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CHAPTER XVII A STRANGE COUNTRY
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 They all ran to the port holes, which were openings in the side of the ship. They were fitted with thick, double glass, and covered on the outside with steel shutters1. These shutters were worked by a single lever from the engine room, so that one person could open or close them in a second or two. Washington, by accident, it appeared later, had slid back the protecting pieces of steel, and the rest followed.
 
As the adventurers looked from the glass ports they saw that the light which had flooded the ship came from without. They were in the midst of a beautiful glow, which seemed to be diffused2 about them like rays from a sun.
 
Only, in place of being a yellow or white light, such as the sun gives off at varying times, the glow was of violet hue3. And, as they watched, they saw the light change color, becoming a beautiful red, then blue, and again green.
 
“Well, this is certainly remarkable4!” the professor said. “I wonder what causes that.”
 
“We’ve arrived! We’re here, anyhow!” Washington cried, coming into the room. “See the country!”
 
Then, for the first time, the travelers, taking their attention from the curious light that was all around them, saw that they had indeed arrived. They were on a vast plain, one, seemingly, boundless5 in extent, though off to the left there was a range of lofty mountains, while to the right there was the glimmer6 of what might be a big lake or inland sea.
 
“See, we are resting on the ground!” exclaimed Jack7. He pointed8 out of the window, and the others, looking close at hand, noted9 that the Mermaid10 had settled down in the midst of what seemed to be a field of flowers. Big red and yellow blossoms were all in front, and some grew so tall as to almost be up to the edge of the port.
 
“I wonder if we can be seeing aright,” the professor muttered. “Is this really the interior of the earth; such a beautiful place as this?”
 
There could be little doubt of it. The ship had descended11 through the big shaft12, had been sucked down by the terrible air current, and had really landed in a strange country.
 
Of its size, shape and general conditions the adventurers, as yet, could but guess. They could see it was a pleasant place, and one where there might be the means to sustain life. For, as the professor said afterward13, he felt that where there were flowers there would be fruits, and where both of these provisions of nature were to be found there would likely be animal life, and even, perhaps, human beings.
 
But, for the time, they were content to look from the port on the beautiful scene that lay stretched out before them. The ship rested on an even keel and had landed so softly that none of the plates were strained.
 
“We have plenty of air, at all events,” said the professor as he took a deep breath. “I was afraid of that, but it seems there was no need. The air appears to be as good and fresh as that on the surface of the earth, only there is a curious property to it. It makes one feel larger. I imagine it must be thinner than the air of the earth, which is a rather strange thing, since the higher one goes the more rarefied the air becomes, and the lower, the more dense14. Still we can not apply natural philosophy to conditions under the earth. All the usual theories may be upset. However, we should be content to take things as we find them, and be glad we were not dashed to pieces when the ship was caught in the terrible current.”
 
“What do you suppose caused the awful heat, and then made it go away again?” asked Jack.
 
“I can only make a guess at it,” Mr. Henderson answered. “There are many strange things we will come across if we stay here long, I believe. As for the fire I think we must have passed a sort of interior volcano.”
 
“But what sort of a place do you think we have come to, Professor?” asked Mark.
 
“It is hard to say,” the scientist replied. “We are certainly somewhere within the earth. Our gage15 tells us it is five hundred miles. That may or may not be correct, but I believe we are several hundred miles under the crust, at all events. As to what sort of a place it is, you can see for yourselves.”
 
“But how is it we can breathe here, and things can grow?” asked Bill, who was beginning to lose his fright at the thought of being practically buried alive.
 
“I do not know what makes such things possible,” Mr. Henderson replied, “but that there is air here is a certainty. I can hardly believe it is drawn16 from the surface of the earth, down the big hole, and I am inclined to think this place of the under-world has an atmosphere of its own, and one which produces different effects than does our own.”
 
“They certainly have larger flowers than we have,” said Mark. “See how big they grow, and what strong colors they have.”
 
He pointed to the port, against which some of the blooms were nodding in the wind that had sprung up, for, in spite of the many differences, the under-world was in some respects like the upper one.
 
“Probably the difference in the atmosphere accounts for that,” the professor said. “It enables things to grow larger. And, by the way, Mark, that reminds me of something you said about seeing some horrible monster fleeing from the ship. Did you dream that?”
 
“I did see something horrible, Professor,” he answered. “I’m not positive what it was, but I’ll tell you as nearly as I can what it was like.”
 
Thereupon Mark detailed17 what he had seen.
 
“But how could anything, least of all some big monster, be concealed18 in the storeroom, and we not know anything about it?” asked Mr. Henderson.
 
“I thought you did know something of it,” replied Mark.
 
“Who, me? My dear boy, you must be dreaming again. Why should I want to conceal19 any being in the storeroom? Come, there is something back of this. Tell me all you know of it. I can’t imagine why you think I was hiding something in the apartment.”
 
“I thought so because you were always so anxious not to have me go near it,” answered the boy. “Don’t you remember when you saw me going toward it, several times, you warned me away?”
 
“So I did!” exclaimed Mr. Henderson, a light breaking over his face. “But, Mark, it was not because I had hidden some human being or animal there. I can’t tell you what it is yet, save that I can say it is merely a machine of mine that I have invented. For reasons of my own I don’t want any one to see it yet. Perhaps it may never be seen. I thought, not long ago, that we might have to undertake a terrible risk in escaping from this place. I directed you to go to the storeroom—but there, I can’t say any more, my friends. Sufficient that I had nothing in the animal line concealed there.”
 
“But I am certain there was some beast or human being in there,” insisted Mark. “I heard curious noises in there. Besides, how do you account for the food disappearing and the door being open at times?”
 
“It might have been rats,” said Jack.
 
“I don’t believe there are rats in the ship,” put in the professor. “More likely it was one of us who got up hungry and took the victuals20.”
 
“I’m sorry I can’t agree with you,” Mark added respectfully. “I am sure some strange being was on board this ship, and I believe it has now escaped. Who or what it was I can’t say, but you’ll find I’m right, some day.”
 
“All right,” spoke21 Mr. Henderson with a laugh. “I like to see any one brave enough to stick up for his opinion, but, at the same time, I can’t very well imagine any person or thing being concealed in that storeroom ever since we started. How could it get in?”
 
Mark did not answer, but there came to him the recollection of that night, previous to the sailing of the Flying Mermaid, when he had observed some strange shadow that seemed to glide22 aboard the craft.
 
“Now let’s forget all about such things,” the professor went on. “We are in a strange country, and there are many things to see and do. Let’s explore a little. Then we must see what we can do with the ship. We are dependent on it, and it will not do to allow it to remain in a damaged state. We expect to travel many miles in the interior of the earth if it is possible, and we have only our craft to go in.”
 
“I reckon we’d all better assimilate into our interior progression some molecules23 and atoms of partly disentegrated matter in order to supply combustion24 for the carbonaceous elements and assist in the manufacture of red corpuscles,” said Washington, appearing in the door, with a broad grin on his good-natured face.
 
“Which, being interpreted,” the professor said, “means, I suppose, that we had better eat something to keep our digestive apparatus25 in good working order?”
 
“Yo’ done guessed it!” exclaimed the colored man, relapsing into his ordinary speech. “I’se got a meal all ready.”
 
They agreed that they might not have another opportunity soon to partake of food, so they all gathered about the table, on which Washington had spread a good meal.
 
“Come on, let’s go outside and view this new and strange land at closer quarters,” the professor said, when they had satisfied their appetites. “We can’t see much from inside the ship.”
 
Accordingly the heavy door in the side of the Mermaid was slid back, and, for the first time the travelers stepped out on the surface of the land in the interior of the earth.
 
At first it seemed no different than the ordinary land to which they were accustomed. But they soon found it had many strange attributes. The queer shifting and changing light, with the myriad26 of hues27 was one of them, but to this the adventurers had, by this time, become accustomed, though it was, none the less, a marvel28 to them. It was odd enough to see the landscape blood red one instant, and a pale green the next, as it does when you look through differently colored glasses.
 
Then, too, they noticed that the grass and flowers grew much more abundantly than in the outer part of the world. They saw clover six feet high, and blades of grass even taller. In some places the growth of grass was so big that they were in danger of getting lost in it.
 
“If the grass is like this, what will the trees be?” asked Mark.
 
“There are some away over there,” Jack replied. “We’ll have to take a sail over. They must be several hundred feet high.”
 
“Well, at any rate, here’s a little brook29, and the water looks good to drink,” went on Mark. “I’m thirsty, so here goes.”
 
He hurried to where a stream was flowing sluggishly30 between grassy31 banks. The water was as clear as crystal, and Mark got down on his face and prepared to sip32 some of the liquid up.
 
But, no sooner had his lips touched it, than he sprang up with a cry and stood gazing at the water.
 
“What’s the matter?” asked Jack. “Hot?”
 
“No, it isn’t hot,” Mark replied, “but it isn’t water. It’s white molasses!”
 
“White molasses?” repeated the professor, coming up at that moment. “What are you talking about?”
 
He stooped down and dipped his finger into the stream. He drew it up quickly, and there ran from it big drops that flowed as slowly as the extract of the sugarcane does in cold weather.
 
“You’re about right, Mark,” he said. “It’s water but it’s almost as thick as molasses.” He touched his finger to his tongue. “It’s good to drink, all right,” he went on, “only it will be a little slow going down.”
 
Then he dipped up a palm full, and let it trickle33 down his throat.
 
“It is the strangest water I ever saw,” he added. “It must be that the lack of some peculiar34 property of air, which we have on the surface, has caused this. I must make some notes on it,” and he drew out pencil and paper. He was about to jot35 down some facts when he was interrupted by a cry from Washington.
 
“Come and see what’s the matter with this stone!” he cried.

点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 shutters 74d48a88b636ca064333022eb3458e1f     
百叶窗( shutter的名词复数 ); (照相机的)快门
参考例句:
  • The shop-front is fitted with rolling shutters. 那商店的店门装有卷门。
  • The shutters thumped the wall in the wind. 在风中百叶窗砰砰地碰在墙上。
2 diffused 5aa05ed088f24537ef05f482af006de0     
散布的,普及的,扩散的
参考例句:
  • A drop of milk diffused in the water. 一滴牛奶在水中扩散开来。
  • Gases and liquids diffused. 气体和液体慢慢混合了。
3 hue qdszS     
n.色度;色调;样子
参考例句:
  • The diamond shone with every hue under the sun.金刚石在阳光下放出五颜六色的光芒。
  • The same hue will look different in different light.同一颜色在不同的光线下看起来会有所不同。
4 remarkable 8Vbx6     
adj.显著的,异常的,非凡的,值得注意的
参考例句:
  • She has made remarkable headway in her writing skills.她在写作技巧方面有了长足进步。
  • These cars are remarkable for the quietness of their engines.这些汽车因发动机没有噪音而不同凡响。
5 boundless kt8zZ     
adj.无限的;无边无际的;巨大的
参考例句:
  • The boundless woods were sleeping in the deep repose of nature.无边无际的森林在大自然静寂的怀抱中酣睡着。
  • His gratitude and devotion to the Party was boundless.他对党无限感激、无限忠诚。
6 glimmer 5gTxU     
v.发出闪烁的微光;n.微光,微弱的闪光
参考例句:
  • I looked at her and felt a glimmer of hope.我注视她,感到了一线希望。
  • A glimmer of amusement showed in her eyes.她的眼中露出一丝笑意。
7 jack 53Hxp     
n.插座,千斤顶,男人;v.抬起,提醒,扛举;n.(Jake)杰克
参考例句:
  • I am looking for the headphone jack.我正在找寻头戴式耳机插孔。
  • He lifted the car with a jack to change the flat tyre.他用千斤顶把车顶起来换下瘪轮胎。
8 pointed Il8zB4     
adj.尖的,直截了当的
参考例句:
  • He gave me a very sharp pointed pencil.他给我一支削得非常尖的铅笔。
  • She wished to show Mrs.John Dashwood by this pointed invitation to her brother.她想通过对达茨伍德夫人提出直截了当的邀请向她的哥哥表示出来。
9 noted 5n4zXc     
adj.著名的,知名的
参考例句:
  • The local hotel is noted for its good table.当地的那家酒店以餐食精美而著称。
  • Jim is noted for arriving late for work.吉姆上班迟到出了名。
10 mermaid pCbxH     
n.美人鱼
参考例句:
  • How popular would that girl be with the only mermaid mom!和人鱼妈妈在一起,那个女孩会有多受欢迎!
  • The little mermaid wasn't happy because she didn't want to wait.小美人鱼不太高兴,因为她等不及了。
11 descended guQzoy     
a.为...后裔的,出身于...的
参考例句:
  • A mood of melancholy descended on us. 一种悲伤的情绪袭上我们的心头。
  • The path descended the hill in a series of zigzags. 小路呈连续的之字形顺着山坡蜿蜒而下。
12 shaft YEtzp     
n.(工具的)柄,杆状物
参考例句:
  • He was wounded by a shaft.他被箭击中受伤。
  • This is the shaft of a steam engine.这是一个蒸汽机主轴。
13 afterward fK6y3     
adv.后来;以后
参考例句:
  • Let's go to the theatre first and eat afterward. 让我们先去看戏,然后吃饭。
  • Afterward,the boy became a very famous artist.后来,这男孩成为一个很有名的艺术家。
14 dense aONzX     
a.密集的,稠密的,浓密的;密度大的
参考例句:
  • The general ambushed his troops in the dense woods. 将军把部队埋伏在浓密的树林里。
  • The path was completely covered by the dense foliage. 小路被树叶厚厚地盖了一层。
15 gage YsAz0j     
n.标准尺寸,规格;量规,量表 [=gauge]
参考例句:
  • Can you gage what her reaction is likely to be?你能揣测她的反应可能是什么吗?
  • It's difficult to gage one's character.要判断一个人的品格是很困难的。
16 drawn MuXzIi     
v.拖,拉,拔出;adj.憔悴的,紧张的
参考例句:
  • All the characters in the story are drawn from life.故事中的所有人物都取材于生活。
  • Her gaze was drawn irresistibly to the scene outside.她的目光禁不住被外面的风景所吸引。
17 detailed xuNzms     
adj.详细的,详尽的,极注意细节的,完全的
参考例句:
  • He had made a detailed study of the terrain.他对地形作了缜密的研究。
  • A detailed list of our publications is available on request.我们的出版物有一份详细的目录备索。
18 concealed 0v3zxG     
a.隐藏的,隐蔽的
参考例句:
  • The paintings were concealed beneath a thick layer of plaster. 那些画被隐藏在厚厚的灰泥层下面。
  • I think he had a gun concealed about his person. 我认为他当时身上藏有一支枪。
19 conceal DpYzt     
v.隐藏,隐瞒,隐蔽
参考例句:
  • He had to conceal his identity to escape the police.为了躲避警方,他只好隐瞒身份。
  • He could hardly conceal his joy at his departure.他几乎掩饰不住临行时的喜悦。
20 victuals reszxF     
n.食物;食品
参考例句:
  • A plateful of coarse broken victuals was set before him.一盘粗劣的剩余饭食放到了他的面前。
  • There are no more victuals for the pig.猪没有吃的啦。
21 spoke XryyC     
n.(车轮的)辐条;轮辐;破坏某人的计划;阻挠某人的行动 v.讲,谈(speak的过去式);说;演说;从某种观点来说
参考例句:
  • They sourced the spoke nuts from our company.他们的轮辐螺帽是从我们公司获得的。
  • The spokes of a wheel are the bars that connect the outer ring to the centre.辐条是轮子上连接外圈与中心的条棒。
22 glide 2gExT     
n./v.溜,滑行;(时间)消逝
参考例句:
  • We stood in silence watching the snake glide effortlessly.我们噤若寒蝉地站着,眼看那条蛇逍遥自在地游来游去。
  • So graceful was the ballerina that she just seemed to glide.那芭蕾舞女演员翩跹起舞,宛如滑翔。
23 molecules 187c25e49d45ad10b2f266c1fa7a8d49     
分子( molecule的名词复数 )
参考例句:
  • The structure of molecules can be seen under an electron microscope. 分子的结构可在电子显微镜下观察到。
  • Inside the reactor the large molecules are cracked into smaller molecules. 在反应堆里,大分子裂变为小分子。
24 combustion 4qKzS     
n.燃烧;氧化;骚动
参考例句:
  • We might be tempted to think of combustion.我们也许会联想到氧化。
  • The smoke formed by their combustion is negligible.由它燃烧所生成的烟是可忽略的。
25 apparatus ivTzx     
n.装置,器械;器具,设备
参考例句:
  • The school's audio apparatus includes films and records.学校的视听设备包括放映机和录音机。
  • They had a very refined apparatus.他们有一套非常精良的设备。
26 myriad M67zU     
adj.无数的;n.无数,极大数量
参考例句:
  • They offered no solution for all our myriad problems.对于我们数不清的问题他们束手无策。
  • I had three weeks to make a myriad of arrangements.我花了三个星期做大量准备工作。
27 hues adb36550095392fec301ed06c82f8920     
色彩( hue的名词复数 ); 色调; 信仰; 观点
参考例句:
  • When the sun rose a hundred prismatic hues were reflected from it. 太阳一出,更把它映得千变万化、异彩缤纷。
  • Where maple trees grow, the leaves are often several brilliant hues of red. 在枫树生长的地方,枫叶常常呈现出数种光彩夺目的红色。
28 marvel b2xyG     
vi.(at)惊叹vt.感到惊异;n.令人惊异的事
参考例句:
  • The robot is a marvel of modern engineering.机器人是现代工程技术的奇迹。
  • The operation was a marvel of medical skill.这次手术是医术上的一个奇迹。
29 brook PSIyg     
n.小河,溪;v.忍受,容让
参考例句:
  • In our room we could hear the murmur of a distant brook.在我们房间能听到远处小溪汩汩的流水声。
  • The brook trickled through the valley.小溪涓涓流过峡谷。
30 sluggishly d76f4d1262958898317036fd722b1d29     
adv.懒惰地;缓慢地
参考例句:
  • The river is silted up and the water flows sluggishly. 河道淤塞,水流迟滞。
  • Loaded with 870 gallons of gasoline and 40 gallons of oil, the ship moved sluggishly. 飞机载着八百七十加仑汽油和四十加仑机油,缓慢地前进了。 来自英汉非文学 - 百科语料821
31 grassy DfBxH     
adj.盖满草的;长满草的
参考例句:
  • They sat and had their lunch on a grassy hillside.他们坐在长满草的山坡上吃午饭。
  • Cattle move freely across the grassy plain.牛群自由自在地走过草原。
32 sip Oxawv     
v.小口地喝,抿,呷;n.一小口的量
参考例句:
  • She took a sip of the cocktail.她啜饮一口鸡尾酒。
  • Elizabeth took a sip of the hot coffee.伊丽莎白呷了一口热咖啡。
33 trickle zm2w8     
vi.淌,滴,流出,慢慢移动,逐渐消散
参考例句:
  • The stream has thinned down to a mere trickle.这条小河变成细流了。
  • The flood of cars has now slowed to a trickle.汹涌的车流现在已经变得稀稀拉拉。
34 peculiar cinyo     
adj.古怪的,异常的;特殊的,特有的
参考例句:
  • He walks in a peculiar fashion.他走路的样子很奇特。
  • He looked at me with a very peculiar expression.他用一种很奇怪的表情看着我。
35 jot X3Cx3     
n.少量;vi.草草记下;vt.匆匆写下
参考例句:
  • I'll jot down their address before I forget it.我得赶快把他们的地址写下来,免得忘了。
  • There is not a jot of evidence to say it does them any good.没有丝毫的证据显示这对他们有任何好处。


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