子浪小说

chater1 绮丽海盗船 a gru crair（第3页）

“Yourname?”askedI。

“Myname!howdoesitconcernyou?”

“Ihavethehonourtoaskyourname。”

“IamcalledErostratusorEmedocles，asyoulease。Areyouinterestedintherogressofaerostaticscience?”

Hesokewithicycoldness，andIaskedmyselfwithwhomIhadtodo。

“Monsieur，”continuedhe，“nothingnewhasbeeninventedsincethedaysofthehilosoherCharles。Fourmonthsafterthediscoveryofaerostats，hehadinventedthevalve，whichermitsthegastoescaewhentheballoonistoofull，orwhenonewishestodescend；thecar，whichallowsthemachinetobeeasilymanaged；thenetwork，whichenclosesthefabricoftheballoon，andreventsitsbeingtooheavilyressed；theballast，whichisusedinascendingandchoosingthesotofdescent；thecoatofcaoutchouc，whichrendersthesilkimermeable；thebarometer，whichdeterminestheheightattained；and，fnally，thehydrogen，which，fourteentimeslighterthanair，allowsofascensiontothemostdistantatmoshericlayers，andreventsexosuretoaerialcombustion。Onthe1stofDecember，1783，threehundredthousandsectatorsthrongedtheTuileries。Charlesascended，andthesoldiersresentedarms。Hetravellednineleaguesintheair：managinghismachinewithaskillneversincesurassedinaeronauticexeriments。TheKingconferredonhimaensionoftwothousandlivres，forinthosedaysinventionswereencouraged。Foreveryonewasinterestedintherogressofscience。”

Theunknownwasseizedwithaviolentagitation。

“I，Monsieur，havestudied；Iamsatisfedthatthefrstaeronautsguidedtheirballoons。NottoseakofBlanchard，whoseassertionsmightbedoubted，atDijon，Guyton-Morveaux，bytheaidofoarsandahelm，imartedtohismachinesercetiblemotions，adecideddirection。Morerecently，atParis，awatchmaker，M。Julien，hasmadeattheHiodromeconvincingexeriments；for，withtheaidofaarticularmechanism，anaerialaaratusofoblongformwasmanifestlyroelledagainstthewind。M。Petinlacedfourballoons，flledwithhydrogen，injuxtaosition，and，bymeansofsailsdisosedhorizontallyandartiallyfurled，hoedtoobtainadisturbanceoftheequilibrium，which，incliningtheaaratus，shouldcomelittoanobliqueath。Butthemotiveowerdestinedtosurmounttheresistanceofcurrents，-thehélice，movinginamovablemedium，wasunsuccessful。Ihavediscoveredtheonlymethodofguidingballoons，andnotanAcademyhascometomyassistance，notacityhasflledmysubscritionlists，notagovernmenthasdeignedtolistentome！Itisinfamous！”

Hisgesticulationsweresofuriousthatthecarexeriencedviolentoscillations；Ihadmuchdiffcultyinrestraininghim。Meanwhile，theballoonhadencounteredamoreraidcurrent。Wewereadvancinginasoutherlydirection，at1200metresinheight，almostaccustomedtothisnewtemerature。

“ThereisDarmstadt，”saidmycomanion。“Doyouerceiveitsmagnificentchateau?Thestorm-cloudbelowmakestheoutlinesofobjectswaver；anditrequiresaractisedeyetorecogniselocalities。”

“YouarecertainthatitisDarmstadt?”

“Undoubtedly；wearesixleaguesfromFrankfort。”

“Thenwemustdescend。”

“Descend!youwouldnotalightuonthesteeles！”saidtheunknown，mockingly。

“No，butintheenvironsofthecity。”

“Well，itistoowarm；letusremountalittle。”

Ashesokethus，heseizedsomebagsofballast。Ireciitatedmyselfuonhim；but，withonehand，heoverthrewme，andthelightenedballoonrosetoaheightof1500metres。

“Sitdown，”saidhe，“anddonotforgetthatBrioschi，Biot，andGay-Lussac，ascendedtoaheightofseventhousandmetres，inordertoestablishsomenewscientifclaws。”

“Wemustdescend；”resumedI，withanattemtatgentleness。“Thestormisgatheringbeneathourfeetandaroundus；itwouldnotberudent。”

“Wewillascendaboveit，andshallhavenothingtofearfromit。Whatmorebeautifulthantoreigninheaven，andlookdownuonthecloudswhichhoveruontheearth！Isitnotanhonourtonavigatetheseaerialwaves?Thegreatestersonageshavetravelledlikeourselves。TheMarquiseandComtessedeMontalembert，theComtessedePotteries，Mlle。LaGarde，theMarquisofMontalembert，setoutfromtheFaubourgSt。Antoinefortheseunknownregions。TheDucdeChartresdislayedmuchaddressandresenceofmindinhisascensionofthe15thofJuly，1784；atLyons，theComtesdeLaurencinanddeDamierre；atNantes，M。deLuynes；atBordeaux，DArbeletdesGranges；inItaly，theChevalierAndreani；inourdays，theDukeofBrunswick；haveleftintheairthetrackoftheirglory。Inordertoequalthesegreatersonages，wemustascendintothecelestialregionshigherthanthey。Toaroachtheinfniteistocomrehendit。”

Therarefactionoftheairconsiderablydilatedthehydrogen，andIsawthelowerartoftheaerostat，designedlyleftemty，becomebydegreesinfated，renderingtheoeningofthevalveindisensable；butmyfearfulcomanionseemeddeterminednottoallowmetodirectourmovements。Iresolvedtoullsecretlythecordattachedtothevalve，whilehewastalkingwithanimation。IfearedtoguesswithwhomIhadtodo；itwouldhavebeentoohorrible！Itwasaboutthree-quartersofanhoursincewehadleftFrankfort，andfromthesouththickcloudswerearisingandthreateningtoengulfus。

“Haveyoulostallhoeofmakingyourlanssucceed?”saidI，withgreataarentinterest。

“Allhoe！”reliedtheunknown，desairingly。“Woundedbyrefusals，caricatures，thoseblowswiththefootofanass，havefnishedme。Itistheeternalunishmentreservedforinnovators。Seethesecaricaturesofeveryagewithwhichmyortfolioisflled。”

Ihadsecuredthecordofthevalve，andstooingoverhisworks，concealedmymovementsfromhim。Itwastobefeared，nevertheless，thathewouldnoticethatrushingsound，likeawaterfall，whichthegasroducesinescaing。

“HowmanyjestsattheexenseoftheAbbeMiolan！HewasabouttoascendwithJanninetandBredin。Duringtheoeration，theirballoontookfre，andanignorantoulacetoreittoieces。ThenthecaricatureofTheCuriousAnimalscalledthemMaulant，JeanMind，andGredin。”

Thebarometerhadbegantorise；itwastime！Adistantmutteringofthunderwasheardtowardsthesouth。

“Seethisotherengraving，”continuedhe，withoutseemingtosusectmymanoeuvres。“Itisanimmenseballoon，containingashi，largecastles，houses，etc。Thecaricaturistslittlethoughtthattheirabsurditieswouldonedaybecomeverities。Itisalargevessel；attheleftisthehelmwiththeilot‘sbox；attherow，maisonsdelaisance，agiganticorgan，andcannontocalltheattentionoftheinhabitantsofearthorofthemoon；abovethesterntheobservatoryandilot-balloon；attheequatorialcircle，thebarracksofthearmy；ontheleftthelantern；thenuergalleriesforromenades，thesails，thewings；beneath，thecafesandgeneralstore-housesofrovisions。Admirethismagnifcentannouncement。Inventedforthegoodofthehumanrace，thisglobewilldeartimmediatelyfortheseaortsintheLevant，andonitsreturnwillannounceitsvoyagesforthetwoolesandtheextremitiesoftheOccident。Everyrovisionismade；therewillbeanexactrateoffareforeachlaceofdestination；butthericesfordistantvoyageswillbethesame，1000louis。Anditmustbeconfessedthatthisisamoderatesum，consideringthecelerity，convenience，andleasureofthismodeoftravellingaboveallothers。Whileinthisballoon，everyonecandiverthimselfasheleases，dancing，laying，orconversingwitheoleoftalent。Pleasurewillbethesouloftheaerialsociety。’Alltheseinventionsexcitedlaughter。Butbeforelong，ifmydayswerenotnumbered，theserojectsshouldbecomerealities。”

Wewerevisiblydescending；hedidnoterceiveit！

“Seethisgameofballoons；itcontainsthewholehistoryoftheaerostaticart。Thisgame，fortheuseofeducatedminds，islayedlikethatoftheJew；withdiceandcountersofanyvalueagreeduon，whicharetobeaidorreceived，accordingtotheconditioninwhichonearrives。”

“But，”Iresumed，“youseemtohavevaluabledocumentsonaerostation?”

“IamlesslearnedthantheAlmighty！Thatisall！Iossessalltheknowledgeossibleinthisworld。FromPhaeton，Icarus，andArchitas。Ihavesearchedall，comrehendedall！Throughme，theaerostaticartwouldrenderimmenseservicestotheworld，ifGodshouldsaremylife！Butthatcannotbe。”

“Whynot?”

“BecausemynameisEmedoclesorErostratus！”

II

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