章一座移动暗礁1866年是不凡的一年,那一年海上发生了很多奇怪事件。好几艘船遇见一个长长的、发着光的庞然大物。这东西移动速度极快,没有固定的移动方向,也没有在海上什么地方落脚。这东西或许可以安无事地待在海上,要不是它干了那种不可原谅的事的话—它对过往船只造成危险。具体说来,它摧毁了英国有名船商丘纳德的一艘船。1867年4月,“斯科舍号”轮船的船体被某物刺穿,穿孔是一个等腰三角形。那船勉强安回家,但是它所遭受的破坏足以引起公愤,大家都要求除掉这个神秘海怪。当时我在美国。法国叫我参加前往内布拉斯加州荒地的一次探险,因为我当时担任巴黎自然历史博物馆的助理教授。到了3月底,我在纽约收拾行装,准备返回巴黎。 我了解很多关于神秘海怪的报道,各大报纸上都有。有些报纸上说,这海怪其实是失事船只漂浮在海面的,或者是一座会浮动的暗礁。但是,这些都无法解释,为什么有人亲眼看见它以很快的速度移动。有些报纸上则说,那是某种水下船只。但是,哪个能够在接近保密的状况下制造出如此惊人的一艘船呢?目的是什么?当然,每个都有可能。但是,各国似乎都一样关心这个危险的情势。我在纽约的时候,有几个人曾经此事咨询过我。终于,我在纽约先驱报上分享了我的观点。我仔细虑了每个推测,并一一作答。后我承认,我认为那是一只巨大的独角鲸。独角鲸能长到60英尺长,它有一颗长牙,据说能刺穿木船的侧板。我认为我们看见的那个物种有一般独角鲸的十倍大。我的推测引起了激烈的争论,但是我没有听到别人提出更好的想法。我承认我的推测刺激了“猎怪者”们。他们坚持认为应该对这怪物追踪到底,灭之而后快。美国筹划了一项猎杀独角鲸的任务。他们命令“亚伯拉罕? 林肯号”快速护卫舰前去完成这项任务,由司令官法拉格特负责指挥。 “亚伯拉罕? 林肯号”护卫舰离开布鲁克林码头前3个小时,我收到如下这封信:收件人:巴黎博物馆教授皮埃尔? 阿罗纳克斯地址:纽约第五大道宾馆尊敬的先生:如果您愿意参与“亚伯拉罕? 林肯号”护卫舰探险队的远征,美国将万分荣幸地邀请您代表法国助力此项任务的完成。此致,敬礼!j. b. 霍布森海军部部长尽管我未曾动过找独角鲸的心思,但是我立刻决定去。我叫来我的侍从兼助理孔塞伊,告诉他我们有2个小时的时间打点行装并上船。他非常镇定地遵从我的意思,只是问我该如何处理我那么多的收藏品。“宾馆会替我们保管好的。”我让他放宽心。“听从先生您的吩咐。”他说。我们到达“亚伯拉罕? 林肯号”的时候,正赶上护卫舰准备起航。法拉格特司令亲自迎接我,我很快被带到我的船舱—我觉得那里很舒适。然后,我们驶离港,众人在东河沿岸的各个码头欢送我们。chapter1a hifting reefthe year 1866 wa marked by trange event at ea. everal hi met with a long glowing object of enormou ize. the thing moved incredibly fat and had no et migration or patch of ocean in which to dwell.it might have been allowed to et in peace had it not done the one unforgivable thing—it endangered hi. and pecifically it damaged a hip owned by the famou englih hipowner cunard.in april 1867 the cotia wa truck by omething that pierced it hull with a neat hole in the hape of a perfect triangle. the hip limped home afely but the damage wa enough to bring about the public outcry to rid the ea of thi myteriou creature. at thi time i wa in the united tate. the french government had aked me to join an expedition to the badland of nebraka. thi wa becaue i wa an aitant profeor at the mueum of natural hitory in pari. by the end of march i wa in new york packing for my return to pari.i wa familiar with the torie of the myteriou ea creature. they filled every newpaper. ome aid the creature wa really floating debri from a wreck or a floating reef. but that hardly ened the high peed ome witneed.ome aid it wa ome kind of underwater boat but how could any country create uch an amazing craft in plete ecrecy? and to what pure?each country wa quetioned of coure. but every government eemed equally concerned about thi dangerou ituation.during my tay in new york everal people conulted me on the ubject. finally i did hare my opinion with the new york herald. i conidered each theory and reponded to it. finally i admitted that i believed the creature wa a giant narwhal. the narwhal can grow to ixty feet and ha a long tuk that ha been known to pierce the ide of wooden hi. i believed we were eeing a pecie ten time the normal ize.my theory wa hotly debated but i heard no better idea preented. i admit my theory added fuel to the “monter hunter.” they inited the creature be tracked down and eliminated.the united tate nned a miion to hunt the narwhal. the fat frigate the abraham lincoln wa called to fulfill the miion with mander farragut in charge.three hour before the abraham lincoln wa due to leave it pier in brooklyn i received the following letter: pierre aronnaxprofeor of the pari mueum fifth avenue hotel new yorkdear irif you would like to join the expedition of the abraham 94 lincoln the government of the united tate would take great pleaure in having you repreent france on thi miion.cordially yourj. b. hobonecretary of the navythough i had given no thought to chaing the narwhal i decided at once that i mut go. i called my ervant and aitant coneil and told him we had two hour to prepare and reach the hip. he agreed with plete calm only aking what to do with my many collection.“the hotel will keep them for u” i aured him.“whatever uit monieur” he aid.we arrived at the abraham lincoln a it wa preparing to leave. mander farragut weled me in peron and i wa quickly taken to my cabin which i found pleaant. we then left port a crowd cheered from the wharve lining the eat river.
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