On the 20th of October in the preceding year, after the close of the subscription¹, the president of the Gun Club had credited the Observatory² of Cambridge with the necessary sums for the construction of a gigantic optical instrument. This instrument was designed for the purpose of rendering³ visible on the surface of the moon any object exceeding nine feet in diameter.

At the period when the Gun Club essayed their great experiment, such instruments had reached a high degree of perfection, and produced some magnificent results. Two telescopes in particular, at this time, were possessed⁴ of remarkable⁵ power and of gigantic dimensions. The first, constructed by Herschel, was thirty-six feet in length, and had an object-glass of four feet six inches; it possessed a magnifying power of 6,000. The second was raised in Ireland, in Parsonstown Park, and belongs to Lord Rosse. The length of this tube is forty-eight feet, and the diameter of its object-glass six feet; it magnifies 6,400 times, and required an immense erection of brick work and masonry⁶ for the purpose of working it, its weight being twelve and a half tons.

Still, despite these colossal⁷ dimensions, the actual enlargements scarcely exceeded 6,000 times in round numbers; consequently, the moon was brought within no nearer an apparent distance than thirty-nine miles; and objects of less than sixty feet in diameter, unless they were of very considerable length, were still imperceptible.

In the present case, dealing⁸ with a projectile⁹ nine feet in diameter and fifteen feet long, it became necessary to bring the moon within an apparent distance of five miles at most; and for that purpose to establish a magnifying power of 48,000 times.

点击收听单词发音  

1 subscription
n.预订，预订费，亲笔签名，调配法，下标（处方）
参考例句：
We paid a subscription of 5 pounds yearly.我们按年度缴纳5英镑的订阅费。 Subscription selling bloomed splendidly.订阅销售量激增。

2 observatory
n.天文台，气象台，瞭望台，观测台
参考例句：
Guy's house was close to the observatory.盖伊的房子离天文台很近。 Officials from Greenwich Observatory have the clock checked twice a day.格林威治天文台的职员们每天对大钟检查两次。

3 rendering
n.表现，描写
参考例句：
She gave a splendid rendering of Beethoven's piano sonata.她精彩地演奏了贝多芬的钢琴奏鸣曲。 His narrative is a super rendering of dialect speech and idiom.他的叙述是方言和土语最成功的运用。

4 possessed
adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的
参考例句：
He flew out of the room like a man possessed.他像着了魔似地猛然冲出房门。 He behaved like someone possessed.他行为举止像是魔怔了。

5 remarkable
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。

6 masonry
n.砖土建筑；砖石
参考例句：
Masonry is a careful skill.砖石工艺是一种精心的技艺。 The masonry of the old building began to crumble.旧楼房的砖石结构开始崩落。

7 colossal
adj.异常的，庞大的
参考例句：
There has been a colossal waste of public money.一直存在巨大的公款浪费。 Some of the tall buildings in that city are colossal.那座城市里的一些高层建筑很庞大。

8 dealing
n.经商方法，待人态度
参考例句：
This store has an excellent reputation for fair dealing.该商店因买卖公道而享有极高的声誉。 His fair dealing earned our confidence.他的诚实的行为获得我们的信任。

9 projectile
n.投射物，发射体；adj.向前开进的；推进的；抛掷的
参考例句：
The vertical and horizontal motions of a projectile can be treated independently.抛射体的竖直方向和水平方向的运动能够分开来处理。 Have you altered the plans of the projectile as the telegram suggests?你已经按照电报的要求修改炮弹图样了吗?

10 purely
adv.纯粹地，完全地
参考例句：
I helped him purely and simply out of friendship.我帮他纯粹是出于友情。 This disproves the theory that children are purely imitative.这证明认为儿童只会单纯地模仿的理论是站不住脚的。

11 diminutive
adj.小巧可爱的，小的
参考例句：
Despite its diminutive size,the car is quite comfortable.尽管这辆车很小，但相当舒服。 She has diminutive hands for an adult.作为一个成年人，她的手显得非常小。

12 astronomer
n.天文学家
参考例句：
A new star attracted the notice of the astronomer.新发现的一颗星引起了那位天文学家的注意。 He is reputed to have been a good astronomer.他以一个优秀的天文学者闻名于世。

13 promptly
adv.及时地，敏捷地
参考例句：
He paid the money back promptly.他立即还了钱。 She promptly seized the opportunity his absence gave her.她立即抓住了因他不在场给她创造的机会。

14 determined
adj.坚定的；有决心的
参考例句：
I have determined on going to Tibet after graduation.我已决定毕业后去西藏。 He determined to view the rooms behind the office.他决定查看一下办公室后面的房间。

15 elevation
n.高度；海拔；高地；上升；提高
参考例句：
The house is at an elevation of 2,000 metres.那幢房子位于海拔两千米的高处。 His elevation to the position of General Manager was announced yesterday.昨天宣布他晋升总经理职位。

16 eastwards
adj.向东方（的），朝东（的）；n.向东的方向
参考例句：
The current sets strongly eastwards.急流迅猛东去。 The Changjiang River rolls on eastwards.长江滚滚向东流。

17 isthmus
n.地峡
参考例句：
North America is connected with South America by the Isthmus of Panama.巴拿马海峡把北美同南美连接起来。 The north and south of the island are linked by a narrow isthmus.岛的北部和南部由一条狭窄的地峡相连。

18 ERECTED
adj. 直立的，竖立的，笔直的 vt. 使 ... 直立，建立
参考例句：
A monument to him was erected in St Paul's Cathedral. 在圣保罗大教堂为他修了一座纪念碑。 A monument was erected to the memory of that great scientist. 树立了一块纪念碑纪念那位伟大的科学家。

19 apparatus
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。

20 surmount
vt.克服；置于…顶上
参考例句：
We have many problems to surmount before we can start the project.我们得克服许多困难才能著手做这项工作。 We are fully confident that we can surmount these difficulties.我们完全相信我们能够克服这些困难。

21 prodigies
n.奇才，天才（尤指神童）( prodigy的名词复数 )
参考例句：
It'seldom happened that a third party ever witnessed any of these prodigies. 这类壮举发生的时候，难得有第三者在场目睹过。 来自辞典例句 She is by no means inferior to other prodigies. 她绝不是不如其他神童。 来自互联网

22 accomplished
adj.有才艺的；有造诣的；达到了的
参考例句：
Thanks to your help,we accomplished the task ahead of schedule.亏得你们帮忙,我们才提前完成了任务。 Removal of excess heat is accomplished by means of a radiator.通过散热器完成多余热量的排出。

23 wrought
v.引起；以…原料制作；运转；adj.制造的
参考例句：
Events in Paris wrought a change in British opinion towards France and Germany.巴黎发生的事件改变了英国对法国和德国的看法。 It's a walking stick with a gold head wrought in the form of a flower.那是一个金质花形包头的拐杖。

24 cylinder
n.圆筒，柱(面)，汽缸
参考例句：
What's the volume of this cylinder?这个圆筒的体积有多少？ The cylinder is getting too much gas and not enough air.汽缸里汽油太多而空气不足。

25 savage
adj.野蛮的；凶恶的，残暴的；n.未开化的人
参考例句：
The poor man received a savage beating from the thugs.那可怜的人遭到暴徒的痛打。 He has a savage temper.他脾气粗暴。

26 mechanism
n.机械装置；机构，结构
参考例句：
The bones and muscles are parts of the mechanism of the body.骨骼和肌肉是人体的组成部件。 The mechanism of the machine is very complicated.这台机器的结构是非常复杂的。

27 herds
兽群( herd的名词复数 )； 牧群； 人群； 群众
参考例句：
Regularly at daybreak they drive their herds to the pasture. 每天天一亮他们就把牲畜赶到草场上去。 There we saw herds of cows grazing on the pasture. 我们在那里看到一群群的牛在草地上吃草。

28 volcanic
adj.火山的；象火山的；由火山引起的
参考例句：
There have been several volcanic eruptions this year.今年火山爆发了好几次。 Volcanic activity has created thermal springs and boiling mud pools.火山活动产生了温泉和沸腾的泥浆池。

29 accurately
adv.准确地，精确地
参考例句：
It is hard to hit the ball accurately.准确地击中球很难。 Now scientists can forecast the weather accurately.现在科学家们能准确地预报天气。

30 crab
n.螃蟹，偏航，脾气乖戾的人，酸苹果；vi.捕蟹，偏航，发牢骚；vt.使偏航，发脾气
参考例句：
I can't remember when I last had crab.我不记得上次吃蟹是什么时候了。 The skin on my face felt as hard as a crab's back.我脸上的皮仿佛僵硬了，就象螃蟹的壳似的。

31 nebula
n.星云，喷雾剂
参考例句：
A powerful telescope can resolve a nebula into stars.一架高性能的望远镜能从星云中分辨出星球来。 A nebula is really a discrete mass of innumerous stars.一团星云实际上是无数星体不连续的集合体。

32 decompose
vi.分解；vt.（使）腐败，（使）腐烂
参考例句：
The eggs began to decompose after a day in the sun.鸡蛋在太阳下放了一天后开始变坏。 Most animals decompose very quickly after death.大多数动物死后很快腐烂。