I had noted5 the striking character of the portrait at the time; the square shoulders; the back like a regular trapezoid, its longer side formed by that geometrical shoulder line; the robust6 neck; the enormous spheroidal head. The eyes at the least emotion, burned with fire, while above them were the heavy, permanently7 contracted brows, which signified such energy. The hair was short and crisp, with a glitter as of metal in its lights. The huge breast rose and fell like a blacksmith’s forge; and the thighs8, the arms and hands, were worthy9 of the mighty10 body. The narrow beard was the same also, with the smooth shaven cheeks which showed the powerful muscles of the jaw11.
And this was Robur the Conqueror, who now stood before me, who revealed himself to me, hurling12 forth13 his name like a threat, within his own impenetrable fortress14!
Let me recall briefly15 the facts which had previously16 drawn17 upon Robur the Conqueror the attention of the entire world. The Weldon Institute was a club devoted18 to aeronautics19 under the presidency20 of one of the chief personages of Philadelphia, commonly called Uncle Prudent21. Its secretary was Mr. Phillip Evans. The members of the Institute were devoted to the theory of the “lighter22 than air” machine; and under their two leaders were constructing an enormous dirigible balloon, the “Go-Ahead.”
At a meeting in which they were discussing the details of the construction of their balloon, this unknown Robur had suddenly appeared and, ridiculing23 all their plans, had insisted that the only true solution of flight lay with the heavier than air machines, and that he had proven this by constructing one.
He was in this turn doubted and ridiculed24 by the members of the club, who called him in mockery Robur the Conqueror. In the tumult25 that followed, revolver shots were fired; and the intruder disappeared.
That same night he had by force abducted26 the president and the secretary of the club, and had taken them, much against their will upon a voyage in the wonderful air-ship, the “Albatross,” which he had constructed. He meant thus to prove to them beyond argument the correctness of his assertions. This ship, a hundred feet long, was upheld in the air by a large number of horizontal screws and was driven forward by vertical27 screws at its bow and stern. It was managed by a crew of at least half a dozen men, who seemed absolutely devoted to their leader, Robur.
After a voyage almost completely around the world, Mr. Prudent and Mr. Evans managed to escape from the “Albatross” after a desperate struggle. They even managed to cause an explosion on the airship, destroying it, and involving the inventor and all his crew in a terrific fall from the sky into the Pacific ocean.
Mr. Prudent and Mr. Evans then returned to Philadelphia. They had learned that the “Albatross” had been constructed on an unknown isle28 of the Pacific called Island X; but since the location of this hiding-place was wholly unknown, its discovery lay scarcely within the bounds of possibility. Moreover, the search seemed entirely29 unnecessary, as the vengeful prisoners were quite certain that they had destroyed their jailers.
Hence the two millionaires, restored to their homes, went calmly on with the construction of their own machine, the “Go-Ahead.” They hoped by means of it to soar once more into the regions they had traversed with Robur, and to prove to themselves that their lighter than air machine was at least the equal of the heavy “Albatross.” If they had not persisted, they would not have been true Americans.
On the twentieth of April in the following year the “Go-Ahead” was finished and the ascent30 was made, from Fairmount Park in Philadelphia. I myself was there with thousands of other spectators. We saw the huge balloon rise gracefully31; and, thanks to its powerful screws, it maneuvered32 in every direction with surprising ease. Suddenly a cry was heard, a cry repeated from a thousand throats. Another airship had appeared in the distant skies and it now approached with marvelous rapidity. It was another “Albatross,” perhaps even superior to the first. Robur and his men had escaped death in the Pacific; and, burning for revenge, they had constructed a second airship in their secret Island X.
Like a gigantic bird of prey33, the “Albatross” hurled34 itself upon the “Go-Ahead.” Doubtless, Robur, while avenging35 himself wished also to prove the immeasurable superiority of the heavier than air machines.
Mr. Prudent and Mr. Evans defended themselves as best they could. Knowing that their balloon had nothing like the horizontal speed of the “Albatross,” they attempted to take advantage of their superior lightness and rise above her. The “Go-Ahead,” throwing out all her ballast, soared to a height of over twenty thousand feet. Yet even there the “Albatross” rose above her, and circled round her with ease.
Suddenly an explosion was heard. The enormous gas-bag of the “Go-Ahead,” expanding under the dilation36 of its contents at this great height, had finally burst.
Half-emptied, the balloon fell rapidly.
Then to our universal astonishment37, the “Albatross” shot down after her rival, not to finish the work of destruction but to bring rescue. Yes! Robur, forgetting his vengeance38, rejoined the sinking “Go-Ahead,” and his men lifted Mr. Prudent, Mr. Evans, and the aeronaut who accompanied them, onto the platform of his craft. Then the balloon, being at length entirely empty, fell to its destruction among the trees of Fairmount Park.
The public was overwhelmed with astonishment, with fear! Now that Robur had recaptured his prisoners, how would he avenge39 himself? Would they be carried away, this time, forever?
The “Albatross” continued to descend40, as if to land in the clearing at Fairmount Park. But if it came within reach, would not the infuriated crowd throw themselves upon the airship, tearing both it and its inventor to pieces?
The “Albatross” descended41 within six feet of the ground. I remember well the general movement forward with which the crowd threatened to attack it. Then Robur’s voice rang out in words which even now I can repeat almost as he said them:
“Citizens of the United States, the president and the secretary of the Weldon Institute are again in my power. In holding them prisoners I would but be exercising my natural right of reprisal42 for the injuries they have done me. But the passion and resentment43 which have been roused both in them and you by the success of the ‘Albatross,’ show that the souls of men are not yet ready for the vast increase of power which the conquest of the air will bring to them. Uncle Prudent, Phillip Evans, you are free.”
The three men rescued from the balloon leaped to the ground. The airship rose some thirty feet out of reach, and Robur recommenced:
“Citizens of the United States, the conquest of the air is made; but it shall not be given into your hands until the proper time. I leave, and I carry my secret with me. It will not be lost to humanity, but shall be entrusted44 to them when they have learned not to abuse it. Farewell, Citizens of the United States!”
Then the “Albatross” rose under the impulse of its mighty screws, and sped away amidst the hurrahs of the multitude.
I have ventured to remind my readers of this last scene somewhat in detail, because it seemed to reveal the state of mind of the remarkable45 personage who now stood before me. Apparently46 he had not then been animated47 by sentiments hostile to humanity. He was content to await the future; though his attitude undeniably revealed the immeasurable confidence which he had in his own genius, the immense pride which his almost superhuman powers had aroused within him.
It was not astonishing, moreover, that this haughtiness48 had little by little been aggravated49 to such a degree that he now presumed to enslave the entire world, as his public letter had suggested by its significant threats. His vehement50 mind had with time been roused to such over-excitement that he might easily be driven into the most violent excesses.
As to what had happened in the years since the last departure of the “Albatross,” I could only partly reconstruct this even with my present knowledge. It had not sufficed the prodigious51 inventor to create a flying machine, perfect as that was! He had planned to construct a machine which could conquer all the elements at once. Probably in the workshops of Island X, a selected body of devoted workmen had constructed, one by one, the pieces of this marvelous machine, with its quadruple transformation52. Then the second “Albatross” must have carried these pieces to the Great Eyrie, where they had been put together, within easier access of the world of men than the far-off island had permitted. The “Albatross” itself had apparently been destroyed, whether by accident or design, within the eyrie. The “Terror” had then made its appearance on the roads of the United States and in the neighboring waters. And I have told under what conditions, after having been vainly pursued across Lake Erie, this remarkable masterpiece had risen through the air carrying me a prisoner on board.
点击
收听单词发音
收听单词发音 |
1
conqueror
|
|
| n.征服者，胜利者 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
2
likeness
|
|
| n.相像，相似（之处） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
3
vaguely
|
|
| adv.含糊地，暖昧地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
4
sensational
|
|
| adj.使人感动的，非常好的，轰动的，耸人听闻的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
5
noted
|
|
| adj.著名的，知名的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
6
robust
|
|
| adj.强壮的，强健的，粗野的，需要体力的，浓的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
7
permanently
|
|
| adv.永恒地，永久地，固定不变地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
8
thighs
|
|
| n.股，大腿( thigh的名词复数 )；食用的鸡（等的）腿 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
9
worthy
|
|
| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
10
mighty
|
|
| adj.强有力的；巨大的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
11
jaw
|
|
| n.颚，颌，说教，流言蜚语；v.喋喋不休，教训 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
12
hurling
|
|
| n.爱尔兰式曲棍球v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的现在分词 )；大声叫骂 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
13
forth
|
|
| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
14
fortress
|
|
| n.堡垒，防御工事 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
15
briefly
|
|
| adv.简单地，简短地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
16
previously
|
|
| adv.以前，先前（地） | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
17
drawn
|
|
| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
18
devoted
|
|
| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
19
aeronautics
|
|
| n.航空术，航空学 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
20
presidency
|
|
| n.总统(校长，总经理)的职位(任期) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
21
prudent
|
|
| adj.谨慎的，有远见的，精打细算的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
22
lighter
|
|
| n.打火机，点火器；驳船；v.用驳船运送；light的比较级 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
23
ridiculing
|
|
| v.嘲笑，嘲弄，奚落( ridicule的现在分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
24
ridiculed
|
|
| v.嘲笑，嘲弄，奚落( ridicule的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
25
tumult
|
|
| n.喧哗；激动，混乱；吵闹 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
26
abducted
|
|
| 劫持，诱拐( abduct的过去式和过去分词 )； 使（肢体等）外展 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
27
vertical
|
|
| adj.垂直的，顶点的，纵向的；n.垂直物，垂直的位置 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
28
isle
|
|
| n.小岛，岛 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
29
entirely
|
|
| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
30
ascent
|
|
| n.(声望或地位)提高；上升，升高；登高 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
31
gracefully
|
|
| ad.大大方方地；优美地 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
32
maneuvered
|
|
| v.移动，用策略( maneuver的过去式和过去分词 )；操纵 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
33
prey
|
|
| n.被掠食者，牺牲者，掠食；v.捕食，掠夺，折磨 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
34
hurled
|
|
| v.猛投，用力掷( hurl的过去式和过去分词 )；大声叫骂 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
35
avenging
|
|
| adj.报仇的，复仇的v.为…复仇，报…之仇( avenge的现在分词 )；为…报复 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
36
dilation
|
|
| n.膨胀，扩张，扩大 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
37
astonishment
|
|
| n.惊奇，惊异 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
38
vengeance
|
|
| n.报复，报仇，复仇 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
39
avenge
|
|
| v.为...复仇，为...报仇 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
40
descend
|
|
| vt./vi.传下来，下来，下降 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
41
descended
|
|
| a.为...后裔的，出身于...的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
42
reprisal
|
|
| n.报复，报仇，报复性劫掠 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
43
resentment
|
|
| n.怨愤，忿恨 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
44
entrusted
|
|
| v.委托，托付( entrust的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
45
remarkable
|
|
| adj.显著的，异常的，非凡的，值得注意的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
46
apparently
|
|
| adv.显然地；表面上，似乎 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
47
animated
|
|
| adj.生气勃勃的，活跃的，愉快的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
48
haughtiness
|
|
| n.傲慢；傲气 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
49
aggravated
|
|
| 使恶化( aggravate的过去式和过去分词 )； 使更严重； 激怒； 使恼火 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
50
vehement
|
|
| adj.感情强烈的；热烈的；(人)有强烈感情的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
51
prodigious
|
|
| adj.惊人的，奇妙的；异常的；巨大的；庞大的 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
|
52
transformation
|
|
| n.变化；改造；转变 | |
参考例句： |
|
|
|
| 欢迎访问英文小说网 |