That same day all America heard of the affair of Captain Nicholl and President Barbicane, as well as its singular denouement1. From that day forth2, Michel Ardan had not one moment’s rest. Deputations from all corners of the Union harassed3 him without cessation or intermission. He was compelled to receive them all, whether he would or no. How many hands he shook, how many people he was “hail-fellow-well-met” with, it is impossible to guess! Such a triumphal result would have intoxicated4 any other man; but he managed to keep himself in a state of delightful5 semi-tipsiness.
Among the deputations of all kinds which assailed6 him, that of “The Lunatics” were careful not to forget what they owed to the future conqueror7 of the moon. One day, certain of these poor people, so numerous in America, came to call upon him, and requested permission to return with him to their native country.
“Singular hallucination!” said he to Barbicane, after having dismissed the deputation with promises to convey numbers of messages to friends in the moon. “Do you believe in the influence of the moon upon distempers?”
“Scarcely!”
“No more do I, despite some remarkable8 recorded facts of history. For instance, during an epidemic9 in 1693, a large number of persons died at the very moment of an eclipse. The celebrated10 Bacon always fainted during an eclipse. Charles VI relapsed six times into madness during the year 1399, sometimes during the new, sometimes during the full moon. Gall11 observed that insane persons underwent an accession of their disorder12 twice in every month, at the epochs of new and full moon. In fact, numerous observations made upon fevers, somnambulisms, and other human maladies, seem to prove that the moon does exercise some mysterious influence upon man.”
“But the how and the wherefore?” asked Barbicane.
“Well, I can only give you the answer which Arago borrowed from Plutarch, which is nineteen centuries old. ‘Perhaps the stories are not true!’”
In the height of his triumph, Michel Ardan had to encounter all the annoyances13 incidental to a man of celebrity14. Managers of entertainments wanted to exhibit him. Barnum offered him a million dollars to make a tour of the United States in his show. As for his photographs, they were sold of all size, and his portrait taken in every imaginable posture15. More than half a million copies were disposed of in an incredibly short space of time.
But it was not only the men who paid him homage16, but the women as well. He might have married well a hundred times over, if he had been willing to settle in life. The old maids, in particular, of forty years and upward, and dry in proportion, devoured17 his photographs day and night. They would have married him by hundreds, even if he had imposed upon them the condition of accompanying him into space. He had, however, no intention of transplanting a race of Franco-Americans upon the surface of the moon.
He therefore declined all offers.
As soon as he could withdraw from these somewhat embarrassing demonstrations18, he went, accompanied by his friends, to pay a visit to the Columbiad. He was highly gratified by his inspection19, and made the descent to the bottom of the tube of this gigantic machine which was presently to launch him to the regions of the moon. It is necessary here to mention a proposal of J. T. Maston’s. When the secretary of the Gun Club found that Barbicane and Nicholl accepted the proposal of Michel Ardan, he determined20 to join them, and make one of a smug party of four. So one day he determined to be admitted as one of the travelers. Barbicane, pained at having to refuse him, gave him clearly to understand that the projectile21 could not possibly contain so many passengers. Maston, in despair, went in search of Michel Ardan, who counseled him to resign himself to the situation, adding one or two arguments ad hominem.
“You see, old fellow,” he said, “you must not take what I say in bad part; but really, between ourselves, you are in too incomplete a condition to appear in the moon!”
“Incomplete?” shrieked22 the valiant23 invalid24.
“Yes, my dear fellow! imagine our meeting some of the inhabitants up there! Would you like to give them such a melancholy25 notion of what goes on down here? to teach them what war is, to inform them that we employ our time chiefly in devouring26 each other, in smashing arms and legs, and that too on a globe which is capable of supporting a hundred billions of inhabitants, and which actually does contain nearly two hundred millions? Why, my worthy27 friend, we should have to turn you out of doors!”
“But still, if you arrive there in pieces, you will be as incomplete as I am.”
“Unquestionably,” replied Michel Ardan; “but we shall not.”
In fact, a preparatory experiment, tried on the 18th of October, had yielded the best results and caused the most well-grounded hopes of success. Barbicane, desirous of obtaining some notion of the effect of the shock at the moment of the projectile’s departure, had procured28 a 38-inch mortar29 from the arsenal30 of Pensacola. He had this placed on the bank of Hillisborough Roads, in order that the shell might fall back into the sea, and the shock be thereby31 destroyed. His object was to ascertain32 the extent of the shock of departure, and not that of the return.
A hollow projectile had been prepared for this curious experiment. A thick padding fastened upon a kind of elastic33 network, made of the best steel, lined the inside of the walls. It was a veritable nest most carefully wadded.
“What a pity I can’t find room in there,” said J. T. Maston, regretting that his height did not allow of his trying the adventure.
Within this shell were shut up a large cat, and a squirrel belonging to J. T. Maston, and of which he was particularly fond. They were desirous, however, of ascertaining34 how this little animal, least of all others subject to giddiness, would endure this experimental voyage.
The mortar was charged with 160 pounds of powder, and the shell placed in the chamber35. On being fired, the projectile rose with great velocity36, described a majestic37 parabola, attained38 a height of about a thousand feet, and with a graceful39 curve descended40 in the midst of the vessels41 that lay there at anchor.
Without a moment’s loss of time a small boat put off in the direction of its fall; some divers42 plunged43 into the water and attached ropes to the handles of the shell, which was quickly dragged on board. Five minutes did not elapse between the moment of enclosing the animals and that of unscrewing the coverlid of their prison.
Ardan, Barbicane, Maston, and Nicholl were present on board the boat, and assisted at the operation with an interest which may readily be comprehended. Hardly had the shell been opened when the cat leaped out, slightly bruised44, but full of life, and exhibiting no signs whatever of having made an aerial expedition. No trace, however, of the squirrel could be discovered. The truth at last became apparent — the cat had eaten its fellow-traveler!
J. T. Maston grieved much for the loss of his poor squirrel, and proposed to add its case to that of other martyrs45 to science.
After this experiment all hesitation46, all fear disappeared. Besides, Barbicane’s plans would ensure greater perfection for his projectile, and go far to annihilate47 altogether the effects of the shock. Nothing now remained but to go!
Two days later Michel Ardan received a message from the President of the United States, an honor of which he showed himself especially sensible.
After the example of his illustrious fellow-countryman, the Marquis de la Fayette, the government had decreed to him the title of “Citizen of the United States of America.”
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1
denouement
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| n.结尾，结局 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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harassed
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| adj. 疲倦的，厌烦的 动词harass的过去式和过去分词 | |
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intoxicated
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| 喝醉的，极其兴奋的 | |
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delightful
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| adj.令人高兴的，使人快乐的 | |
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assailed
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| v.攻击( assail的过去式和过去分词 )；困扰；质问；毅然应对 | |
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conqueror
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| n.征服者，胜利者 | |
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remarkable
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| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
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epidemic
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| n.流行病；盛行；adj.流行性的，流传极广的 | |
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celebrated
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| adj.有名的，声誉卓著的 | |
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gall
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| v.使烦恼，使焦躁，难堪；n.磨难 | |
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disorder
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| n.紊乱，混乱；骚动，骚乱；疾病，失调 | |
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annoyances
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| n.恼怒( annoyance的名词复数 )；烦恼；打扰；使人烦恼的事 | |
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celebrity
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| n.名人，名流；著名，名声，名望 | |
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posture
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| n.姿势，姿态，心态，态度；v.作出某种姿势 | |
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homage
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| n.尊敬，敬意，崇敬 | |
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devoured
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| 吞没( devour的过去式和过去分词 )； 耗尽； 津津有味地看； 狼吞虎咽地吃光 | |
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demonstrations
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| 证明( demonstration的名词复数 )； 表明； 表达； 游行示威 | |
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inspection
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| n.检查，审查，检阅 | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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projectile
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| n.投射物，发射体；adj.向前开进的；推进的；抛掷的 | |
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shrieked
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| v.尖叫( shriek的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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valiant
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| adj.勇敢的，英勇的；n.勇士，勇敢的人 | |
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invalid
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| n.病人，伤残人；adj.有病的，伤残的；无效的 | |
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melancholy
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| n.忧郁，愁思；adj.令人感伤（沮丧）的，忧郁的 | |
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devouring
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| 吞没( devour的现在分词 )； 耗尽； 津津有味地看； 狼吞虎咽地吃光 | |
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worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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procured
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| v.（努力）取得， （设法）获得( procure的过去式和过去分词 )；拉皮条 | |
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mortar
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| n.灰浆，灰泥；迫击炮；v.把…用灰浆涂接合 | |
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arsenal
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| n.兵工厂，军械库 | |
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thereby
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| adv.因此，从而 | |
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ascertain
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| vt.发现，确定，查明，弄清 | |
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elastic
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| n.橡皮圈，松紧带；adj.有弹性的；灵活的 | |
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ascertaining
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| v.弄清，确定，查明( ascertain的现在分词 ) | |
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chamber
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| n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所 | |
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velocity
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| n.速度，速率 | |
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majestic
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| adj.雄伟的，壮丽的，庄严的，威严的，崇高的 | |
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attained
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| （通常经过努力）实现( attain的过去式和过去分词 )； 达到； 获得； 达到（某年龄、水平、状况） | |
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graceful
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| adj.优美的，优雅的；得体的 | |
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descended
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| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
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vessels
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| n.血管( vessel的名词复数 )；船；容器；（具有特殊品质或接受特殊品质的）人 | |
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divers
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| adj.不同的；种种的 | |
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plunged
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| v.颠簸( plunge的过去式和过去分词 )；暴跌；骤降；突降 | |
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bruised
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| [医]青肿的，瘀紫的 | |
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martyrs
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| n.martyr的复数形式；烈士( martyr的名词复数 )；殉道者；殉教者；乞怜者（向人诉苦以博取同情） | |
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hesitation
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| n.犹豫，踌躇 | |
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annihilate
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| v.使无效；毁灭；取消 | |
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