The Mysterious Island Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea by Captain Grant's Children

Chapter 78: Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea (9)
After a period of silence, the captain finally spoke,

"I am hesitant," he said, "but I think my interests can be reconciled with the natural sympathy of human beings. Since fate has brought you in my ship, stay in my ship." You have the right to move freely on the ship, but in exchange for this relative freedom, you must promise me a condition, as long as you agree verbally."

"Sir, please," I replied, "I suppose that's a condition a man of integrity can accept?"

"Sir is right. The condition is this: In the event of some unexpected event, I will confine you to your cabins for a few hours, or a few days, as the case may be. I will never Willing to use violence, I hope that in this case, more than ever, you will pledge absolute obedience. In doing so, I will take all responsibility and have nothing to do with you, because I don't want you to see that you should not What to watch. Can you accept this condition?"

That said, there are some oddities on board that no one obeying the laws of society should see!This must have been an extraordinary event, compared with the events that astonished me afterwards.

I replied, "We accept your terms. But, sir, allow me to ask you one question, and only one."

"Please, sir."

"You said we were free on board, didn't you?"

"Yes, completely free."

"I want to ask you, what do you mean by freedom?"

"Your freedom is exactly the same as that of our companions, that is, the freedom to walk back and forth, the freedom to hear and see, and even observe everything on board, except for certain special circumstances."

It was clear that we were not talking about the same thing, and had no real understanding of what the other meant.So I said again:

"I'm sorry, sir, but such freedom is nothing more than the freedom a prisoner can walk around in the prison! This freedom is not enough for us."

"But you should be content with such freedom."

"What did you say! Shall we never see our country, our friends and our relatives?"

"Exactly, sir. This is to let you get rid of those worldly shackles. What's wrong? Abandoning those shackles that bind you may not be as difficult as you imagined!"

Ned Land shouted: "Hmph, I can never guarantee that I won't find a way to escape in the future!"

"I didn't ask you to promise anything, Master Ned Land." The captain replied coldly.

Listening to his cold words, I couldn't help getting angry: "Sir, you are too arrogant! You are bullying others!"

"No, sir, you are wrong, I did not do this outrageously, but kindly! You have lost the war with me and are now my captives! I can send you to the bottom of the sea with just one word, but I Didn't do that but kept you guys! You attacked me! You got to know a secret that no one in the world should know, the secret of my whole life! You thought I was going to put you back, back in that no Should I know my whereabouts on land again? No! Never! Now I keep you here to protect myself, not to protect you!"

The captain's words showed that the decision he had made was unchangeable, and it was useless to say anything.

I said, "So, sir, you're just giving us a choice between life and death, aren't you?"

"Not bad."

"My friends have nothing to say on such a subject," said I; "but I declare that we are not now bound by any promise to the master of this ship."

"Yes, sir," replied the captain.

Then, in a more amiable tone, he said:

"Now, allow me to finish what I have to say to you. I know you, Monsieur Aronnax. You are not like your companions, and you may not understand the accident that unites your fate with mine. I will have no complaints. Among those books that I am fond of studying, you will find your published work on the secrets of the seabed, which I read frequently. As far as land science allows, you are in this book. It's in full swing in the book. But you don't know everything, and you haven't seen everything. Allow me to tell you, professor, that you won't regret the time you spent on board my ship. You will You will wander around some wonderful places, and you will see some strange scenery in front of your eyes, which will make you never get tired of seeing them again and again. Shock and surprise are the mental states you often have. When I travel around the underwater world next time, I will see it again Everything I have ever seen and studied. Of course, this may be the last time, no one can say. At that time, you will be my partner in research work. From today, you will walk into a brand new World, you will see things that no one in the world—except me and my companions—has seen, because with me our planet will dedicate its last secrets to you."

I admit that these words of the captain have greatly affected me, and my thoughts were just right by him. I suddenly forgot that it is not worth losing my freedom just to appreciate these marvelous things. Put the problem aside for the time being, and make plans later.So I answered him like this:
"Sir, although you have severed ties with the human world, I still believe that you have not completely abandoned human emotions. We are victims of the sea and were taken in by you with kindness. We will never forget this kindness As for myself, if the interest in science overwhelms the need for freedom, the chances of our encounter will be the best compensation for me."

I thought, the captain would definitely reach out and shake hands with me to express that our opinions are the same.But he didn't say anything, which I regret.

"One last question." I said as the mysterious man was about to leave.

"Please speak, Mr. Professor."

"What should I call you?"

"Sir," replied the captain, "you just take me for Nemo, Latin for "non-existent." Captain, I take you and your companions as if you were aboard the 'Nautilus'. passengers."

After speaking, Captain Nemo called out, and a waiter came in response.The captain said a few words to him in a language I could not understand.Then, turning to the Canadian and Conseil, he said to them:

"The meal is ready, follow this person to eat in your cabin."

"That, I am willing to accept," replied the harpooner.

So he and Conseil walked out of the small house where we had been locked up for more than 30 hours.

"Mr. Aronnax, now our lunch is ready, please allow me to show you the way."

"At your command, Captain."

I followed the captain out of the room, and then up a passage lit by electric lights, as is the case in ships.After walking about ten meters, a second door opened in front of us.

So I walked into the restaurant, which was very elegantly decorated and furnished.Tall oak sideboards, inlaid with ebony friezes, stood at either end of the little dining-room; on shelf partitions there were pieces of earthenware, china, and glass, gleaming and costly; The gold and silver tableware was brilliantly illuminated; the ceiling was painted with very beautiful pictures, which made the light softer.

There is a table in the middle of the dining room with a sumptuous amount of food.Captain Nemo pointed to where I should sit, and said to me:

"Professor, please sit down, you haven't eaten for a long time, please don't be polite, eat quickly."

There were several courses for lunch, all of which appeared to be rich in phosphorus, in various forms, so I thought they must all be products of the sea.There were also several meat dishes, the nature and provenance of which I could not say at all.These dishes have a peculiar taste, but I am used to it, and, I have to admit, the food is very good.

Captain Nemo looked at me.I didn't ask anything, but he guessed what I was thinking, and he took the initiative to answer the question I was eager to ask him.He said:
"Most of these dishes are things you haven't seen before. But don't worry, these dishes are hygienic and nutritious, and you can eat them with confidence. I haven't eaten land food for a long time, and my body Healthy as ever. My crew eats the same food as I do, and every one of them is in good health."

"So the food is all from the sea?" I asked.

"You are right, Professor, for all our necessities are supplied by the sea. I have a great estate under the sea, which was sown by the hand of the Creator. Sometimes the net is dragged behind the ship, and it is almost broken. I haul it up when it is time. Sometimes I hunt in the middle of seas that seem inaccessible to man, and chase the game that dwells in my underwater forests. My herds are as free as Neptune's old shepherd's live on that vast sea ranch."

I looked at Captain Nemo in some surprise, and said to him:

"Sir, your nets will supply many of the fish on this table, I am fully convinced, and I know something about how you hunt in your underwater forests. But how is there any meat in your dishes? Although There's just a tiny bit of it, and it's something that doesn't make sense to me."

Captain Nemo replied: "Sir, the sea has provided me with everything, and I have never eaten the meat of land animals."

I pointed to a few pieces of meat left on a plate and asked, "Then what is this?"

"Professor, did you mistook it for beef? It was just the tenderloin of a sea turtle. This plate is the liver of a dolphin. You might take it for stewed pork. My chef is ingenious and good at preserving all kinds of meat. Please try these dishes. This is a plate of canned sea cucumber, which Malaysians say is the most delicious food in the world. This is butter cake, the milk used is squeezed from the teat of a female whale Yes, the sugar is extracted from a large algae in the Arctic sea. Finally, I invite you to taste the anemone sauce, which is as delicious as the sweetest jam."

I tasted everything, not because of greed, but because of curiosity. Captain Nemo told me his unbelievable, mysterious and miraculous stories, and I listened with great interest.He said:
"Mr. Aronnax, the sea has not only provided me with food, but also with clothes. It is a miraculous and inexhaustible source of life. The fabric of the clothes you are wearing now is made of a shellfish. Woven from silk, dyed the crimson red that the ancients loved, mixed with the purple I took from the Mediterranean nudibranchs. On the vanity table in your cabin, there is a spice on it, which is from sea plants Extracted. The softest and softest seaweed in the sea is made of the bed you sleep in now. The pen you use is made of whale tentacles, and the ink is the juice secreted by cuttlefish or squid. Now, everything I have comes from the sea , I will return them all one day!"

"Captain, do you love the sea very much?"

"Yes, I love the sea very much! The sea is everything. It can cover everything and cover seven-tenths of the earth. The breath of the sea is fresh and healthy. The sea is vast and vast, and people will not feel lonely here. There is life quivering all around; the sea is a supernatural and miraculous carrier of life, it is movement, it is love, and, as a great French poet said, it is life without end. In fact, Professor, The three kingdoms of nature are displayed here: the animal kingdom, the plant kingdom, and the mineral kingdom. The animal kingdom is widely represented in the sea, and it can reproduce in large numbers. There are mainly four types of coelenterates and three types of arthropods. Animals, five types of molluscs, three types of vertebrates, namely mammals, reptiles, and countless groups of fish. Fish is the most diverse among animals, with a total of more than 3000 species, of which only ten appear in fresh water The sea is a treasure house of nature. It can be said that the sea first existed on the earth, and the earth started from the sea. Who dares to say that it will not belong to the sea in the future! The sea does not belong to the oppressor, and the environment in the sea is extremely peaceful Yes. On the surface of the sea, tyrants may exercise those most unjust powers, where they fight and devour each other, and bring to the surface all the terrors of the land. But thirty feet below the surface, Their arrogance is extinguished, their power has no effect, and their power has disappeared without a trace! Ah, sir, if you want to live, choose to live in the sea! There is nothing here Master, I am completely free! Man is independent only here!"

When Captain Nemo was speaking with great interest, he suddenly stopped talking.Did he get carried away for a while and lost his habitual reserve, or did he feel that he had talked too much?For a while, he just kept walking back and forth like that, looking very excited.After a while, he finally calmed down, with a cold look on his face again, and he turned to me:

"Now, professor, if you would like to visit our 'Nautilus', I would like to show you."

"Nautilus"

Captain Nemo got up, and I got up and followed him.Opening the two doors at the back of the restaurant, I walked into a room about the same size as the restaurant.

This is a library.Tall red sandalwood bookshelves inlaid with copper wire are placed on the four walls of the library. There are layers of partitions on the bookshelves, and uniformly decorated books are neatly placed on them.Beneath the shelves there were settees, covered with sorrel hides, which were comfortable to sit on.There are several lightweight small tables next to the sofa, which can be moved freely and are used for reading.In the center of the library was a large table, upon which were laid out some pamphlets, and some old newspapers.Four frosted glass spheres are half-embedded in the vaulted ceiling, emitting soft electric light, bathing the whole room harmoniously.The library is well furnished.I could hardly believe my own eyes, and I felt a sincere admiration in my heart.

Captain Nemo lay down on the sofa.I said to him: "Captain Nemo, this library is so exquisite that it would add glory to a court even if it were placed on the mainland. It is really awe-inspiring to think of having such a library accompanying you under the sea." I was surprised."

"Professor, where else can you find such a peaceful and clean place?" Captain Nemo replied proudly, "Can your studio in the Natural History Museum provide you with such a quiet and comfortable environment?"

"Of course not, sir. Besides, compared with your library, my studio is really shabby. You have six or seven thousand books here..."

"There are twelve thousand copies, Monsieur Aronnax. This is my only connection with the land. From the day my Nautilus went underwater, that world has ceased to exist for me. On that day I bought the last pamphlets, the last dailies, the last books, and since then I have believed that man has no thoughts and no writings. Professor, these books are at your disposal, You can use it however you want, as you please.”

I thanked Captain Nemo and went to the bookshelf.There are many scientific, philosophical and literary works written in various languages ​​on the bookshelves.But I don't see a single book on political economy, which seems to have been completely purged from the boat.One thing makes me feel very strange, all the books, no matter what kind of language, are not placed in different categories, but mixed together casually. Obviously, this method allows the captain of the "Nautilus" to pick out a book at will and read it. Can read fluently.

Among these books, I found the masterpieces of ancient and modern masters, the best works that mankind has accumulated and created over the years in history, poetry, fiction and science, from Homer to Victor Hugo, from Zynophon To Michelle, from Rabelais to Mrs. George Sand, it's all there.The most precious part of this library is the scientific books, including mechanics, ballistics, marine cartography, meteorology, geography, geology, etc. These books occupy no less place than books on natural science, I understand The captain relied on these books for his research.I saw the complete works of Humberle, the complete works of Arago, and Vogel, Henry St. Clé de Verchassel, Mill Edward, Catfarge, Dundal, Faraday, Bertlot, Abbey of Xercy The books of the Chief, Petelman, Major Morley, Agassiz, etc. are also placed on the bookshelves; there are also papers of the Academy of Sciences, journals of the National Geographical Societies, etc. on the bookshelves.Two of my books are also prominently displayed.I think it was probably because of these two books that I was able to receive Captain Nemo's rather lenient reception.In Bertrand's writings, his "Founders of Astronomy" even gave me a specific date for the construction of this ship. I know that the publication time of this book is 1865, so it can be deduced, "The time to launch is after this period.So Captain Nemo lived under the sea for no more than three years.I wish very much that more recent books would allow me to further establish the time when Captain Nemo began his life under the sea.But I think I will have time to do research on this matter, and now I want to take a good tour on the "Nautilus" and see the wonderful things on it.

I said to the captain: "Sir, this is a treasure house of science. Thank you for allowing me to use these books casually. I will definitely learn more here."

Captain Nemo replied: "This room is not only a library, but also a smoking room."

"What? Smoking room?" I exclaimed in surprise. "You mean smoking is allowed on this ship?"

"Of course, you can smoke."

"Now, sir, I cannot but think that you are connected with Havana."

While handing me a cigar, the captain replied: "There is no connection at all! Mr. Aronnax, although this cigar is not from Havana, if you are an expert, you will be satisfied. You can smoke it."

(End of this chapter)