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从地球到月球|From the Earth to the Moon

第十章　两千五百万个朋友与一个敌人|Chapter X One Enemy v.Twenty-Five Millions of Friends

属类： 双语小说 【分类】魔幻小说 -[作者: 儒勒-凡尔纳] 阅读：[2395]
美国南北战争结束后，巴尔的摩城大炮俱乐部（这是大炮发明家的俱乐部）主席巴比康提议向月球发射一颗炮弹，建立地球与月球之间的联系。法国冒险家米歇尔·阿当获悉这一消息后，建议造一颗空心炮弹，他准备乘这颗炮弹到月球去探险。
《 字+字- 行+行- 页+页- 字+字- 行+行- 页+页- 》
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美国公众对大炮俱乐部的事情，无论大小，都表现出浓厚的兴趣。他们每天都在关注委员会的讨论。这次伟大试验的最简单的准备工作、它涉及的几个数字、尚待解决的力学难题——总之，有关“它的进展”的一切情况——都是他们最感兴趣的。

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这时候，一个意外情况更加激发了公众对这次纯科学的试验的兴趣。

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大家都知道，巴比凯恩的计划使它的制订者赢得了很多的崇拜者和朋友。然而，有这么一个人，美利坚合众国各州中唯一的这么一个人，却起来反对大炮俱乐部的这种做法。他一有机会便对它进行猛烈的攻击。人的本性使得巴比凯恩对这唯一的一个人的反对意见比对所有其他人的赞扬声更加关注。其实，他很清楚这个反对意见的动机，知道这个唯一的敌对意见源自何方，知道它是出于个人恩怨且积怨甚深，他还知道它是从何种争强好胜的心态中萌发的。

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这个死缠着不放的敌人，大炮俱乐部主席从未与他谋过面。这反倒更好，否则狭路相逢，后果不堪设想。这个对手同巴比凯恩一样，也是一位科学家，生性狂妄自大、桀骜不驯，性格暴烈，是个十足的美国佬。人们称他尼科尔船长。他住在费城。

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人人皆知南北战争期间炮弹和铁甲之间的奇特的争斗：炮弹旨在穿透铁甲，而铁甲则下定决心不让炮弹穿透。从此，南北各州的海军就彻底地改变了。炮弹和铁甲在前所未有的激烈争斗中互不相让：炮弹变大变重，铁甲也在不断地加宽加厚。“梅里马克”号、“莫尼托”号、“田纳西”号、“威霍肯”号[30]在披上铁甲以防敌方炮火的攻击之后，也发射了一些巨型炮弹。事实上，它们在用它们不希望对方用以对付它们的方法来对付对方，而战争艺术就是建立在这个不朽法则上的。

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不过，如果说巴比凯恩是一位伟大的炮弹铸造者的话，那么尼科尔就是一位伟大的铁甲锻造者。一个夜以继日地在巴尔的摩铸造炮弹，而另一个则夜以继日地在费城锻造铁甲。巴比凯恩刚设计出一种新型炮弹，尼科尔便立刻发明一种新的铁甲。二人遵循着各自完全对立的观点在行事。大炮俱乐部主席毕生从事“穿洞”，而尼科尔船长则在竭力地阻止对方把他的铁甲打穿。幸好，这两位对国家极其有用的公民被五六十英里的一段距离隔了开来，这使得他俩永远无法相遇。现在，这两位发明家到底谁能胜过谁，人们尚不太清楚，因为双方都成绩不菲，难以定论。不过，说到底，似乎铁甲最终会败给炮弹。然而，资深人士仍心存疑虑。

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最近的一次试验，巴比凯恩的锥形炮弹面对尼科尔的铁甲简直是小巫见大巫了。那一天，费城的这位铁甲锻造者自以为胜券在握，就不把自己的对手放在眼里了。但是，当巴比凯恩用普通的六百磅炮弹代替前面的那些锥形炮弹，以非常适中的速度发射之后，尼科尔船长便败下阵来了。的确，这些炮弹虽然速度一般[31]，却能将用最好的金属锻造的铁甲击破、击穿，炸成碎片。

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竞争发展到这一地步，胜利似乎应属于炮弹了，但是，在战争结束的当天，尼科尔却发明了一种新型铸钢铁甲！这是铁甲中的一个杰作，它在向世界上所有的炮弹挑战。尼科尔船长把它运往华盛顿的炮兵靶场，挑衅大炮俱乐部主席前来比试比试。但是，巴比凯恩已经宣布了和平，不想去一比高下。

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于是，尼科尔火冒三丈，他扬言可以接受任何形状的炮弹，无论是实心的、空心的、圆形的还是锥形的，都不妨一试。可是，巴比凯恩不为所动，不愿比试，怕影响自己向月球发射炮弹计划的成功。

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尼科尔见对方如此执拗，非常气愤，便心生一计，他向巴比凯恩提出各种好处，以引诱他比赛。他提出把自己的铁甲放在离大炮两百码处。巴比凯恩仍然表示拒绝。那么，一百码如何？即使是七十五码也不参赛。

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“那就五十码吧，”尼科尔船长通过报纸叫板，“再近些也行，二十五码，而且，我就站在铁甲后面！”

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巴比凯恩回复说，即使尼科尔船长站在铁甲前面，他也不会开炮的。

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尼科尔得知对方这一回复，再也克制不住了，含沙射影地说对方在尽量掩饰自己的懦弱、胆怯；说对方完全是被吓破了胆才一再拒绝的；说那些炮手现在小心翼翼地躲在六英里以外打仗，是用数学公式来代替个人胆量的。

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对于尼科尔的这种种影射，巴比凯恩并没予以还击。他也许根本就没有听到对方的那些讽刺挖苦，因为当时他正在一门心思地计划他那伟大的创举呢。

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当巴比凯恩在大炮俱乐部做了他的那个著名的报告后，尼科尔船长已经是怒发冲冠，心情难以平复了。这其中还夹杂着一种极大的嫉妒和一种强烈的无力感！如何才能制造出一种比那九百英尺长的哥伦比亚大炮更好的东西呢？什么样的铁甲能够永远抵御一颗两万磅重的炮弹！一开始，尼科尔被这“轰天炮”吓住了，沮丧而无奈，但他随后便逐渐恢复镇静，决心粉碎对方所说的炮弹重量的提议。

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于是，他对大炮俱乐部的计划进行了猛烈的攻击，他写了许多信件，报纸倒也不拒绝为他发表。他努力证明巴比凯恩对重炮射击的基本原理一无所知。根据尼科尔的计算，让某一个物体产生每秒一万两千码的速度是绝对不可能的。他认为一发如此重的炮弹不可能穿透地球大气层！退一步讲，即使达到了这一速度，炮弹也抵御不了一百六十万磅火药燃烧后释放出来的气体的压力；而就算它抵御住了这个压力，那它至少也忍受不了这样高的温度。它一射出哥伦比亚大炮的炮口就会熔化，像雨点一般纷纷溅落，浇到那些冒冒失失的观看者的脑袋上。

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面对这些攻击，巴比凯恩连眉头都没皱一皱，仍然继续工作着。

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于是，尼科尔从其他方面对这个问题发起攻击。他认为，且莫说这一试验从各个方面来看都毫无意义，而且，它无论对将去参观这个该受谴责的试验的观众们，还是对处在这门该死的大炮周边的各个城市，都是极具危险性的。另外，他还指出，如果炮弹到达不了目的地——它绝对不可能到达目的地的——那它显然会落在地球上；而这么个大家伙，以它速度的平方加速坠落，必然会导致地球上的某个地方惨遭祸殃。因此，在此种情况之下，即使没有伤害到自由公民们的权利，政府也应该出面干涉，而不应为了某一个人的一时消遣而危及大众的安全。

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大家可以看到，尼科尔船长都夸大其词到了什么程度。但是，持有他这种观点的只有他一人。没有人相信他的不祥的预言。他未能从大炮俱乐部主席那儿夺走哪怕一个崇拜者，而后者甚至都不屑于反驳他的对手的那些观点。

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尼科尔走投无路了，他把自己的全部精力都搭了进去，但仍然未能赢得胜利，所以便决定用钱取胜。于是，他在《里士满调查报》上就此问题公开提出一系列的赌注，而且越赌越大。

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他打赌道：

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1.大炮俱乐部无法筹集到必需的资金，赌注一千美元。

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2.铸造一门九百英尺长的大炮不切实际，而且不可能成功，赌注两千美元。

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3.给哥伦比亚大炮装填火药是不可能的，硝化棉在炮弹的压力之下会自燃，赌注三千美元。

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4.一开炮，哥伦比亚大炮就会爆炸，赌注四千美元。

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5.炮弹飞不出六英里，而且在发射几秒钟之后便会落地，赌注五千美元。

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尼科尔船长因此为他那无法遏制的执拗下了巨额赌注，总计不少于一万五千美元。

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尽管赌注巨大，但五月[32]十九日，他还是收到了一封封了口的短笺，内容十分简单，就两个字：

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愿赌。

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巴比凯恩

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十月十八日于巴尔的摩

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The American public took a lively interest in the smallest details of the enterprise of the Gun Club. It followed day by day the discussion of the committee.The most simple preparations for the great experiment, the questions of figures which it involved, the mechanical difficulties to be resolved—in one word, the entire plan of work—roused the popular excitement to the highest pitch.

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The purely scientific attraction was suddenly intensified by the following incident：

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We have seen what legions of admirers and friends Barbicane’s project had rallied round its author. There was, however, one single individual alone in all the States of the Union who protested against the attempt of the Gun Club.He attacked it furiously on every opportunity, and human nature is such that Barbicane felt more keenly the opposition of that one man than he did the applause of all the others.He was well aware of the motive of this antipathy, the origin of this solitary enmity, the cause of its personality and old standing, and in what rivalry of self-love it had its rise.

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This persevering enemy the president of the Gun Club had never seen. Fortunate that it was so, for a meeting between the two men would certainly have been attended with serious consequences.This rival was a man of science, like Barbicane himself, of a fiery, daring, and violent disposition；a pure Yankee.His name was Captain Nicholl；he lived at Philadelphia.

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Most people are aware of the curious struggle which arose during the Federal war between the guns and armor of iron-plated ships. The result was the entire reconstruction of the navy of both the continents；as the one grew heavier, the other became thicker in proportion.The Merrimac, the Monitor, the Tennessee, the Weehawken discharged enormous projectiles themselves, after having been armor-clad against the projectiles of others.In fact they did to others that which they would not they should do to them—that grand principle of immortality upon which rests the whole art of war.

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Now if Barbicane was a great founder of shot, Nicholl was a great forger of plates；the one cast night and day at Baltimore, the other forged day and night at Philadelphia. As soon as ever Barbicane invented a new shot, Nicholl invented a new plate；each followed a current of ideas essentially opposed to the other.Happily for these citizens, so useful to their country, a distance of from fifty to sixty miles separated them from one another, and they had never yet met.Which of these two inventors had the advantage over the other it was difficult to decide from the results obtained.By last accounts, however, it would seem that the armor-plate would in the end have to give way to the shot；nevertheless, there were competent judges who had their doubts on the point.

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At the last experiment the cylindro-conical projectiles of Barbicane stuck like so many pins in the Nicholl plates. On that day the Philadelphia iron-forger then believed himself victorious, and could not evince contempt enough for his rival；but when the other afterward substituted for conical shot simple 600-pound shells, at very moderate velocity, the captain was obliged to give in.In fact, these projectiles knocked his best metal plate to shivers.

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Matters were at this stage, and victory seemed to rest with the shot, when the war came to an end on the very day when Nicholl had completed a new armor-plate of wrought steel. It was a masterpiece of its kind, and bid defiance to all the projectiles of the world.The captain had it conveyed to the Polygon at Washington, challenging the president of the Gun Club to break it.Barbicane, peace having been declared, declined to try the experiment.

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Nicholl, now furious, offered to expose his plate to the shock of any shot, solid, hollow, round, or conical. Refused by the president, who did not choose to compromise his last success.

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Nicholl, disgusted by this obstinacy, tried to tempt Barbicane by offering him every chance. He proposed to fix the plate within two hundred yards of the gun.Barbicane still obstinate in refusal.A hundred yards?Not even seventy-five！

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“At fifty then！”roared the captain through the newspapers.“At twenty-five yards！and I’ll stand behind！”

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Barbicane returned for answer that, even if Captain Nicholl would be so good as to stand in front, he would not fire any more.

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Nicholl could not contain himself at this reply；threw out hints of cowardice；that a man who refused to fire a cannon-shot was pretty near being afraid of it；that artillerists who fight at six miles distance are substituting mathematical formulae for individual courage.

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To these insinuations Barbicane returned no answer；perhaps he never heard of them, so absorbed was he in the calculations for his great enterprise.

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When his famous communication was made to the Gun Club, the captain’s wrath passed all bounds；with his intense jealousy was mingled a feeling of absolute impotence. How was he to invent anything to beat this 900-feet Columbiad?What armor-plate could ever resist a projectile of 20，000 pounds weight?Overwhelmed at first under this violent shock, he by and by recovered himself, and resolved to crush the proposal by weight of his arguments.

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He then violently attacked the labors of the Gun Club, published a number of letters in the newspapers, endeavored to prove Barbicane ignorant of the first principles of gunnery. He maintained that it was absolutely impossible to impress upon any body whatever a velocity of 12，000 yards per second；that even with such a velocity a projectile of such a weight could not transcend the limits of the earth’s atmosphere.Further still, even regarding the velocity to be acquired, and granting it to be sufficient, the shell could not resist the pressure of the gas developed by the ignition of 1，600，000 pounds of powder；and supposing it to resist that pressure, it would be less able to support that temperature；it would melt on quitting the Columbiad, and fall back in a red-hot shower upon the heads of the imprudent spectators.

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Barbicane continued his work without regarding these attacks.

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Nicholl then took up the question in its other aspects. Without touching upon its uselessness in all points of view, he regarded the experiment as fraught with extreme danger, both to the citizens, who might sanction by their presence so reprehensible a spectacle, and also to the towns in the neighborhood of this deplorable cannon.He also observed that if the projectile did not succeed in reaching its destination（a result absolutely impossible），it must inevitably fall back upon the earth, and that the shock of such a mass, multiplied by the square of its velocity, would seriously endanger every point of the globe.Under the circumstances, therefore, and without interfering with the rights of free citizens, it was a case for the intervention of Government, which ought not to endanger the safety of all for the pleasure of one individual.

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In spite of all his arguments, however, Captain Nicholl remained alone in his opinion. Nobody listened to him, and he did not succeed in alienating a single admirer from the president of the Gun Club.The latter did not even take the pains to refute the arguments of his rival.

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Nicholl, driven into his last entrenchments, and not able to fight personally in the cause, resolved to fight with money. He published, therefore, in the Richmond Inquirer a series of wagers, conceived in these terms, and on an increasing scale：

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No. 1（$1，000）.—That the necessary funds for the experiment of the Gun Club will not be forthcoming.

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No. 2（$2，000）.—That the operation of casting a cannon of 900 feet is impracticable, and cannot possibly succeed.

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No. 3（$3，000）.—That is it impossible to load the Columbiad, and that the pyroxyle will take fire spontaneously under the pressure of the projectile.

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No. 4（$4，000）.—That the Columbiad will burst at the first fire.

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No. 5（$5，000）.—That the shot will not travel farther than six miles, and that it will fall back again a few seconds after its discharge.

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It was an important sum, therefore, which the captain risked in his invincible obstinacy. He had no less than$15，000 at stake.

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Notwithstanding the importance of the challenge, on the 19th of May he received a sealed packet containing the following superbly laconic reply：

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BALTIMORE, October 19.

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Done.

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BARBICANE.

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序号 英文/音标 中文解释 更多操作

rousing

[’raʊzɪŋ]

adj.使奋起的;使感动的;使醒的,

intensify

[ɪn’tensɪfaɪ]

vt.增强;强化;加剧

Philadelphia

[ˌfilə’delfjə]

n.费城

immortality

[ˌɪmɔː’tæləti]

n.不朽;永生

competent

[’kɒmpɪtənt]

adj.有能力的;足够的;胜任的

shiver

[’ʃɪvə(r)]

v.颤动;发抖

Polygon

[’pɒlɪɡən]

n.多边形

conical

[’kɒnɪkl]

adj.圆锥体的

refusal

[rɪ’fjuːzl]

n.拒绝;回绝

roar

[rɔː(r)]

v.吼叫;咆哮

mathematical

[ˌmæθə’mætɪkl]

adj.数学的

projectile

[prə’dʒektaɪl]

a. (适合)抛射的，发射的;

imprudent

[ɪm’pruːdnt]

adj.轻率的;不谨慎的

velocity

[və’lɒsəti]

n.速度;迅速;速率

refute

[rɪ’fjuːt]

vt.驳斥;反驳;驳倒

wager

[’weɪdʒə(r)]

n.赌注;打赌

impracticable

[ɪm’præktɪkəbl]

adj.不切实际的;不可行的

stake

[steɪk]

n.桩;赌注;利害关系

laconic

[lə’kɒnɪk]

adj.简洁的;言简意赅的

BALTIMORE

[ˈbɔːltɪmɔː*]

n.巴尔的摩 (美国城市)

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