a journey in other worlds-第13章

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〃Do　you　know；　Bearwarden；〃　said　Secretary　Deepwaters；　〃I'm　afraid
when　we　have　this　millennium　of　climate　every　one　will　be　so　well
satisfied　that　our　friend　here　（pointing　to　Secretary　Stillman
with　his　thumb）　will　have　nothing　to　do。〃
　　　
〃I　have　sometimes　thought　some　of　the　excitement　will　be　gone；
and　the　struggle　of　the　'survival　of　the　fittest'　will　become
less　problematical；〃　said　Bearwarden。
　　　
〃The　earth　seems　destined　to　have　a　calm　old　age；〃　said
Cortlandt；　〃unless　we　can　look　to　the　Cabinet　to　prevent　it。〃
　　　
〃This　world　will　soon　be　a　dull　place。　　I　wish　we　could　leave　it
for　a　change；〃　said　Ayrault。　　〃I　don't　mean　forever；　of　course；
but　just　as　people　have　grown　tired　of　remaining　like　plants　in
the　places　in　which　they　grew。　　Alan　has　been　a　caterpillar　for
untold　ages；　can　he　not　become　the　butterfly？〃
　　　
〃Since　we　have　found　out　how　to　straighten　the　axis；〃　said
Deepwaters；　〃might　we　not　go　one　better；　and　improve　the　orbit　as
well？increase　the　difference　between　aphelion　and　perihelion；
and　give　those　that　still　like　a　changing　climate　a　chance；　while
incidentally　we　should　see　more　of　the　worldI　mean　the　solar
systemand；　by　enlarging　the　parallax；　be　able　to　measure　the
distance　of　a　greater　number　of　fixed　stars。　　Put　your　helm　hard
down　and　shout　'Hard…a…lee！'　　You　see；　there　is　nothing　simpler。　
You　keep　her　off　now；　and　six　months　hence　you　let　her　luff。〃
　　　
〃That's　an　idea！〃　said　Bearwarden。　　〃Our　orbit　could　be　enough
like　that　of　a　comet　to　cross　the　orbits　of　both　Venus　and　Mars；
and　the　climatic　extremes　would　not　be　inconvenient。　　The　whole
earth　being　simultaneously　warmed　or　cooled；　there　would　be　no
equinoctials　or　storms　resulting　from　changes　on　one　part　of　the
surface　from　intense　heat　to　intense　cold；　every　part　would　have
a　twelve…hour　day　and　night；　and　none　would　be　turned　towards　or
from　the　sun　for　six　months　at　a　time；　for；　however　eccentric　the
orbit；　we　should　keep　the　axis　absolutely　straight。　　At
perihelion　there　would　simply　be　increased　evaporation　and　clouds
near　the　equator；　which　would　shield　those　regions　from　the　sun；
only　to　disappear　again　as　the　earth　receded。
　　　
〃The　only　trouble；〃　said　Cortlandt；　〃is　that　we　should　have　no
fulcrum。　　Straightening　the　axis　is　simple　enough；　for　we　have
the　attraction　of　the　sun　with　which　to　work；　and　we　have　but　to
increase　it　at　one　end　while　decreasing　it　at　the　other；　and
change　this　as　the　poles　change　their　inclination　towards　the
sun；　to　bring　it　about。　　If　a　comet　with　a　sufficiently　large
head　would　but　come　along　and　retard　us；　or　opportunely　give　us　a
pull；　or　if　we　could　increase　the　attraction　of　the　other　planets
for　us；　or　decrease　it　at　times；　it　might　be　done。　　If　the　force；
the　control　of　which　was　discovered　too　late　to　help　us
straighten　the　axis；　could　be　applied　on　a　sufficiently　large
scale；　if　apergy〃
　　　
〃I　have　it！〃　exclaimed　Ayrault；　jumping　up。　　〃Apergy　will　do　it。　
We　can　build　an　airtight　projectile；　hermetically　seal　ourselves
within；　and　charge　it　in　such　a　way　that　it　will　be　repelled　by
the　magnetism　of　the　earth；　and　it　will　be　forced　from　it　with
equal　or　greater　violence　than　that　with　which　it　is　ordinarily
attracted。　　I　believe　the　earth　has　but　the　same　relation　to
space　that　the　individual　molecule　has　to　any　solid；　liquid；　or
gaseous　matter　we　know；　and　that；　just　as　molecules　strive　to　fly
apart　on　the　application　of　heat；　this　earth　will　repel　that
projectile　when　electricity；　which　we　are　coming　to　look　upon　as
another　form　of　heat；　is　properly　applied。　　It　must　be　so；　and　it
is　the　manifest　destiny　of　the　race　to　improve　it。　　Man　is　a
spirit　cursed　with　a　mortal　body；　which　glues　him　to　the　earth；
and　his　yearning　to　rise；　which　is　innate；　is；　I　believe；　only　a
part　of　his　probation　and　trial。〃
　　　
〃Show　us　how　it　can　be　done；〃　shouted　his　listeners　in　chorus。
　　　
〃Apergy　is　and　must　be　able　to　do　it；〃　Ayrault　continued。　
〃Throughout　Nature　we　find　a　system　of　compensation。　　The
centripetal　force　is　offset　by　the　centrifugal；　and　when；
according　to　the　fable；　the　crystal　complained　of　its　hard　lot　in
being　unable　to　move；　while　the　eagle　could　soar　through　the
upper　air　and　see　all　the　glories　of　the　world；　the　bird　replied；
'My　life　is　but　for　a　moment；　while　you；　set　in　the　rock；　will
live　forever；　and　will　see　the　last　sunrise　that　flashes　upon　the
earth。'
　　　
〃We　know　that　Christ；　while　walking　on　the　waves；　did　not　sink；
and　that　he　and　Elijah　were　carried　up　into　heaven。　　What　became
of　their　material　bodies　we　cannot　　tell；　but　they　were　certainly
superior　to　the　force　of　gravitation。　　We　have　no　reason　to
believe　that　in　miracles　any　natural　law　was　broken；　or　even　set
aside；　but　simply　that　some　other　law；　whose　workings　we　do　not
understand；　became　operative　and　modified　the　law　that　otherwise
would　have　had　things　its　own　way。　　In　apergy　we　undoubtedly　have
the　counterpart　of　gravitation；　which　must　exist；　or　Nature's
system　of　compensation　is　broken。　　May　we　not　believe　that　in
Christ's　transfiguration　on　the　mount；　and　in　the　appearance　of
Moses　and　Elias　with　himdoubtless　in　the　flesh；　since　otherwise
mortal　eyes　could　not　have　seen　themapergy　came　into　play　and
upheld　them；　that　otherwise；　and　if　no　other　modification　had
intervened；　they　would　have　fallen　to　the　ground；　and　that　apergy
was；　in　other　words；　the　working　principle　of　those　miracles？〃
　　　
〃May　we　not　also　believe；〃　added　Cortlandt；　〃that　in　the
transfiguration　Christ's　companions　took　the　substance　of　their
material　bodiesthe　oxygen；　hydrogen；　nitrogen；　and　carbonfrom
the　air　and　the　moisture　it　contained；　for；　though　spiritual
bodies；　be　their　activity　magnetic　or　any　other；　could　of　course
pass　the　absolute　cold　and　void　of　space　without　being　affected；
no　mortal　body　could；　and　that　in　the　same　manner　Elijah's　body
dissolved　into　air　without　the　usual　intervention　of
decomposition；　for　we　know　that；　though　matter　can　easily　change
its　form；　it　can　never　be　destroyed。〃
　　　
All　assented　to　this；　and　Ayrault　continued：　　〃If　apergy　can
annul　gravitation；　I　do　not　see　why　it　should　not　do　more；　for　to
annul　it　the　repulsion　of　the　earth　that　it　produces　must　be　as
great　as　its　attraction；　unless　we　suppose　gravitation　for　the
time　being　to　be　suspended；　but　whether　it　is　or　not；　does　not
affect　the　result　in　this　case；　for；　after　the　apergetic
repulsion　is　brought　to　the　degree　at　which　a　body　does　not　fall；
any　increase　in　the　current's　strength　will　cause　it　to　rise；　and
in　the　case　of　electro…magnets　we　know　that　the　attraction　or
repulsion　has　practically　no　limit。　　This　will　be　of　great
advantage　to　us；〃　he　continued；　〃for　if　a　projectile　could　move
away　from　the　earth　with　no　more　rapid　acceleration　than　that
with　which　it　approaches；　it　would　take　too　long　to　reach　the
nearest　planet；　but　the　maximum　repulsion　being　at　the　start　by
reason　of　its　proximity　to　the　earthfor　apergy；　being　the
counterpart　of　gravitation；　is　subject　to　Newton's　and　Kepler's
lawsthe　acceleration　of　a　body　apergetically　charged　will　be
greatest　at　first。　　Two　inclined　planes　may　have　the　same　fall；
but　a　ball　will　reach　the　bottom　of　one　that　is　steepest　near　the
top　in　less　time　than　on　any　other；　because　the　maximum
acceleration　is　at　the　start。　　We　are　all　tired　of　being　stuck　to
this　cosmical　speck；　with　its　monotonous　ocean；　leaden　sky；　and
single　moon　that　is　useless　more　than　half　the　time；　while　its
size　is　so　microscopic　compared　with　the　universe　that　we　can
traverse　its　great　circle　in　four　days。　　Its　possibilities　are
exhausted；　and　just　as　Greece　became　too　small　for　the
civilization　of　the　Greeks；　and　as　reproduction　is　growth　beyond
the　individual；　so　it　seems　to　me　that　the　future　glory　of　the
human　race　lies　in　exploring　at　least　the　solar　system；　without
waiting　to　become　shades。〃
　　　
〃Should　you　propose　to　go　to　Mars　or　Venus？〃　asked　Cortlandt。
　　　
〃No；〃　replied　Ayrault；　〃we　know　all　about　Mars；　it　is　but　one
seventh　the　size　of　the　earth；　and　as　the　axis　is　inclined　more
than　ours；　it　would　be　a　less　comfortable　globe　than　this；　while；
as　our　president　here　told　us　in　his