英语阅读英文原著At the Earths Core地心.docx

英语阅读英文原著At the Earths Core地心.docx

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英语阅读英文原著AttheEarthsCore地心

AttheEarth'sCore

byEdgarRiceBurroughs

PROLOGUE

InthefirstplacepleasebearinmindthatIdonotexpectyoutobelievethisstory.Norcouldyouwonderhadyouwitnessedarecentexperienceofminewhen,inthearmorofblissfulandstupendousignorance,IgailynarratedthegistofittoaFellowoftheRoyalGeologicalSocietyontheoccasionofmylasttriptoLondon.

YouwouldsurelyhavethoughtthatIhadbeendetectedinnolessaheinouscrimethanthepurloiningoftheCrownJewelsfromtheTower,orputtingpoisoninthecoffeeofHisMajestytheKing.

TheeruditegentlemaninwhomIconfidedcongealedbeforeIwashalfthrough!

--itisallthatsavedhimfromexploding--andmydreamsofanHonoraryFellowship,goldmedals,andanicheintheHallofFamefadedintothethin,coldairofhisarcticatmosphere.

ButIbelievethestory,andsowouldyou,andsowouldthelearnedFellowoftheRoyalGeologicalSociety,hadyouandhehearditfromthelipsofthemanwhotoldittome.Hadyouseen,asIdid,thefireoftruthinthosegrayeyes;hadyoufelttheringofsincerityinthatquietvoice;hadyourealizedthepathosofitall--you,too,wouldbelieve.YouwouldnothaveneededthefinalocularproofthatIhad--theweirdrhamphorhynchus-likecreaturewhichhehadbroughtbackwithhimfromtheinnerworld.

Icameuponhimquitesuddenly,andnolessunexpectedly,upontherimofthegreatSaharaDesert.Hewasstandingbeforeagoat-skintentamidstaclumpofdatepalmswithinatinyoasis.ClosebywasanArabdouarofsomeeightortentents.

Ihadcomedownfromthenorthtohuntlion.Mypartyconsistedofadozenchildrenofthedesert--Iwastheonly"white"man.AsweapproachedthelittleclumpofverdureIsawthemancomefromhistentandwithhand-shadedeyespeerintentlyatus.Atsightofmeheadvancedrapidlytomeetus.

"Awhiteman!

"hecried."MaythegoodLordbepraised!

Ihavebeenwatchingyouforhours,hopingagainsthopethatTHIStimetherewouldbeawhiteman.Tellmethedate.Whatyearisit?

"

AndwhenIhadtoldhimhestaggeredasthoughhehadbeenstruckfullintheface,sothathewascompelledtograspmystirrupleatherforsupport.

"Itcannotbe!

"hecriedafteramoment."Itcannotbe!

Tellmethatyouaremistaken,orthatyouarebutjoking."

"Iamtellingyouthetruth,myfriend,"Ireplied."WhyshouldIdeceiveastranger,orattemptto,insosimpleamatterasthedate?

"

Forsometimehestoodinsilence,withbowedhead.

"Tenyears!

"hemurmured,atlast."Tenyears,andIthoughtthatatthemostitcouldbescarcemorethanone!

"Thatnighthetoldmehisstory--thestorythatIgiveyouhereasnearlyinhisownwordsasIcanrecallthem.

I

TOWARDTHEETERNALFIRES

IwasborninConnecticutaboutthirtyyearsago.MynameisDavidInnes.Myfatherwasawealthymineowner.WhenIwasnineteenhedied.AllhispropertywastobeminewhenIhadattainedmymajority--providedthatIhaddevotedthetwoyearsinterveningincloseapplicationtothegreatbusinessIwastoinherit.

Ididmybesttofulfilthelastwishesofmyparent--notbecauseoftheinheritance,butbecauseIlovedandhonoredmyfather.ForsixmonthsItoiledintheminesandinthecounting-rooms,forIwishedtoknoweveryminutedetailofthebusiness.

ThenPerryinterestedmeinhisinvention.Hewasanoldfellowwhohaddevotedthebetterpartofalonglifetotheperfectionofamechanicalsubterraneanprospector.Asrelaxationhestudiedpaleontology.Ilookedoverhisplans,listenedtohisarguments,inspectedhisworkingmodel--andthen,convinced,Iadvancedthefundsnecessarytoconstructafull-sized,practicalprospector.

Ishallnotgointothedetailsofitsconstruction--itliesoutthereinthedesertnow--abouttwomilesfromhere.Tomorrowyoumaycaretorideoutandseeit.Roughly,itisasteelcylinderahundredfeetlong,andjointedsothatitmayturnandtwistthroughsolidrockifneedbe.AtoneendisamightyrevolvingdrilloperatedbyanenginewhichPerrysaidgeneratedmorepowertothecubicinchthananyotherenginedidtothecubicfoot.Irememberthatheusedtoclaimthatthatinventionalonewouldmakeusfabulouslywealthy--weweregoingtomakethewholethingpublicafterthesuccessfulissueofourfirstsecrettrial--butPerryneverreturnedfromthattrialtrip,andIonlyaftertenyears.

Irecallasitwerebutyesterdaythenightofthatmomentousoccasionuponwhichweweretotestthepracticalityofthatwondrousinvention.ItwasnearmidnightwhenwerepairedtotheloftytowerinwhichPerryhadconstructedhis"ironmole"ashewaswonttocallthething.Thegreatnoseresteduponthebareearthofthefloor.Wepassedthroughthedoorsintotheouterjacket,securedthem,andthenpassingonintothecabin,

whichcontainedthecontrollingmechanismwithintheinnertube,switchedontheelectriclights.

Perrylookedtohisgenerator;tothegreattanksthatheldthelife-givingchemicalswithwhichhewastomanufacturefreshairtoreplacethatwhichweconsumedinbreathing;tohisinstrumentsforrecordingtemperatures,speed,distance,andforexaminingthematerialsthroughwhichweweretopass.

Hetestedthesteeringdevice,andoverlookedthemightycogswhichtransmitteditsmarvelousvelocitytothegiantdrillatthenoseofhisstrangecraft.

Ourseats,intowhichwestrappedourselves,weresoarrangedupontransversebarsthatwewouldbeuprightwhetherthecraftwereploughingherwaydownwardintothebowelsoftheearth,orrunninghorizontallyalongsomegreatseamofcoal,orrisingverticallytowardthesurfaceagain.

Atlengthallwasready.Perrybowedhisheadinprayer.Foramomentweweresilent,andthentheoldman'shandgraspedthestartinglever.Therewasafrightfulroaringbeneathus--thegiantframetrembledandvibrated--therewasarushofsoundasthelooseearthpassedupthroughthehollowspacebetweentheinnerandouterjacketstobedepositedinourwake.Wewereoff!

Thenoisewasdeafening.Thesensationwasfrightful.Forafullminuteneitherofuscoulddoaughtbutclingwiththeproverbialdesperationofthedrowningmantothehandrailsofourswingingseats.ThenPerryglancedatthethermometer.

"Gad!

"hecried,"itcannotbepossible--quick!

Whatdoesthedistancemeterread?

"

Thatandthespeedometerwerebothonmysideofthecabin,andasIturnedtotakeareadingfromtheformerIcouldseePerrymuttering.

"Tendegreesrise--itcannotbepossible!

"andthenIsawhimtugfranticallyuponthesteeringwheel.

AsIfinallyfoundthetinyneedleinthedimlightItranslatedPerry'sevidentexcitement,andmyheartsankwithinme.ButwhenIspokeIhidthefearwhichhauntedme."Itwillbesevenhundredfeet,Perry,"I

said,"bythetimeyoucanturnherintothehorizontal."

"You'dbetterlendmeahandthen,myboy,"hereplied,"forIcannotbudgeheroutoftheverticalalone.Godgivethatourcombinedstrengthmaybeequaltothetask,forelsewearelost."

Iwormedmywaytotheoldman'ssidewithneveradoubtbutthatthegreatwheelwouldyieldontheinstanttothepowerofmyyoungandvigorousmuscles.Norwasmybeliefmerevanity,foralwayshadmyphysiquebeentheenvyanddespairofmyfellows.Andforthatveryreasonithadwaxedevengreaterthannaturehadintended,sincemynaturalprideinmygreatstrengthhadledmetocareforanddevelopmybodyandmymusclesbyeverymeanswithinmypower.Whatwithboxing,football,andbaseball,Ihadbeenintrainingsincechildhood.

AndsoitwaswiththeutmostconfidencethatIlaidholdofthehugeironrim;butthoughIthreweveryounceofmystrengthintoit,mybesteffortwasasunavailingasPerry'shadbeen--thethingwouldnotbudge--thegrim,insensate,horriblethingthatwasholdingusuponthestraightroadtodeath!

AtlengthIgaveuptheuselessstruggle,andwithoutawordreturnedtomyseat.Therewasnoneedforwords--atleastnonethatIcouldimagine,unlessPerrydesiredtopray.AndIwasquitesurethathewould,forheneverleftanopportunityneglectedwherehemightsandwichinaprayer.Heprayedwhenhearoseinthemorning,heprayedbeforeheate,heprayedwhenhehadfinishedeating,andbeforehewenttobedatnightheprayedagain.Inbetweenheoftenfoundexcusestoprayevenwhentheprovocationseemedfar-fetchedtomyworldlyeyes--nowthathewasabouttodieIfeltpositivethatIshouldwitnessaperfectorgyofprayer--ifonemayalludewithsuchasimiletososolemnanact.

ButtomyastonishmentIdiscoveredthatwithdeathstaringhiminthefaceAbnerPerrywastransformedintoanewbeing.Fromhislipsthereflowed--notprayer--butaclearandlimpidstreamofundilutedprofanity,anditwasalldirectedatthatquietlystubbornpieceofunyieldingmechanism.

"Ishouldthink,Perry,"Ichided,"thatamanofyourprofessedreligiousnesswouldratherbeathisprayersthancursinginthepresenceof

imminentdeath."

"Death!

"hecried."Deathisitthatappallsyou?

Thatisnothingbycomparisonwiththelosstheworldmustsuffer.Why,Davidwithinthisironcylinderwehavedemonstratedpossibilitiesthatsciencehasscarcedreamed.Wehaveharnessedanewprinciple,andwithitanimatedapieceofsteelwiththepoweroftenthousandmen.ThattwoliveswillbesnuffedoutisnothingtotheworldcalamitythatentombsinthebowelsoftheearththediscoveriesthatIhavemadeandprovedinthesuccessfulconstructionofthethingthatisnowcarryingusfartherandfarthertowardtheeternalcentralfires."

IamfranktoadmitthatformyselfIwasmuchmoreconcernedwithourownimmediatefuturethanwithanyproblematicloss