The Purchase of the North Pole
 小说分类
选择字号：【大】【中】【小】
关灯
护眼
CHAPTER IX. SULPHURIC ALCIDE.

关注小说网官方公众号（noveltingroom），原版名著免费领。


 Such were the advantages promised by Barbicane’s changing the axis1 of rotation2—a change, however, which would only slightly affect the movement of our spheroid round the Sun. The Earth would continue to describe its orbit through space, and the conditions of the solar year would remain the same.
 
When the consequences of the change of axis were brought to the knowledge of the world, they caused extraordinary excitement. At first this problem of the higher mechanics received an enthusiastic welcome. The idea of having seasons of constant equality, and, according to the latitude3, “to suit consumers,” was very attractive. The crowd revelled4 in the thought that they could enjoy the perpetual spring which the bard5 of Telemachus accorded to the Island of Calypso, and that they could have the spring either fresh or mild. Where the new axis was to be seemed to be the secret of Barbicane, Nicholl, and J. T. Maston, which they were in no hurry to present to the public. Would they reveal it in advance, or would it be known after the experiment? It would be as well to say so, perhaps, as opinion began to show signs of anxiety in the matter.
 
One observation occurred naturally to the mind, and was at once commented on in the newspapers. By what mechanical means was the change to be produced, which evidently required the employment of an enormous force?
 
The Forum6, an important New York review, very justly remarked:—
 
“If the Earth did not turn on its axis, it is probable that a relatively7 feeble shock would suffice to give a movement of rotation round an axis arbitrarily chosen; but the Earth is like an enormous gyroscope moving at high velocity8, and it is a natural law that such an

点击收听单词发音收听单词发音  

1 axis sdXyz     
n.轴，轴线，中心线；坐标轴，基准线
参考例句：
  • The earth's axis is the line between the North and South Poles.地轴是南北极之间的线。
  • The axis of a circle is its diameter.圆的轴线是其直径。
2 rotation LXmxE     
n.旋转；循环，轮流
参考例句：
  • Crop rotation helps prevent soil erosion.农作物轮作有助于防止水土流失。
  • The workers in this workshop do day and night shifts in weekly rotation.这个车间的工人上白班和上夜班每周轮换一次。
3 latitude i23xV     
n.纬度，行动或言论的自由(范围)，(pl.)地区
参考例句：
  • The latitude of the island is 20 degrees south.该岛的纬度是南纬20度。
  • The two cities are at approximately the same latitude.这两个城市差不多位于同一纬度上。
4 revelled 3945e33567182dd7cea0e01a208cc70f     
v.作乐( revel的过去式和过去分词 )；狂欢；着迷；陶醉
参考例句：
  • The foreign guests revelled in the scenery of the lake. 外宾们十分喜爱湖上的景色。 来自辞典例句
  • He revelled in those moments of idleness stolen from his work. 他喜爱学习之余的闲暇时刻。 来自辞典例句
5 bard QPCyM     
n.吟游诗人
参考例句：
  • I'll use my bard song to help you concentrate!我会用我的吟游诗人歌曲帮你集中精神！
  • I find him,the wandering grey bard.我发现了正在徘徊的衰老游唱诗人。
6 forum cilx0     
n.论坛，讨论会
参考例句：
  • They're holding a forum on new ways of teaching history.他们正在举行历史教学讨论会。
  • The organisation would provide a forum where problems could be discussed.这个组织将提供一个可以讨论问题的平台。
7 relatively bkqzS3     
adv.比较...地，相对地
参考例句：
  • The rabbit is a relatively recent introduction in Australia.兔子是相对较新引入澳大利亚的物种。
  • The operation was relatively painless.手术相对来说不痛。
8 velocity rLYzx     
n.速度，速率
参考例句：
  • Einstein's theory links energy with mass and velocity of light.爱因斯坦的理论把能量同质量和光速联系起来。
  • The velocity of light is about 300000 kilometres per second.光速约为每秒300000公里。
9 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。
10 applied Tz2zXA     
adj.应用的；v.应用，适用
参考例句：
  • She plans to take a course in applied linguistics.她打算学习应用语言学课程。
  • This cream is best applied to the face at night.这种乳霜最好晚上擦脸用。
11 proceedings Wk2zvX     
n.进程，过程，议程；诉讼(程序)；公报
参考例句：
  • He was released on bail pending committal proceedings. 他交保获释正在候审。
  • to initiate legal proceedings against sb 对某人提起诉讼
12 catastrophes 9d10f3014dc151d21be6612c0d467fd0     
n.灾祸( catastrophe的名词复数 )；灾难；不幸事件；困难
参考例句：
  • Two of history's worst natural catastrophes occurred in 1970. 1970年发生了历史上最严重两次自然灾害。 来自辞典例句
  • The Swiss deposits contain evidence of such catastrophes. 瑞士的遗址里还有这种灾难的证据。 来自辞典例句
13 entail ujdzO     
vt.使承担，使成为必要，需要
参考例句：
  • Such a decision would entail a huge political risk.这样的决定势必带来巨大的政治风险。
  • This job would entail your learning how to use a computer.这工作将需要你学会怎样用计算机。
14 agitate aNtzi     
vi.(for,against)煽动，鼓动；vt.搅动
参考例句：
  • They sent agents to agitate the local people.他们派遣情报人员煽动当地的民众。
  • All you need to do is gently agitate the water with a finger or paintbrush.你只需要用手指或刷子轻轻地搅动水。
15 disdain KltzA     
n.鄙视，轻视；v.轻视，鄙视，不屑
参考例句：
  • Some people disdain labour.有些人轻视劳动。
  • A great man should disdain flatterers.伟大的人物应鄙视献媚者。
16 polytechnic g1vzw     
adj.各种工艺的，综合技术的；n.工艺(专科)学校；理工(专科)学校
参考例句：
  • She was trained as a teacher at Manchester Polytechnic.她在曼彻斯特工艺专科学校就读，准备毕业后做老师。
  • When he was 17,Einstein entered the Polytechnic Zurich,Switzerland,where he studied mathematics and physics.17岁时，爱因斯坦进入了瑞士苏黎士的专科学院，学习数学和物理学。
17 mathematician aoPz2p     
n.数学家
参考例句：
  • The man with his back to the camera is a mathematician.背对着照相机的人是位数学家。
  • The mathematician analyzed his figures again.这位数学家再次分析研究了他的这些数字。
18 algebra MKRyW     
n.代数学
参考例句：
  • He was not good at algebra in middle school.他中学时不擅长代数。
  • The boy can't figure out the algebra problems.这个男孩做不出这道代数题。
19 meridian f2xyT     
adj.子午线的；全盛期的
参考例句：
  • All places on the same meridian have the same longitude.在同一子午线上的地方都有相同的经度。
  • He is now at the meridian of his intellectual power.他现在正值智力全盛期。
20 bust WszzB     
vt.打破；vi.爆裂；n.半身像；胸部
参考例句：
  • I dropped my camera on the pavement and bust it. 我把照相机掉在人行道上摔坏了。
  • She has worked up a lump of clay into a bust.她把一块黏土精心制作成一个半身像。
21 distinguished wu9z3v     
adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的
参考例句：
  • Elephants are distinguished from other animals by their long noses.大象以其长长的鼻子显示出与其他动物的不同。
  • A banquet was given in honor of the distinguished guests.宴会是为了向贵宾们致敬而举行的。
22 prematurely nlMzW4     
adv.过早地，贸然地
参考例句：
  • She was born prematurely with poorly developed lungs. 她早产，肺部未发育健全。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • His hair was prematurely white, but his busy eyebrows were still jet-black. 他的头发已经白了，不过两道浓眉还是乌黑乌黑的。 来自辞典例句
23 reigned d99f19ecce82a94e1b24a320d3629de5     
vi.当政，统治（reign的过去式形式）
参考例句：
  • Silence reigned in the hall. 全场肃静。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
  • Night was deep and dead silence reigned everywhere. 夜深人静，一片死寂。 来自《现代汉英综合大词典》
24 followers 5c342ee9ce1bf07932a1f66af2be7652     
追随者( follower的名词复数 )； 用户； 契据的附面； 从动件
参考例句：
  • the followers of Mahatma Gandhi 圣雄甘地的拥护者
  • The reformer soon gathered a band of followers round him. 改革者很快就获得一群追随者支持他。
25 overtures 0ed0d32776ccf6fae49696706f6020ad     
n.主动的表示，提议；（向某人做出的）友好表示、姿态或提议( overture的名词复数 )；（歌剧、芭蕾舞、音乐剧等的）序曲，前奏曲
参考例句：
  • Their government is making overtures for peace. 他们的政府正在提出和平建议。 来自《简明英汉词典》
  • He had lately begun to make clumsy yet endearing overtures of friendship. 最近他开始主动表示友好，样子笨拙却又招人喜爱。 来自辞典例句
26 unintelligible sfuz2V     
adj.无法了解的，难解的，莫明其妙的
参考例句：
  • If a computer is given unintelligible data, it returns unintelligible results.如果计算机得到的是难以理解的数据，它给出的也将是难以理解的结果。
  • The terms were unintelligible to ordinary folk.这些术语一般人是不懂的。
27 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。
28 undertaking Mfkz7S     
n.保证，许诺，事业
参考例句：
  • He gave her an undertaking that he would pay the money back with in a year.他向她做了一年内还钱的保证。
  • He is too timid to venture upon an undertaking.他太胆小，不敢从事任何事业。
29 picturesque qlSzeJ     
adj.美丽如画的，（语言）生动的，绘声绘色的
参考例句：
  • You can see the picturesque shores beside the river.在河边你可以看到景色如画的两岸。
  • That was a picturesque phrase.那是一个形象化的说法。
30 jolt ck1y2     
v.（使）摇动，（使）震动，（使）颠簸
参考例句：
  • We were worried that one tiny jolt could worsen her injuries.我们担心稍微颠簸一下就可能会使她的伤势恶化。
  • They were working frantically in the fear that an aftershock would jolt the house again.他们拼命地干着，担心余震可能会使房子再次受到震动。
31 tune NmnwW     
n.调子；和谐，协调；v.调音，调节，调整
参考例句：
  • He'd written a tune,and played it to us on the piano.他写了一段曲子，并在钢琴上弹给我们听。
  • The boy beat out a tune on a tin can.那男孩在易拉罐上敲出一首曲子。
32 mere rC1xE     
adj.纯粹的；仅仅，只不过
参考例句：
  • That is a mere repetition of what you said before.那不过是重复了你以前讲的话。
  • It's a mere waste of time waiting any longer.再等下去纯粹是浪费时间。
33 flip Vjwx6     
vt.快速翻动；轻抛；轻拍；n.轻抛；adj.轻浮的
参考例句：
  • I had a quick flip through the book and it looked very interesting.我很快翻阅了一下那本书，看来似乎很有趣。
  • Let's flip a coin to see who pays the bill.咱们来抛硬币决定谁付钱。
34 diurnal ws5xi     
adj.白天的，每日的
参考例句：
  • Kangaroos are diurnal animals.袋鼠是日间活动的动物。
  • Over water the diurnal change in refraction is likely to be small. 在水面上，折光的周日变化可能是很小的。
35 corps pzzxv     
n.(通信等兵种的)部队；(同类作的)一组
参考例句：
  • The medical corps were cited for bravery in combat.医疗队由于在战场上的英勇表现而受嘉奖。
  • When the war broke out,he volunteered for the Marine Corps.战争爆发时，他自愿参加了海军陆战队。
36 lengthy f36yA     
adj.漫长的，冗长的
参考例句：
  • We devoted a lengthy and full discussion to this topic.我们对这个题目进行了长时间的充分讨论。
  • The professor wrote a lengthy book on Napoleon.教授写了一部有关拿破仑的巨著。

分享到：


返回目录

英语听力 |  手机版  |  网页版
©英文小说网 2005-2010