Chapter 5 Chapter 5 Uncle Reads the Parchment

I just had time to put the hapless file back on the table. Here came Professor Liedenbrock, still absorbed in his thoughts.His preoccupation prevented him from thinking of anything else; he had evidently studied and analyzed the matter, using all his imagination to do it during his walks; and was now back to try some new solution. So he just sat in his chair, pen in hand, and started writing out some formulas that looked like algebra exercises. I watch his trembling hands; I pay close attention to every movement he makes.Will he discover something surprising?I was trembling, but for no reason, since the really only answer had been found by me, and any other solution was obviously a waste of effort.

During the long three hours, my uncle just worked, without saying a word, without looking up, crossing out and redoing a thousand times, giving up and starting again. It was clear to me that if he could put the letters in their proper place, he would be able to pronounce the sentence.But I also know that there are 2,432,928,166,640,000 arrangements of just twenty letters.There are one hundred and thirty-two letters in this sentence, and the permutations of these one hundred and thirty-two letters require one hundred and thirty-three numerals to express; it is an almost incalculable number, it is impossible to imagine.

I take solace in the magnitude of the project to solve the problem. Time flew by, it was evening; the noise of the road died away; but the uncle, leaning over the table, saw nothing, not even paying attention to Marta when he opened the door; he heard nothing, although the old maid People say: "Would you like dinner, sir?" Marta went out without an answer; as for me, after trying to banish the drowsiness, sleep finally conquered me and I fell asleep at the end of the sofa, although my uncle was still counting and counting. When I awoke the next morning, the tireless man was still at work.His red eyes, his pallor, his hair ruffled by anxious hands, and his cheekbones purple, speak of how violently he struggled to do the impossible; and for a long time he endured What weariness, what use of brains.

Really, I'm starting to feel sorry for him.Whatever reproaches I had against him, I was gradually overcome by pity.The poor man was so absorbed that he forgot to lose his temper; all his energies were directed at this point; and as these energies could find no proper outlet, I feared a sudden outburst of the tension. I can take the iron band off his head in one fell swoop, with just one word!But I didn't do that. I also do this out of good intentions.Why am I silent?Isn't it for the benefit of my uncle. "Can't tell, can't tell," I said to myself, "I can't tell! I know his temper, and he's going to go; nothing can stop him. His imagination is so strong that he wants to do something else What the geologist hasn't done, he'll risk. I'll hide it; I'll keep it secret; he'll kill him if he finds it out. If he can guess it, let him guess it; I won't Willing to regret in the future for leading him to the path of destruction."

It was decided, and I stood by and watched.But I did not estimate a single thing that happened at this time. When Marta was about to go out to buy things in the market, she found the gate locked; the gate key was not on the door.Who took it?Apparently my uncle took it when he came back from a walk last night in a hurry. Did he do this on purpose?Or is it a coincidence?Does he want us to starve?It was too much to think like that.Is Marta to suffer with me, even though we have nothing to do with it?Yes, I recall an incident in the past that frightened us.That was some years ago, when my uncle was engaged in his great ore classification work, he sat at home without eating for forty-eight hours, and the whole family had to endure this scientific treatment.I was a child with a strong appetite, and it turned out to be very uncomfortably hungry.I saw that this lunch was going to be cancelled, like yesterday's dinner.I decided to be a hero, not afraid of being hungry.Marta felt that the problem was very serious and was very sad.I think the problem of not being able to leave the house is more important; I also have my reasons, which don't need to be stated.But my uncle still works non-stop; he only wants to answer questions; his heart is not in the world, and he has no needs in the world.

It was almost noon and I was very sadly hungry.Marta had eaten the rest of the meal last night without thinking; there was nothing in the house.But I persisted, to be a hero. It was two o'clock in the afternoon.The situation became unbearable; I opened my eyes wide.I began to say to myself that I had overestimated the importance of this document; my uncle would not believe it; He himself discovered the key to the riddle, and I was hungry for nothing. These reasons, which I had thought unworthy of consideration last night, seemed good reasons now; I saw no reason at all to wait so long, and decided to tell him.I was trying to find a less sudden way of explaining this to him, when the professor stood up, hid his hat, and was about to go out again.I can't let him out and keep us locked in the house. "Uncle." I said.He didn't seem to hear. "Uncle Lidenbrock!" I called again loudly. "Oh?" He seemed to wake up suddenly. "Ah, the key?"

"What key? The key on the door?" "No," I cried, "the key to the file!" The professor looked at me through his glasses; he obviously saw something special in my expression, for he grabbed my arm hard, but he didn't speak, only questioning me with his eyes.His question was expressed very clearly. I nodded. He shook his head, with a look of pity, like I was a fool. I nodded more definitely. His eyes glowed; his hands gripped me hard. This silent conversation under such circumstances will interest even the most indifferent spectator.I dare not speak, for fear that he will stop me from speaking when he is in ecstasy.But he was in a hurry, and I had to answer.

"Yes, the secret! I accidentally..." "What did you say?" he cried with indescribable emotion. "Look," I said, handing him the piece of paper on which I had written, "read it." "But it doesn't make sense!" he replied, crumpling the paper too. "If you read it from the beginning, it won't make any sense, but if you read it from the back—" I hadn't finished the sentence when the professor let out a cry, or rather a roar!This is unexpected, and his appearance has changed. "Wise Saconusan!" he cried, "you wrote your words on the reverse side first!"

His eyes were blurred, his voice was intermittent, he held the paper, and read all the documents from bottom to top.A file can be expressed in the following words: In Sneffels Yoculis craterem kem delibat umbra Scartaris Julii intra calendaras descende, audas viaator, etterrestre centrum attinges. Kod feci, Arne Saknussemm. (Correction Note: The last word in the first line of the original book is dolibat, I changed it to delibat according to the previous picture, I don’t know if it’s right, I’m looking to teach me) These original Latin words can be translated into: Descend through the gap of Snaef Yauk, on which the shadow of Skadanlis will fall before July, brave explorer, you can reach the center of the earth through this.I have been there.Arne Saconusan.

After reading, my uncle jumped up suddenly, as if he had been electrocuted unexpectedly.His courage, joy, and confidence all increased.He walked up and down slowly, with his head in his hands, moving his chair to and fro, piling up his books, and throwing his precious crystals.He punches here, slaps there.At last his nerves calmed down, and he sank back into his chair like an exhausted man. "What time is it?" he asked after a few minutes of silence. "Three o'clock," I replied. "Really? I'm hungry. Let's eat. Then—" "How about it?" "Then you pack my luggage."

"Pack your bags!" I yelled. "Call yourself, too," said the ruthless professor, walking into the dining room.