Chapter 10 Chapter 10: The Man in the Water

The person who said this promise was the captain of the ship. When Ned Land heard these words, he stood up immediately.The waiter, strangled half to death, saw his master beckon, and staggered out, showing no sign of his resentment towards the Canadians, which spoke of the captain's authority on the ship.Conseil couldn't help feeling a little strange, and I was also taken aback by fright. We waited silently for the outcome of this matter. The captain, leaning against a corner of the table with folded arms, watched us attentively.Is he not talking because he has concerns?Did he regret that he should have said those words in French?Let us imagine it this way.

Neither of us wanted to break the silence, and it took him a while to calm down.Said in a very moving voice: "Gentlemen, I speak French, English, German and Latin. I could have answered you when we first met, but I wanted to get to know you first and then think about it. You pass the facts through Repeated four times, the content is exactly the same, which makes me affirm your identity, I now know that by chance, I met Pierre Aronnas, a professor of biology at the Paris Museum, who had a mission to go abroad for scientific research Sir, his servant Conseil, and Ned Land, a Canadian, harpooner aboard the battleship Lincoln of the United States Admiralty."

I nodded in agreement.The captain asked me no questions, and I had no need to answer them.The man spoke French without difficulty, without any accent.He used the correct sentences, the vocabulary was appropriate, and he spoke fluently.But I always feel.I do not feel that he is my fellow Frenchman. He went on, and he said: "Sir, I am only now visiting you again, and you must think I have delayed a long time. The reason for this is that after I know your identities, I have to think carefully about what I should do." I'm hesitant to deal with you guys. The hardest part is that you're dealing with someone who doesn't interact with humans. You're disrupting my life..."

"It wasn't intentional," I said. "Isn't it intentional?" answered the man, raising his voice a little. "Isn't it intentional that the Lincoln was chasing me all over the sea? Wasn't it intentional that you boarded this ship? Didn't the boat do it on purpose? Didn't Master Ned Land harpoon my boat on purpose?" "I could see a kind of pent-up anger in those words. But I had a very reasonable answer to his questions, and I said: "Sir, you must not know anything about your Questions sparked debate in the Americas and Europe.Unbeknownst to you, various accidents have rocked two continents due to the collision of your submarine.Now I don't want to tell you about the countless assumptions people have made to explain the mysterious phenomena that only you know. , but you know that the Lincoln has been chasing you to the North Pacific Ocean.It is still considered to be chasing a sea monster, which must be removed from the ocean. "

A smile appeared on the captain's lips, and he replied in a more gentle tone: "Mr. Aronnax, are you sure that your battleship is not chasing submarines, but just chasing sea monsters?" This question makes it difficult for me to answer, because Captain Farragut certainly did not hesitate, and he must have believed that it was his duty to destroy such submarines as it was to strike the gigantic narwhals. "You know, sir," continued the man, "that I have a right to regard you as enemies." I deliberately did not answer.Because what's the point of discussing such topics when it's unreasonable?

"I have hesitated for a long time," continued the captain, "and I am under no obligation to receive you. If I were to leave you, I would not want to see you again. I would put us back on this ship that was your refuge." On the platform of yours, just dive into the sea as if you don't exist. Don't I have such a right?" "It may be the right of the savage," I answered, "but not of the civilized man." "Professor," replied the captain excitedly, "I am not what you call a civilized person. For reasons that I can only feel personally, I have cut off relations with the entire human society. Therefore, I do not obey the laws of human society. I hope you Don't bring these things up in front of me again."

This is very straightforward.There was anger and contempt in the man's eyes, and I could see that this man must have had an extraordinary experience in his life.He not only put himself outside the laws of mankind, but also made himself absolutely independent, free, and free from any constraints!Since he has defeated him in all fights on the sea surface, who would dare to go down to the bottom of the sea to chase him?What ship could take the onslaught of his submarine?No matter how thick the steel plate is, which ironclad ship can withstand the impact of its horn?No one can question what he did.If he believes in God, if he has a conscience, then only God.Conscience alone is the only umpire on which he can rely.

The above thoughts flashed through my mind very quickly. At that time, this strange person was silent and concentrated on thinking, as if he didn't pay attention to anything.I watched him with fear and curiosity as Oedipus watched the Sphinx. After a long silence, the captain spoke again, and said: "I hesitate, therefore, but I think my interests can be reconciled with that natural sympathy of man. Since fate has sent you here Come on, you stay on my boat. You are free on board, but in exchange for this kind of freedom—after all, it is relative freedom, I want you to agree to one condition, and all you have to do is verbally agree. "

"Go ahead, sir," I replied, "I think it must be a condition acceptable to a man of integrity." "Yes, sir, on that condition. It may be that by some accident I shall have to shut you up in your cabins for hours, or days. I will not use violence, I will I hope you will be absolutely obedient in this situation, as in any other. In doing so, everything is my responsibility and has nothing to do with you, because I don't want you to see what you should not see. You can accept Is this condition?" From this point of view, there must be very strange things on board, which should not be seen by people who obey the laws of society!It must, then, be one of the greatest surprises which may come upon me in the future.

"We accept," I replied, "but, sir, I ask your permission to ask you one question, and only one." "Speak, sir." "You said we were free on board, didn't you?" "Totally free." "I ask you, what kind of freedom do you mean?" "Liberty to come and go, to hear and see, and even to observe everything on board—except in some special cases—as we (my companions and I) have." Obviously, neither of us understood the other's meaning.Then I said again: "Excuse me, sir, but this freedom is only the freedom of the state to walk about in the prison! This freedom is not enough for us."

"But you should be content with this freedom." "What! shall we never see our country, our friends, our kin again?" "Yes, sir, this is just to make you no longer be bound by the world. This kind of bondage, people think it is freedom, and abandoning it, it will not be as uncomfortable as you think!" "My fellow!" cried Ned Land. "I can't guarantee that I won't try to escape later!" "Master Ned Land, I did not ask for your assurance," replied the captain coldly. "Sir," I said, I couldn't help getting angry, "you're a bully! You're so outrageous!" "No, sir, it's not brutality, it's mercy! You were my captives after the battle! I could have sent you down to the bottom of the sea with a single word, but I kept you! You attacked me!" You have stolen a secret that no one in the world should know, the secret of my life! Do you think I will send you back to lands that should never see me again? Never! Now I will keep you I'm here, not for you, but for myself!" It can be seen from these words that the captain is very stubborn, and no reason can change his prejudice. "Sir," I continued, "it seems that you are merely making us choose between life and death." "Exactly." "My friends have nothing to say on a question thus posed," said I, "but I declare that we are not now bound by any promise to the master of this ship." "Sir, you are not bound by any promises," replied the mysterious man. Then he said in a softer tone: "Now, allow me to finish what I want to say to you. Mr. Aronnax, I understand you. In fact, you may not complain as much as your companion. Chance to connect you with my destiny! Among the books I love to study, you can find your published work on the secrets of the sea. I read this book often. The knowledge of the earth can make you reach Yes, it has been achieved in your writings. But you have not yet understood everything, and have not seen everything. Let me tell you, professor, that you will never regret the time you spent on my ship. You will Will travel in a magical world. Shocked, strange, will be the usual state of your mind., The strange sights that are constantly presented to you will make you never get tired of watching. When I next travel around the underwater world, (maybe This is the last time, who knows?) and see everything I have studied under the bottom of the sea where I have traveled many times, and then you will become my companion in this scientific research. From this day on, you will Entering a world of new elements, you will see things that no one in the world has seen but me and my companions, and thanks to me our planet will give you its last secrets." I cannot deny that these words of the captain had a great effect on me, and hit my heart; and I forgot for a moment that the sight of these great things was no compensation for our lost liberty!I even thought of putting aside the question of freedom for later.So I just answered him like this: "Sir, although you have nothing to do with the human world, I don't think you have openly denied human emotions. We are the victims you kindly kept on your ship, and we will never forget your kindness." .As for me, if liberty can be forgotten in connection with science, I know very well that the meeting of the two of us may give me great compensation." I think the captain must shake hands with me to show that we are of the same opinion.But he doesn't.I feel so sorry for him. "One last question," I said to the mysterious figure when he wanted to back out. "Professor, tell me." "What should I call you?" "Sir," replied the captain, "to you I am only Captain Nemo, and to me you and your companions are but passengers of the Nautilus." Captain Nemo called, and a waiter came in.The captain gave some instructions in a language I could not understand.Then he turned to the Canadian and Conseil and said, "In your cabins, you are waiting for your meal. Please follow this man." "Well, I don't refuse!" replied the harpooner. So Conseil and he walked out of the small room where they had been imprisoned for more than thirty hours. "Mr. Aronnax, now that our lunch is ready, let me show you the way." "Captain, I am of course at your command." I followed the captain, and as soon as I was out of the room, I entered a corridor lit by electric lights, like the passage of a ship.After walking about ten meters, the second door opened in front of us. I then entered the dining room, which was furnished and furnished with great care. The small dining room had tall oak sideboards inlaid with ebony friezes at each end, and on the shelf partitions gleaming earthenware and china of inestimable value. ,Glass product.The gold and silver tableware gleamed brilliantly in the light that poured down from the ceiling, which was softened and pleasing to the eye by delicate pictures painted on the ceiling. In the middle of the dining room was a table of sumptuous dishes.Captain Nemo showed me where to sit.He said to me: "Please sit down, please eat, you haven't eaten for a long time, please don't be polite." The lunch consisted of several dishes, all from the sea, some of which were meat dishes, the nature and origin of which I scarcely knew.I admit that these foods are very good, although there is a special taste, but I am used to it.These various dishes all seemed to be rich in phosphorus, so I thought they must all be products of the sea. Captain Nemo looked at me.I didn't ask him, but he guessed what was on my mind, and he took the initiative to answer the questions I was eager to ask him.He said: "Most of these dishes you have never seen before. But you can eat them without fear. These dishes are very hygienic and nutritious. I stopped eating land food after a long time. My health isn't necessarily bad either. My crew—all strong and strong—feed the same food as I do. "So," I said, "are all foods seafood?" "Yes, Professor, the sea supplies me with all my necessities. Sometimes I cast down the trawl and bring it up when it is nearly full. Sometimes I go hunting in the middle of the sea where it seems impossible for man to go, and I chase those The game that lives in my underwater forest. My cattle, sheep, and livestock, like Neptune's old shepherd, graze on the vast underwater pasture without care. I have a huge property in the sea, This inheritance was sown by the hand of the Creator." I was a little surprised, and looked at Captain Nemo, and I answered him thus: "Sir, I am fully convinced that your nets will supply many of the fish on this table, and I understand how you hunt in your undersea forests, but I do not understand at all how you can have meat on your menu-- Although very little?" "Sir," replied Captain Nemo, "I never eat land animals." "But what is this?" I said, pointing to a few pieces of meat left on a plate. "Professor, do you think this is beef? In fact, it is just the rump of a sea turtle. This plate is dolphin liver. You may think it is stewed pork. My cook is a very capable cook, and he is good at preserving meat." Various products of the sea. Please try these dishes. This is a plate of canned sea cucumber, Malayans say it is the most delicious food in the world. This is butter cake, the milk used is from the teats of whales Squeezed out, the sugar is distilled from a great algae of the arctic sea: and finally I bid you taste this marmalade of autumn peonies, which tastes as good as the sweetest marmalade." I tasted them all, not so much from gluttony as from curiosity, while Captain Nemo told his incredible, half-true stories, which made me rapt.He said: "Monsieur Aronnax, this sea, this marvelous and inexhaustible source of life, not only feeds me, but also clothes me. You are now clothed in the foot of a shellfish. Made of silk, it is dyed with the red color that the ancients liked. It is also blended with the purple that I took from the Mediterranean nudibranch. The spices you see on the dressing table in the cabin are extracted from marine plants. You sleep My bed is made of the softest algae in the sea. The pens you use are the tentacles of whales, and the ink is the juice secreted by cuttlefish or squid. The sea gives me everything now, just as everything will be returned to it in the future!" "Captain, do you love the sea?" "Yes, I love the sea! The sea is all-encompassing! The sea occupies seven tenths of the earth's surface. The breath of the sea is pure and hygienic. In this vast sea, people are not alone, because they feel surrounded by themselves. Everywhere there is life quivering; the sea as a thing is the vehicle of a transcendent, divine existence; the sea is motion, the sea is love, and, as one of your great French poets said, it is life that lasts. Indeed , Professor, there are also three types of animals, plants, and minerals in the sea in nature. Animals can reproduce in large numbers in the sea, mainly including four types of coelenterates, three types of arthropods, five types of molluscs, and three types of vertebrates, namely Mammals, reptiles, and countless schools of fish. Fish is an endless order of animals... There are more than 13,000 species, only one tenth of which are in fresh water. The sea is the storehouse of nature. It can be said that the earth started from the sea. Who knows that the earth will not belong to the sea in the future! There is an extremely peaceful environment in the sea. The sea does not belong to the oppressors. On the surface of the sea, they can still use their violence to attack each other there. Devour each other there, and move there all the terrors on land. But thirty feet below sea level, their power will not reach, their arrogance will be extinguished, and their momentum will disappear! Ah, sir, if you want to live, live in the sea! Only in the sea can you be independent! In the sea the enemy will not recognize any master: in the sea I am completely free!" While Captain Nemo was speaking cheerfully, he suddenly stopped silent.Did he go beyond his usual silence, or did he talk too much?All of a sudden he was pacing up and down, agitated.After a while, his nerves calmed down, his face regained his usual indifference, and he turned to me and said: "Now, Professor, if you would like to visit our Nautilus, I would be at your service. I'll show you."