The whole of the next day the gallery opened before us its endless arcades2. We moved on almost without a word. Hans' silence seemed to be infecting us.
The road was now not ascending3, at least not perceptibly. Sometimes, even, it seemed to have a slight fall. But this tendency, which was very trifling4, could not do anything to reassure5 the Professor; for there was no change in the beds, and the transitional characteristics became more and more decided6.
The electric light was reflected in sparkling splendour from the schist, limestone7, and old red sandstone of the walls. It might have been thought that we were passing through a section of Wales, of which an ancient people gave its name to this system. Specimens8 of magnificent marbles clothed the walls, some of a greyish agate9 fantastically veined with white, others of rich crimson10 or yellow dashed with splotches of red; then came dark cherry-coloured marbles relieved by the lighter11 tints12 of limestone.
The greater part of these bore impressions of primitive13 organisms. Creation had evidently advanced since the day before. Instead of rudimentary trilobites, I noticed remains14 of a more perfect order of beings, amongst others ganoid fishes and some of those sauroids in which palaeontologists have discovered the earliest reptile15 forms. The Devonian seas were peopled by animals of these species, and deposited them by thousands in the rocks of the newer formation.
It was evident that we were ascending that scale of animal life in which man fills the highest place. But Professor Liedenbrock seemed not to notice it.
He was awaiting one of two events, either the appearance of a vertical16 well opening before his feet, down which our descent might be resumed, or that of some obstacle which should effectually turn us back on our own footsteps. But evening came and neither wish was gratified.
On Friday, after a night during which I felt pangs18 of thirst, our little troop again plunged19 into the winding20 passages of the gallery.
After ten hours' walking I observed a singular deadening of the reflection of our lamps from the side walls. The marble, the schist, the limestone, and the sandstone were giving way to a dark and lustreless21 lining22. At one moment, the tunnel becoming very narrow, I leaned against the wall.
When I removed my hand it was black. I looked nearer, and found we were in a coal formation.
"A coal mine!" I cried.
"A mine without miners," my uncle replied.
"Who knows?" I asked.
"I know," the Professor pronounced decidedly, "I am certain that this gallery driven through beds of coal was never pierced by the hand of man. But whether it be the hand of nature or not does not matter. Supper time is come; let us sup."
Hans prepared some food. I scarcely ate, and I swallowed down the few drops of water rationed23 out to me. One flask24 half full was all we had left to slake25 the thirst of three men.
After their meal my two companions laid themselves down upon their rugs, and found in sleep a solace26 for their fatigue27. But I could not sleep, and I counted every hour until morning.
On Saturday, at six, we started afresh. In twenty minutes we reached a vast open space; I then knew that the hand of man had not hollowed out this mine; the vaults28 would have been shored up, and, as it was, they seemed to be held up by a miracle of equilibrium29.
This cavern30 was about a hundred feet wide and a hundred and fifty in height. A large mass had been rent asunder31 by a subterranean32 disturbance33. Yielding to some vast power from below it had broken asunder, leaving this great hollow into which human beings were now penetrating34 for the first time.
The whole history of the carboniferous period was written upon these gloomy walls, and a geologist35 might with ease trace all its diverse phases. The beds of coal were separated by strata36 of sandstone or compact clays, and appeared crushed under the weight of overlying strata.
At the age of the world which preceded the secondary period, the earth was clothed with immense vegetable forms, the product of the double influence of tropical heat and constant moisture; a vapoury atmosphere surrounded the earth, still veiling the direct rays of the sun.
Thence arises the conclusion that the high temperature then existing was due to some other source than the heat of the sun. Perhaps even the orb37 of day may not have been ready yet to play the splendid part he now acts. There were no 'climates' as yet, and a torrid heat, equal from pole to equator, was spread over the whole surface of the globe. Whence this heat? Was it from the interior of the earth?
Notwithstanding the theories of Professor Liedenbrock, a violent heat did at that time brood within the body of the spheroid. Its action was felt to the very last coats of the terrestrial crust; the plants, unacquainted with the beneficent influences of the sun, yielded neither flowers nor scent17. But their roots drew vigorous life from the burning soil of the early days of this planet.
There were but few trees. Herbaceous plants alone existed. There were tall grasses, ferns, lycopods, besides sigillaria, asterophyllites, now scarce plants, but then the species might be counted by thousands.
The coal measures owe their origin to this period of profuse38 vegetation. The yet elastic39 and yielding crust of the earth obeyed the fluid forces beneath. Thence innumerable fissures40 and depressions. The plants, sunk underneath41 the waters, formed by degrees into vast accumulated masses.
Then came the chemical action of nature; in the depths of the seas the vegetable accumulations first became peat; then, acted upon by generated gases and the heat of fermentation, they underwent a process of complete mineralization.
Thus were formed those immense coalfields, which nevertheless, are not inexhaustible, and which three centuries at the present accelerated rate of consumption will exhaust unless the industrial world will devise a remedy.
These reflections came into my mind whilst I was contemplating42 the mineral wealth stored up in this portion of the globe. These no doubt, I thought, will never be discovered; the working of such deep mines would involve too large an outlay43, and where would be the use as long as coal is yet spread far and wide near the surface? Such as my eyes behold44 these virgin45 stores, such they will be when this world comes to an end.
But still we marched on, and I alone was forgetting the length of the way by losing myself in the midst of geological contemplations. The temperature remained what it had been during our passage through the lava46 and schists. Only my sense of smell was forcibly affected47 by an odour of protocarburet of hydrogen. I immediately recognised in this gallery the presence of a considerable quantity of the dangerous gas called by miners firedamp, the explosion of which has often occasioned such dreadful catastrophes48.
Happily, our light was from Ruhmkorff's ingenious apparatus49. If unfortunately we had explored this gallery with torches, a terrible explosion would have put an end to travelling and travellers at one stroke.
This excursion through the coal mine lasted till night. My uncle scarcely could restrain his impatience50 at the horizontal road. The darkness, always deep twenty yards before us, prevented us from estimating the length of the gallery; and I was beginning to think it must be endless, when suddenly at six o'clock a wall very unexpectedly stood before us. Right or left, top or bottom, there was no road farther; we were at the end of a blind alley51. "Very well, it's all right!" cried my uncle, "now, at any rate, we shall know what we are about. We are not in Saknussemm's road, and all we have to do is to go back. Let us take a night's rest, and in three days we shall get to the fork in the road." "Yes," said I, "if we have any strength left." "Why not?" "Because to-morrow we shall have no water." "Nor courage either?" asked my uncle severely52. I dared make no answer.
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1
ration
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| n.定量(pl.)给养，口粮；vt.定量供应 | |
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arcades
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| n.商场( arcade的名词复数 )；拱形走道（两旁有商店或娱乐设施）；连拱廊；拱形建筑物 | |
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ascending
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| adj.上升的，向上的 | |
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trifling
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| adj.微不足道的；没什么价值的 | |
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reassure
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| v.使放心，使消除疑虑 | |
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decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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limestone
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| n.石灰石 | |
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8
specimens
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| n.样品( specimen的名词复数 )；范例；（化验的）抽样；某种类型的人 | |
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agate
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| n.玛瑙 | |
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crimson
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| n./adj.深(绯)红色(的)；vi.脸变绯红色 | |
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lighter
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| n.打火机，点火器；驳船；v.用驳船运送；light的比较级 | |
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12
tints
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| 色彩( tint的名词复数 )； 带白的颜色； （淡色）染发剂； 痕迹 | |
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13
primitive
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| adj.原始的；简单的；n.原(始)人，原始事物 | |
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remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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reptile
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| n.爬行动物；两栖动物 | |
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vertical
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| adj.垂直的，顶点的，纵向的；n.垂直物，垂直的位置 | |
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scent
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| n.气味，香味，香水，线索，嗅觉；v.嗅，发觉 | |
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pangs
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| 突然的剧痛( pang的名词复数 )； 悲痛 | |
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19
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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20
winding
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| n.绕，缠，绕组，线圈 | |
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lustreless
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| adj.无光泽的，无光彩的，平淡乏味的 | |
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lining
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| n.衬里，衬料 | |
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rationed
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| 限量供应，配给供应( ration的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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flask
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| n.瓶，火药筒，砂箱 | |
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slake
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| v.解渴，使平息 | |
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solace
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| n.安慰；v.使快乐；vt.安慰(物)，缓和 | |
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fatigue
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| n.疲劳，劳累 | |
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vaults
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| n.拱顶( vault的名词复数 )；地下室；撑物跳高；墓穴 | |
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29
equilibrium
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| n.平衡，均衡，相称，均势，平静 | |
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cavern
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| n.洞穴，大山洞 | |
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asunder
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| adj.分离的，化为碎片 | |
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subterranean
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| adj.地下的，地表下的 | |
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disturbance
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| n.动乱，骚动；打扰，干扰；(身心)失调 | |
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34
penetrating
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| 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 | |
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35
geologist
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| n.地质学家 | |
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36
strata
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| n.地层（复数）；社会阶层 | |
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37
orb
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| n.太阳；星球；v.弄圆；成球形 | |
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profuse
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| adj.很多的，大量的，极其丰富的 | |
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39
elastic
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| n.橡皮圈，松紧带；adj.有弹性的；灵活的 | |
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40
fissures
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| n.狭长裂缝或裂隙( fissure的名词复数 )；裂伤；分歧；分裂v.裂开( fissure的第三人称单数 ) | |
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41
underneath
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| adj.在...下面，在...底下；adv.在下面 | |
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42
contemplating
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| 深思，细想，仔细考虑( contemplate的现在分词 )； 注视，凝视； 考虑接受（发生某事的可能性）； 深思熟虑，沉思，苦思冥想 | |
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43
outlay
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| n.费用，经费，支出；v.花费 | |
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44
behold
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| v.看，注视，看到 | |
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45
virgin
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| n.处女，未婚女子；adj.未经使用的；未经开发的 | |
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46
lava
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| n.熔岩，火山岩 | |
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47
affected
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| adj.不自然的，假装的 | |
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48
catastrophes
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| n.灾祸( catastrophe的名词复数 )；灾难；不幸事件；困难 | |
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49
apparatus
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| n.装置，器械；器具，设备 | |
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50
impatience
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| n.不耐烦，急躁 | |
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51
alley
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| n.小巷，胡同；小径，小路 | |
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52
severely
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| adv.严格地；严厉地；非常恶劣地 | |
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