Chapter1 绮丽海盗船 A Gorgeous Corsair（第1页）

Chapter1绮丽海盗船AGeousCorsair

空中历险记AVoyageinaBalloon

儒勒·凡尔纳JulesVerne

儒勒·凡尔纳（JulesVerne，1828—1905），法国著名科幻小说家、冒险小说家。1863年，他凭总名称为《在已知和未知世界中的奇异漫游》的系列作品集一举成名，这进一步地激发了他的创作热情。他一生中共创作了66部小说，其中《格兰特船长的儿女》《海底两万里》《神秘岛》《环游地球80天》等风靡全球，成为家喻户晓的作品。他以其大量著作和突出贡献，被誉为“现代科学幻想小说之父”。

I

IhofSeptember，1850，IarrivedatFrankfort-on-the-Maine。Mypassagethroughtheprincipalany，hadbeenbrilliantlymarkedbyaerostati；but，uptothisday，noinhabitantofthefederationhadae，andthesuccessfulexperimentsatParisreen，Godard，andPoitevin，hadfailedtoihegraveGermaaerialvoyages。

Meanwhile，hardlyhadtheneroagascirculatedthroughoutFrankfort，thanthreepersohefavourofapawodaysafter，weweretoasthePlacedelaédie。Iimmediatelyoccupiedmyselfwiththepreparations。Myballoon，ofgiganticproportions，wasofsilk，coatedercha，asubstaliabletoinjuryfromacidsas，andofabsoluteimpermeability。Sreheisofperilousdests。

ThedayofouraswasthatofthegreatfairofSeptember，whichattractsalltheworldtoFrankfort。Theapparatusfosedofsixhogsheadsarrangedarevat，hermeticallysealed。Thehydrogengas，evolvedbythetactofwaterwithironandsulphuricacid，passedfromthefrstreservoirstothesedtheheimmenseglobe，whichwasthusgraduallyihesepreparatiohem，andabout11oclock，theballooersfull；suffitlyso；foraswerise，theatmosphericlayersdimiy，andthegas，edwithi，agmoreelasticity，mightotherwiseburstitsenvelope。Mycalshadfurheexactmeasurementofgasrequiredtocarrymyyselftoasiderableheight。

&oasoon。Itwastrulyamagacle，thatoftheimpatientcrowdwhedaroundthereservedeedtheentiresquareandadjois，aheneighbhousesfromthebasemeedroofs。Thehighwindsofpastdayshadlulled，andawasradiatingfromaabreathamosphere。Iher，odestheveryspothehadleft。

Icarriedthreehundredpoundsofballast，inbags；thecar，perfed，fourfeetihreefeeti，wastlyattached；thecordwhieditwassymmetricallyexteheupperhemisphereoftheaerostat；thepasswasinitsplace，thebarometersuspeheironhoopwhidedthesuppcord，atadistaabovethechorcarefullyprepared，allwasinreadinessforourdeparture。

Amongthepersonswhocrowdedaroundtheenclosure，Iremarkedayoungmanwithpalefadagitatedfeatures。Iwasstruckearance。HehadbeenanassiduousspeyassiiesofGermany。Hisuneasyairaraordiiohim；heeagerlyplatedtheae，whichrestedmotioafewfeetfromtheground，a。

&rucktwelve！Thiswasthehour。Mypanionshadnotappeared。Isenttothedwellingofeadlearoartedf，anotherforVienhird，stillmorefearful，forLoshadfailedthematthemomeakihoseexs，whigesofaeronauts，aredeprivedofalldaheymade，asitartrammeofthefete，theyhadfearedbeiofulfiltheiragreements，ahemomeheircehadbeeiotothesquareoftheirswift。

&huspartlydisappoiingwithangerandimpatience。Ididoase。Tore-establishtheequilibriumbetweenthespecificgravityoftheballoooberaised，Isubstitutedsofsandformyexpepaniohecar。Thetwelvemenwhtheaerostatbytwelvecordsfasteorialcircle，letthemslipbetweentheirfhecarroseafewfeetabovethegrouabreathofwind，amosphere，heavyaslead，seemedinsurmountable。

“Allisready！”exclaimedI，“attention！”

Themehemselves；alastglanethateverythingwasright。

&ion！”

Therewassomemovementinthecrowdwhichseemedtobeinvadingthereservedenclosure。

&go！”

Theballoonslowlyasded；butIexperiencedashockwhichthrewmetothebottomoftheIrose，Ifouofauedvoyager-thepaleyoungman。

“Monsieur，Isaluteyou！”saidhetome。

“Bywhatright?”

“AmIhere?Bytherightofyourinabilitytotur。”

Iwasded。Hisassurane；andIhadnothingtosayinreply。Ilookedathim，buthepaidomyasto。Heued：

“Myweightwilldisturbyourequilibrium，Monsieur：willyoupermitme?”

Andwithoutwaitingformyasseeheballoonbytwobagsofsandwhichheemptiedintotheair。

“Monsieur，”saidI，takingtheonlypossiblecourse，“youarehere，well!youaiomealohemaheaerostat。”

“Monsieur，”repliedhe，“yoururbairelyFrenetrywithmyself！Ipressinimaginationthehandwhichyourefuseme。Takeyourmeasures-actasitmayseemgoodtoyou；Iwillwaittillyouhaveended。”

“To。”

“Toversewithyou。”

&erhadfalley-sixiaiofaboutsixhures，ahecity；whichsatisfedmeofourpletequiesce，forIotjudgebyourmotionlessfags。hehorizontalvoyageofaballoon；itisthemassitwhichmoves。Akibathedtheobjededatourfeet，aheiroutlinesanindistiretted。Thehepassindicatedaslightteofoattowardsthesouth。

Ilookedagainatmypanion。Hewasamanofthirty，simplyclad；theboldoutlinesofhisfeaturesbetokeableenergy；heappearedverymuscular。Absorbediionofthissilentsuspension，heremainedimmovable，seekingtodistiswhichpassedbehhisview。

&iousmist！”saidhe，attheexpiratios。

Imadenoreply。