物钉入；打乱某人的计划 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
57
recess
|
|
| n.短期休息，壁凹（墙上装架子，柜子等凹处） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
58
abode
|
|
| n.住处，住所 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
59
isolated
|
|
| adj.与世隔绝的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
60
dread
|
|
| vt.担忧，忧虑；惧怕，不敢；n.担忧，畏惧 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |