A Servant--match him!--He can see the Satellites of Jupiter.--Dick and Joe hard at it.--Doubt and Faith.--The Weighing Ceremony.--Joe and Wellington.--He gets a Half-crown.
Dr. Ferguson had a servant who answered with alacrity1 to the name of Joe. He was an excellent fellow, who testified the most absolute confidence in his master, and the most unlimited2 devotion to his interests, even anticipating his wishes and orders, which were always intelligently executed. In fine, he was a Caleb without the growling3, and a perfect pattern of constant good-humor. Had he been made on purpose for the place, it could not have been better done. Ferguson put himself entirely4 in his hands, so far as the ordinary details of existence were concerned, and he did well. Incomparable, whole-souled Joe! a servant who orders your dinner; who likes what you like; who packs your trunk, without forgetting your socks or your linen5; who has charge of your keys and your secrets, and takes no advantage of all this!
But then, what a man the doctor was in the eyes of this worthy6 Joe! With what respect and what confidence the latter received all his decisions! When Ferguson had spoken, he would be a fool who should attempt to question the matter. Every thing he thought was exactly right; every thing he said, the perfection of wisdom; every thing he ordered to be done, quite feasible; all that he undertook, practicable; all that he accomplished7, admirable. You might have cut Joe to pieces--not an agreeable operation, to be sure--and yet he would not have altered his opinion of his master.
So, when the doctor conceived the project of crossing Africa through the air, for Joe the thing was already done; obstacles no longer existed; from the moment when the doctor had made up his mind to start, he had arrived --along with his faithful attendant, too, for the noble fellow knew, without a word uttered about it, that he would be one of the party.
Moreover, he was just the man to render the greatest service by his intelligence and his wonderful agility8. Had the occasion arisen to name a professor of gymnastics for the monkeys in the Zoological Garden (who are smart enough, by-the-way!), Joe would certainly have received the appointment. Leaping, climbing, almost flying-- these were all sport to him.
If Ferguson was the head and Kennedy the arm, Joe was to be the right hand of the expedition. He had, already, accompanied his master on several journeys, and had a smattering of science appropriate to his condition and style of mind, but he was especially remarkable9 for a sort of mild philosophy, a charming turn of optimism. In his sight every thing was easy, logical, natural, and, consequently, he could see no use in complaining or grumbling10.
Among other gifts, he possessed11 a strength and range of vision that were perfectly12 surprising. He enjoyed, in common with Moestlin, Kepler's professor, the rare faculty13 of distinguishing the satellites of Jupiter with the naked eye, and of counting fourteen of the stars in the group of Pleiades, the remotest of them being only of the ninth magnitude. He presumed none the more for that; on the contrary, he made his bow to you, at a distance, and when occasion arose he bravely knew how to use his eyes.
With such profound faith as Joe felt in the doctor, it is not to be wondered at that incessant14 discussions sprang up between him and Kennedy, without any lack of respect to the latter, however.
One doubted, the other believed; one had a prudent15 foresight16, the other blind confidence. The doctor, however, vibrated between doubt and confidence; that is to say, he troubled his head with neither one nor the other.
"Well, Mr. Kennedy," Joe would say.
"Well, my boy?"
"The moment's at hand. It seems that we are to sail for the moon."
"You mean the Mountains of the Moon, which are not quite so far off. But, never mind, one trip is just as dangerous as the other!"
"Dangerous! What! with a man like Dr. Ferguson?"
"I don't want to spoil your illusions, my good Joe; but this undertaking17 of his is nothing more nor less than the act of a madman. He won't go, though!"
"He won't go, eh? Then you haven't seen his balloon at Mitchell's factory in the Borough18?"
"I'll take precious good care to keep away from it!"
"Well, you'll lose a fine sight, sir. What a splendid thing it is! What a pretty shape! What a nice car! How snug19 we'll feel in it!"
"Then you really think of going with your master?"
"I?" answered Joe, with an accent of profound conviction. "Why, I'd go with him wherever he pleases! Who ever heard of such a thing? Leave him to go off alone, after we've been all over the world together! Who would help him, when he was tired? Who would give him a hand in climbing over the rocks? Who would attend him when he was sick? No, Mr. Kennedy, Joe will always stick to the doctor!"
"You're a fine fellow, Joe!"
"But, then, you're coming with us!"
"Oh! certainly," said Kennedy; "that is to say, I will go with you up to the last moment, to prevent Samuel even then from being guilty of such an act of folly20! I will follow him as far as Zanzibar, so as to stop him there, if possible."
"You'll stop nothing at all, Mr. Kennedy, with all respect to you, sir. My master is no hare-brained person; he takes a long time to think over what he means to do, and then, when he once gets started, the Evil One himself couldn't make him give it up."
"Well, we'll see about that."
"Don't flatter yourself, sir--but then, the main thing is, to have you with us. For a hunter like you, sir, Africa's a great country. So, either way, you won't be sorry for the trip."
"No, that's a fact, I shan't be sorry for it, if I can get this crazy man to give up his scheme."
"By-the-way," said Joe, "you know that the weighing comes off to-day."
"The weighing--what weighing?"
"Why, my master, and you, and I, are all to be weighed to-day!"
"What! like horse-jockeys?"
"Yes, like jockeys. Only, never fear, you won't be expected to make yourself lean, if you're found to be heavy. You'll go as you are."
"Well, I can tell you, I am not going to let myself be weighed," said Kennedy, firmly.
"But, sir, it seems that the doctor's machine requires it."
"Well, his machine will have to do without it."
"Humph! and suppose that it couldn't go up, then?"
"Egad! that's all I want!"
"Come! come, Mr. Kennedy! My master will be sending for us directly."
"I shan't go."
"Oh! now, you won't vex21 the doctor in that way!"
"Aye! that I will."
"Well!" said Joe with a laugh, "you say that because he's not here; but when he says to your face, 'Dick!' (with all respect to you, sir,) 'Dick, I want to know exactly how much you weigh,' you'll go, I warrant it."
"No, I will NOT go!"
At this moment the doctor entered his study, where this discussion had been taking place; and, as he came in, cast a glance at Kennedy, who did not feel altogether at his ease.
"Dick," said the doctor, "come with Joe; I want to know how much you both weigh."
"But--"
"You may keep your hat on. Come!" And Kennedy went.
They repaired in company to the workshop of the Messrs. Mitchell, where one of those so-called "Roman" scales was in readiness. It was necessary, by the way, for the doctor to know the weight of his companions, so as to fix the equilibrium22 of his balloon; so he made Dick get up on the platform of the scales. The latter, without making any resistance, said, in an undertone:
"Oh! well, that doesn't bind23 me to any thing."
"One hundred and fifty-three pounds," said the doctor, noting it down on his tablets.
"Am I too heavy?"
"Why, no, Mr. Kennedy!" said Joe; "and then, you know, I am light to make up for it."
So saying, Joe, with enthusiasm, took his place on the scales, and very nearly upset them in his ready haste. He struck the attitude of Wellington where he is made to ape Achilles, at Hyde-Park entrance, and was superb in it, without the shield.
"One hundred and twenty pounds," wrote the doctor.
"Ah! ha!" said Joe, with a smile of satisfaction And why did he smile? He never could tell himself.
"It's my turn now," said Ferguson--and he put down one hundred and thirty-five pounds to his own account.
"All three of us," said he, "do not weigh much more than four hundred pounds."
"But, sir," said Joe, "if it was necessary for your expedition, I could make myself thinner by twenty pounds, by not eating so much."
"Useless, my boy!" replied the doctor. "You may eat as much as you like, and here's half-a-crown to buy you the ballast."
一位难得的仆人——他能瞧见木星的卫星——肯尼迪和乔争论——怀疑和相信——称重——乔·威灵顿——乔得到半克朗
弗格森博士有位仆人，他一听到喊“乔”这个名字，就马上殷勤应答。他的脾气随和，对博士绝对信任而且无限忠诚。他善解人意，甚至不等博士发话，就知道自己该如何去做了。乔是弗格森博士的加列布①。不过，他并不时时怨天尤人，相反，心情总是那么快活。他是个非常称职的仆人，很难再找到比他更好的了。弗格森博士把生活中的一切杂事全交给了他。博士这么做很对，乔的确少见，的确诚实！他为你准备饭，而且，饭菜非常合你的口味；他为你收拾箱子，既忘不了袜子，也落不下衬衣；他有你的钥匙，但从不滥用；他了解你的秘密，但从不多嘴！同样，在这位忠实的乔的眼里，博士可是位了不起的人物！他总是恭恭敬敬，无比信赖地接受主人的每一项决定。他认为，弗格森说的话，只有疯子才去顶嘴；只要博士想到的，就一定对；只要博士说的，就一定有道理；只要博士吩咐的，就一定办得到；只要博士干的，就一定能干成；而且，只要博士干成的就一定令人赞美。即便把乔大卸八块，他也丝毫不会改变对主人的看法。这一点，确实让人喜欢。
①英国作家查里斯·狄更斯的小说《炉边蟋蟀》中的人物。
所以，当博士开始制定这个空中飞越非洲大陆的计划时，乔就认为这事已成定局，困难已不复存在。弗格森博士决定出发的那一刻，就意味着已经到达了目的地，当然是带着他忠心耿耿的仆人。因为，这位诚实的小伙子很清楚自己会参加旅行的，尽管他从未提过此事。
再说，一路上，乔的聪明才智和他无与伦比的敏捷能帮上大忙。假如必须为动物园里那群够聪明伶俐的猴子找个体操教师的话，乔肯定能胜任。跳跃、攀登、疾驰、不可思议地原地旋转上千周，这些对他来说易如反掌。
如果说弗格森是头，肯尼迪是臂，那么乔就是手。他已经跟随主人旅行过多次。他用自己的方式掌握了一点肤浅的但实用的科学知识。然而，尤其与众不同的，是他温和的处世哲学和乐观主义精神。他认为天下事都是容易的、合理的和自然的，因此，他不知道有什么可值得抱怨和不满。
除了这些优点以外，乔还有一种令人称奇的本能和异常敏锐的视觉。他有同凯普勒①教授、默斯特林②教授一样的罕见才能，不用天文望远镜就分辨得出木星的卫星，数得出昴星团中的十四颗小星，其中后面几颗属九等星。他并没因此表现得更加骄傲，相反很谦逊，懂礼貌，远远地看到人就打招呼。而且只要有机会，他很会察言观色揣摩人。
①1571—1630，德国天文学家和占星家，行星三大定律的发现者，近代光学的奠基人。
②德国天文学家。
既然乔对博士那么信任，那么肯尼迪与诚实的仆人发生没完没了的争论也就不足为奇了。不过争论归争论，乔始终还是恭恭敬敬的。他没有忘记自己的身份。
一个怀疑，一个相信；一个顾虑重重，谨小慎微，一个盲目乐观，信心十足。博士恰恰夹在怀疑与相信之间！不过，应该说，不论怀疑，还是相信，他都不关心。
“怎么！肯尼迪先生，您……？”乔开了口。
“怎么！我的小伙子？”
“动身的时间就要到了。看来我们将坐上气球到月亮那儿去了。”
“你是想说去月亮山吧！那根本没有去月亮远。不过你放心，月亮山一样有危险。”
“危险，和弗格森博士这样的人在一起会有危险？”
“亲爱的乔，我不想打破你的幻想。可是他着手做的事，的确只有疯子才会干。不管怎么说，他走不成的。”
“他走不成？您难道没看见博士的气球就停在波鲁夫①的米切尔工厂里？”
①伦敦的南郊。——原注
“我才不愿去看呢！”
“先生，这么壮观的场面您竟错过！多么了不起的大家伙！外观漂亮极了！吊篮迷人极了！我们呆在里面有多自在啊！”
“看来，你当真打算陪你的主人去？”
“我吗？”乔满怀信心地肯定道，“他就是到天涯海角，我也陪着！这没有什么可说的！我们已经跑遍了全世界。这次怎么能让他自己去！我不在，他累了谁来搀扶他？跳过悬崖时，谁向他伸出有力的手？假如他病了，谁来照顾？不，狄克·肯尼迪先生，我永远待在博士的身边，一辈子服侍弗格森博士。”
“多好的小伙子！”
“再说，还有您和我们在一起。”乔又说。
“毫无疑问！”肯尼迪证实道，“换句话说，我愿意始终和你们一起阻止博士干这种荒唐事！我甚至一直追他到桑给巴尔，为的是还有朋友的一只手阻止他继续实施他那发疯的计划。”
“请恕我冒昧，肯尼迪先生，您丝毫阻止不了他的。我的主人根本不是爱冒险的狂热徒。凡是他想做的事，都是经过他长期考虑的。他一旦打定了主意，九头牛也拉不回头。”
“是吗？我们倒要瞧瞧！”
“请您别抱这个希望。再说，重要的是您去。对于一位像您这样的猎手来说，非洲是块神奇的土地。不管怎样，您去了，决不会对这趟旅行后悔的。”
“不，当然不后悔，尤其是这个固执的家伙最终向事实低头时。”
“对了，”乔猛然想起了什么，“您知道今天称体重吗？”
“什么，称体重？”
“当然了。我的主人，您和我，我们三人都要称称体重。”
“像赛马师一样称体重？”
“正是。只不过，请放心。即使您太重，也不会让您瘦去几斤。不管您有多重，都认了。”
“我决不让人给我称体重！”苏格兰人坚定地说。
“但是，先生，对于他的机器来说，这似乎是必不可少的。”
“行了！他的机器不需要我的体重。”
“啊！假如计算不准确，我们就无法升空了！”
“那当然罗！我要的就是这个！”
“得了，肯尼迪先生，您瞧好吧，我的主人马上就要来找我们。”
“我不去！”
“您不会让他不高兴的。”
“我就是要让他不高兴。”
“好极了！”乔笑着说，“您这么说是因为他不在。不过，只要他当面对您说：‘肯尼迪，（请恕我冒昧）我需要知道你的确切体重。’我敢保证，您会去称的。”
“那我也不去。”
说话间，博士走进了他的工作室。肯尼迪和乔的谈话就在那儿进行。博士注视着肯尼迪。后者顿时觉得全身不自在。
“肯尼迪，”博士开口，“和乔一起来吧。我需要知道你们俩有多重。”
“可是……。”
“称重时你可以不摘下帽子。来吧。”
于是，肯尼迪去了。
他们三人一起去了米切尔先生的工厂。那里早已准备好一台磅秤。为了安排气球保持均衡状态，博士确实需要知道伙伴们的重量。他先让肯尼迪站到磅秤的平台上去。肯尼迪乖乖地做了，嘴里嘀咕着：
“好吧！好吧！这也挡不住我不去。”
“153斤①”博士边说，边把这个数字记在他的笔记本上。
①法国的古斤，约合半公斤，下同。
“我太重了吧？”
“噢，不，肯尼迪先生。”乔接过话头，“再说，我很轻。咱俩的体重正好可以均衡一下。”
话刚说完，这个耍贫嘴的乔就兴奋地蹦到了刚才猎人站的位置。他的动作那么猛，甚至险些弄翻磅秤。他站在上面，摆出的架式活象威灵顿②仿效海德公园入口处阿喀琉斯③像的姿态。即使手中少块盾牌，乔依然显得威风八面。
②1769—1852，英国陆军元帅，以在滑铁卢战役中指挥英普联军击败拿破仑而闻名。
③又译阿基里斯，希腊神话中的英雄。
“120斤。”博士记下。
“嗨！嗨！”乔满意地微笑着说。他为什么笑？连他自己也无法说清楚。
“现在该我了。”弗格森说。随后，他把自己135斤的体重记了下来。
“我们三人加在一起，体重不超过400斤。”博士说。
“可是，我的主人，”乔说，“为了您的试验，假如有必要，我不吃东西还可以瘦下去20斤左右。”
“我的小伙子，这没用。”博士答道，“你尽可放开肚皮吃。给你，拿着这半克朗，你爱怎么吃，就怎么吃吧。”
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alacrity
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growling
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entirely
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linen
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worthy
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accomplished
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agility
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remarkable
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grumbling
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possessed
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perfectly
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faculty
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incessant
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prudent
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foresight
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undertaking
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borough
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snug
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folly
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vex
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equilibrium
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bind
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| vt.捆，包扎；装订；约束；使凝固；vi.变硬 | |
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