They double the Cape1.--The Forecastle.--A Course of Cosmography by Professor Joe.--Concerning the Method of guiding Balloons.--How to seek out Atmospheric2 Currents.--Eureka.
The Resolute3 plunged4 along rapidly toward the Cape of Good Hope, the weather continuing fine, although the sea ran heavier.
On the 30th of March, twenty-seven days after the departure from London, the Table Mountain loomed5 up on the horizon. Cape City lying at the foot of an amphitheatre of hills, could be distinguished6 through the ship's glasses, and soon the Resolute cast anchor in the port. But the captain touched there only to replenish7 his coal bunkers, and that was but a day's job. On the morrow, he steered8 away to the south'ard, so as to double the southernmost point of Africa, and enter the Mozambique Channel.
This was not Joe's first sea-voyage, and so, for his part, he soon found himself at home on board; every body liked him for his frankness and good-humor. A considerable share of his master's renown9 was reflected upon him. He was listened to as an oracle10, and he made no more mistakes than the next one.
So, while the doctor was pursuing his descriptive course of lecturing in the officers' mess, Joe reigned11 supreme12 on the forecastle, holding forth13 in his own peculiar14 manner, and making history to suit himself--a style of procedure pursued, by the way, by the greatest historians of all ages and nations.
The topic of discourse15 was, naturally, the aerial voyage. Joe had experienced some trouble in getting the rebellious16 spirits to believe in it; but, once accepted by them, nothing connected with it was any longer an impossibility to the imaginations of the seamen17 stimulated18 by Joe's harangues19.
Our dazzling narrator persuaded his hearers that, after this trip, many others still more wonderful would be undertaken. In fact, it was to be but the first of a long series of superhuman expeditions.
"You see, my friends, when a man has had a taste of that kind of travelling, he can't get along afterward20 with any other; so, on our next expedition, instead of going off to one side, we'll go right ahead, going up, too, all the time."
"Humph! then you'll go to the moon!" said one of the crowd, with a stare of amazement21.
"To the moon!" exclaimed Joe, "To the moon! pooh! that's too common. Every body might go to the moon, that way. Besides, there's no water there, and you have to carry such a lot of it along with you. Then you have to take air along in bottles, so as to breathe."
"Ay! ay! that's all right! But can a man get a drop of the real stuff there?" said a sailor who liked his toddy.
"Not a drop!" was Joe's answer. "No! old fellow, not in the moon. But we're going to skip round among those little twinklers up there--the stars--and the splendid planets that my old man so often talks about. For instance, we'll commence with Saturn22--"
"That one with the ring?" asked the boatswain.
"Yes! the wedding-ring--only no one knows what's become of his wife!"
"What? will you go so high up as that?" said one of the ship-boys, gaping23 with wonder. "Why, your master must be Old Nick himself."
"Oh! no, he's too good for that."
"But, after Saturn--what then?" was the next inquiry24 of his impatient audience.
"After Saturn? Well, we'll visit Jupiter. A funny place that is, too, where the days are only nine hours and a half long--a good thing for the lazy fellows--and the years, would you believe it--last twelve of ours, which is fine for folks who have only six months to live. They get off a little longer by that."
"Twelve years!" ejaculated the boy.
"Yes, my youngster; so that in that country you'd be toddling25 after your mammy yet, and that old chap yonder, who looks about fifty, would only be a little shaver of four and a half."
"Blazes! that's a good 'un!" shouted the whole forecastle together.
"Solemn truth!" said Joe, stoutly26.
"But what can you expect? When people will stay in this world, they learn nothing and keep as ignorant as bears. But just come along to Jupiter and you'll see. But they have to look out up there, for he's got satellites that are not just the easiest things to pass."
All the men laughed, but they more than half believed him. Then he went on to talk about Neptune27, where seafaring men get a jovial28 reception, and Mars, where the military get the best of the sidewalk to such an extent that folks can hardly stand it. Finally, he drew them a heavenly picture of the delights of Venus.
"And when we get back from that expedition," said the indefatigable29 narrator, "they'll decorate us with the Southern Cross that shines up there in the Creator's button-hole."
"Ay, and you'd have well earned it!" said the sailors.
Thus passed the long evenings on the forecastle in merry chat, and during the same time the doctor went on with his instructive discourses30.
One day the conversation turned upon the means of directing balloons, and the doctor was asked his opinion about it.
"I don't think," said he, "that we shall succeed in finding out a system of directing them. I am familiar with all the plans attempted and proposed, and not one has succeeded, not one is practicable. You may readily understand that I have occupied my mind with this subject, which was, necessarily, so interesting to me, but I have not been able to solve the problem with the appliances now known to mechanical science. We would have to discover a motive31 power of extraordinary force, and almost impossible lightness of machinery32. And, even then, we could not resist atmospheric currents of any considerable strength. Until now, the effort has been rather to direct the car than the balloon, and that has been one great error."
"Still there are many points of resemblance between a balloon and a ship which is directed at will."
"Not at all," retorted the doctor, "there is little or no similarity between the two cases. Air is infinitely33 less dense34 than water, in which the ship is only half submerged, while the whole bulk of a balloon is plunged in the atmosphere, and remains35 motionless with reference to the element that surrounds it."
"You think, then, that aerostatic science has said its last word?"
"Not at all! not at all! But we must look for another point in the case, and if we cannot manage to guide our balloon, we must, at least, try to keep it in favorable aerial currents. In proportion as we ascend36, the latter become much more uniform and flow more constantly in one direction. They are no longer disturbed by the mountains and valleys that traverse the surface of the globe, and these, you know, are the chief cause of the variations of the wind and the inequality of their force. Therefore, these zones having been once determined37, the balloon will merely have to be placed in the currents best adapted to its destination."
"But then," continued Captain Bennet, "in order to reach them, you must keep constantly ascending38 or descending39. That is the real difficulty, doctor."
"And why, my dear captain?"
"Let us understand one another. It would be a difficulty and an obstacle only for long journeys, and not for short aerial excursions."
"And why so, if you please?"
"Because you can ascend only by throwing out ballast; you can descend40 only after letting off gas, and by these processes your ballast and your gas are soon exhausted41."
"My dear sir, that's the whole question. There is the only difficulty that science need now seek to overcome. The problem is not how to guide the balloon, but how to take it up and down without expending42 the gas which is its strength, its life-blood, its soul, if I may use the expression."
"You are right, my dear doctor; but this problem is not yet solved; this means has not yet been discovered."
"I beg your pardon, it HAS been discovered."
"By whom?"
"By me!"
"By you?"
"You may readily believe that otherwise I should not have risked this expedition across Africa in a balloon. In twenty-four hours I should have been without gas!"
"But you said nothing about that in England?"
"No! I did not want to have myself overhauled43 in public. I saw no use in that. I made my preparatory experiments in secret and was satisfied. I have no occasion, then, to learn any thing more from them."
"Well! doctor, would it be proper to ask what is your secret?"
"Here it is, gentlemen--the simplest thing in the world!"
The attention of his auditory was now directed to the doctor in the utmost degree as he quietly proceeded with his explanation.
绕过好望角——前甲板——乔教授上的宇宙志课——论气球的操纵——论寻找大气流——Evpnxa
（“想出来了”）
“决心号”运输舰快速地向好望角驶去。尽管大海的浪涛越来越汹涌，天气却一直很好。
从伦敦起航27天后， 3月30日，远处天际显露出桌山的轮廓。用海洋望远镜已经看得见山岗脚下的开普敦城。很快，“决心号”运输舰来到开普敦码头抛下错。但是船在此停泊只是为了加煤，这事一天就可办妥。第二天，船向南驶去，以便绕过非洲的最南端进入莫桑比克海峡。
乔已不是第一次作海上旅行。他很快就像在家里一样自由自在。船上的人都喜欢他那坦诚、爽朗的性格。主人耀眼的光环大部分罩在了他的身上。大家像听权威人士讲话一样听他侃侃而谈。事实上，他弄错的倒也真不比其他权威人士多。
当弗格森博士在作战会议室里继续上有关非洲探险课时，乔就在前甲板上摆出一副了不起的样子，仿效历代最伟大的历史学家的派头，随心所欲地谈古论今，夸夸其谈。
话题自然是围绕着空中旅行进行的。开始时，乔很难让那些死顽固相信这次活动一定能成功。但是后来，一接受了他的说法，水手们的想象力一下子被乔的叙述激发了，他们认为再没有什么不可能的事。
这位令人着迷的讲故事者使他的听众们相信，这次旅行过后，还要进行许多其他的空中旅行。现在，只不过是一长串非凡举动的开始。
“朋友们，你们知道，当人们尝试过这种空中运动后，就再也不会放弃它。所以，我们的下一次探险就不是在地球表面进行了，我们将一直上升，越飞越高。”
“好极了！飞到月亮上去！”一位感叹不已的听众不由得说。
“到月亮上去？”乔不屑一顾地说，“不，当然不去。这太平常！人人都去得了。再说啦，那儿又没水。要去还得带上多多的水贮备着，甚至还得带上小玻璃瓶装的空气。因为，在那里只要想稍微呼吸一下，就用得着。”
“是吗？要是在那儿找到杜松子酒呢？”一位特别钟爱这种酒的水手问道。
“我的朋友，那儿是没有杜松子酒的。不！根本不去月亮。但是我们将到那些好看的星星上转转，到那些迷人的行星上走走，我的主人常常给我谈起那些行星，因此，我们可以先从访问土星开始……。”
“就是那颗有光环的星星吗？”海军下士问。
“对！那个戴结婚戒指的，只是不知道它的老婆哪儿去了！”
“怎么！你们能飞那么高？”一位小水手惊愕地问，“你的主人真是个魔鬼。”
“魔鬼？干这事魔鬼还差了点！”
“那么你们去过土星以后呢？”听众中最性急的一位问。
“去过土星以后？唔，去拜访一下木星。那可是个怪地方。听着，那里的白天只有9个半小时，这对懒人倒挺合适的。还有，譬如那里的1年等于我们这儿的12年。对那些只能活6个月的人来说，这是个福音。在那儿生活可以让他们多活上几年！”
“12年？”小水手又问。
“对，小家伙。所以，假如在那个地方，你还在吃你妈妈的奶呢。这边一位老人家，就算是50岁吧，到那儿只是个4岁半的娃娃。”
“不信，不信！”全前甲板的人异口同声地说。
“这全是真的。”乔信誓旦旦地说，“你们要我怎么说呢？如果光想待在这个世界上混日子，就什么也学不到，只能象只鼠海豚一样无知。要是你们去木星上走走，就知道我说的对了！不过，在木星上你们可不能乱来哟，因为有些卫星可是不大好说话！”
于是大伙笑了起来，不过，还是有些半信半疑。接着，乔给他们谈起海王星，说在那儿海员最受欢迎；谈到火星时，乔又说在那儿最吃香的是军人，这最终让人厌烦；至于水星，则是个最不光彩的星球，那儿只有小偷和商人。这两种人那么相象，很难把他们区分开来；最后，乔对金星作了一番十分动人的描述，大伙儿听了不由得心旷神怡。
“当我们从这次空中旅行返回时，”讨人喜欢的故事讲述人说，“我们将被授予南十字星座勋章，就是在上帝的衣扣上方闪闪发光的那枚。”
“你们本来就完全配得上这枚勋章！”水手们齐声说道。
一个个白天就这样伴随着愉悦的话语在前甲板上度过。与此同时，博士也正在作战会议室里与军官们进行着一次又一次颇有教育意义的谈话。
有一天，在谈论气球的操纵问题时，弗格森博士应大伙请求就这一点谈了自己的看法。
“我不相信，”他开口道，“当今能达到人工操纵气球的程度。眼下世上所有的操纵系统，无论是做过试验的，还是才提出的，我都了解。不过没有哪一个获得成功，没有哪一种能行得通。诸位当然明白，我应该关心这个对我很有好处的问题，但是用目前的力学知识所提供的方式，我还没法解决这个难题。需要发明一种马力大得超乎寻常而重量又轻得难以想象的发动机才行。即使是有了这种发动机，人们也无法抵御得住强大的气流！再说，至今为止，注重的是研究如何操纵吊篮，而不是操纵气球，这是一种错误。”
“不过，”有人反驳道，“气球与船有很多相似之处，而船却可以随心所欲地驾驶。”
“当然不对，”弗格森博士答道，“相似之处很少，或者说根本没有。空气的密度比水小得多的多。船身只有一半隐没在水里。气球却整个置身于空气中，而且就周围的气流而言气球是静止不动的。”
“那么，您认为航空学已经发展到头了吗？”
“不！当然没到头！现在需要的是寻找其他途径。即使不能操纵气球的方向，至少应使气球时刻飘浮在最适合的大气气流中。随着气球的升高，气球周围的气流变得越来越均匀，气流运动的方向也越来越稳定。这时候，气流的运动已不再受地球表面沟沟壑壑的高山峡谷的干扰。诸位知道，这些山川峡谷恰恰是使风向和风力改变的主要原因。因此，一旦找准了气流带，剩下来要做的只是把气球停留在合适的气流中而已。”
“可是到那时候，”皮耐特舰长又说，“为了能始终待在有利的气流带里，气球就必须时常升升降降。亲爱的博士，这才是真正的困难所在。”
“为什么？亲爱的舰长？”
“我们都明白，正因为是作长距离飞行，这么升升降降的才极为困难。如果只是在空中飘飘，当然不难做到了。”
“请问，您有什么理由这么说？”
“因为，要上升就只有扔掉些压载物。要下降就只有失去些氢气。这样下去，您的氢气和压载物很快就会用光的。”
“亲爱的皮耐特，问题的关键就在于此。当前科学要攻克的唯一难点也就是这个。重要的，不是操纵气球的方向，而是如何不消耗氢气使气球能至上而下地运动。如果比喻的话，可以说，氢气就是气球的真气、血液、灵魂。”
“您说得对，亲爱的博士。但是眼下，这种困难仍然无法解决，这种方法仍没有能想得出来呀。”
“对不起，已经想出来了。”
“谁想出来的？”
“我！”
“您？”
“是的。您很明白，如果想不出办法来，我是不会冒险作这次乘气球穿越非洲旅行的。要不然，24小时以后，我就会把气球里所有的氢气用光。”
“可是，在英国的时候，您可从没谈过此事呀？”
“是没谈过，我那时不愿引起公开争论。我觉得争来争去的又有什么用呢？我预先悄悄地做过几次试验，结果十分理想，我很满意。这是我的事，根本用不着向别人多说什么。”
“原来是这么回事！那么，弗格森博士，您能把您的秘密告诉我们吗？”
“好吧，先生们，其实我的方法挺简单的。”
听众一下子全都集中起了注意力。这时，弗格森博士沉稳地开口说了下面一番话。
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cape
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| n.海角，岬；披肩，短披风 | |
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atmospheric
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| adj.大气的，空气的；大气层的；大气所引起的 | |
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resolute
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| adj.坚决的，果敢的 | |
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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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loomed
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| v.隐约出现，阴森地逼近( loom的过去式和过去分词 )；隐约出现，阴森地逼近 | |
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distinguished
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| adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的 | |
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replenish
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| vt.补充；(把…)装满；(再)填满 | |
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steered
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| v.驾驶( steer的过去式和过去分词 )；操纵；控制；引导 | |
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renown
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| n.声誉，名望 | |
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oracle
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| n.神谕，神谕处，预言 | |
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reigned
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| vi.当政，统治（reign的过去式形式） | |
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supreme
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| adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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discourse
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| n.论文，演说；谈话；话语；vi.讲述，著述 | |
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rebellious
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| adj.造反的，反抗的，难控制的 | |
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seamen
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| n.海员 | |
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stimulated
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| a.刺激的 | |
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harangues
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| n.高谈阔论的长篇演讲( harangue的名词复数 )v.高谈阔论( harangue的第三人称单数 ) | |
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afterward
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| adv.后来；以后 | |
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amazement
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| n.惊奇，惊讶 | |
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Saturn
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| n.农神，土星 | |
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gaping
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| adj.口的；张口的；敞口的；多洞穴的v.目瞪口呆地凝视( gape的现在分词 )；张开，张大 | |
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inquiry
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| n.打听，询问，调查，查问 | |
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toddling
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| v.（幼儿等）东倒西歪地走( toddle的现在分词 )；蹒跚行走；溜达；散步 | |
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stoutly
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| adv.牢固地，粗壮的 | |
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Neptune
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| n.海王星 | |
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jovial
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| adj.快乐的，好交际的 | |
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indefatigable
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| adj.不知疲倦的，不屈不挠的 | |
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discourses
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| 论文( discourse的名词复数 )； 演说； 讲道； 话语 | |
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motive
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| n.动机，目的；adv.发动的，运动的 | |
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machinery
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| n.(总称)机械，机器；机构 | |
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infinitely
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| adv.无限地，无穷地 | |
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dense
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| a.密集的，稠密的，浓密的；密度大的 | |
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remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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ascend
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| vi.渐渐上升，升高；vt.攀登，登上 | |
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determined
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| adj.坚定的；有决心的 | |
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ascending
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| adj.上升的，向上的 | |
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descending
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| n. 下行 adj. 下降的 | |
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40
descend
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| vt./vi.传下来，下来，下降 | |
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41
exhausted
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| adj.极其疲惫的，精疲力尽的 | |
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42
expending
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| v.花费( expend的现在分词 )；使用（钱等）做某事；用光；耗尽 | |
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43
overhauled
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| v.彻底检查( overhaul的过去式和过去分词 )；大修；赶上；超越 | |
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