an opportunity of saying that, as Captain Servadac had already



been presented to the Spaniards as governor of the island,

he thought it advisable that he should really assume that position.



"Every body of men," he observed, "must have a head, and you,

as a Frenchman, should, I think, take the command of this



fragment of a French colony. My men, I can answer for it,

are quite prepared to recognize you as their superior officer."



"Most unhesitatingly," replied Servadac, "I accept the post with

all its responsibilities. We understand each other so well that I



feel sure we shall try and work together for the common good;

and even if it be our fate never again to behold our fellow creatures,



I have no misgivings but that we shall be able to cope with whatever

difficulties may be before us."



As he spoke, he held out his hand. The count took it, at the same

time making a slight bow. It was the first time since their meeting



that the two men had shaken hands; on the other hand, not a single

word about their former rivalry had ever escaped their lips;



perhaps that was all forgotten now.

The silence of a few moments was broken by Servadac saying, "Do you



not think we ought to explain our situation to the Spaniards?"

"No, no, your Excellency," burst in Ben Zoof, emphatically; "the fellows



are chicken-hearted enough already; only tell them what has happened,

and in sheer despondency they will not do another stroke of work."



"Besides," said Lieutenant Procope, who took very much the same view

as the orderly, "they are so miserablyignorant they would be sure



to misunderstand you."

"Understand or misunderstand," replied Servadac, "I do not think



it matters. They would not care. They are all fatalists.

Only give them a guitar and their castanets, and they will soon



forget all care and anxiety. For my own part, I must adhere

to my belief that it will be advisable to tell them everything.



Have you any opinion to offer, count?"

"My own opinion, captain, coincides entirely with yours.



I have followed the plan of explaining all I could to my men on board

the _Dobryna_, and no inconvenience has arisen."



"Well, then, so let it be," said the captain; adding, "It is

not likely that these Spaniards are so ignorant as not to have



noticed the change in the length of the days; neither can they

be unaware of the physical changes that have transpired.



They shall certainly be told that we are being carried away

into unknown regions of space, and that this island is nearly



all that remains of the Old World."

"Ha! ha!" laughed Ben Zoof, aloud; "it will be fine sport to watch



the old Jew's face, when he is made to comprehend that he is flying

away millions and millions of leagues from all his debtors."



Isaac Hakkabut was about fifty yards behind, and was consequently

unable to overhear the conversation. He went shambling along,



half whimpering and not unfrequently invoking the God of Israel;

but every now and then a cunning light gleamed from his eyes,



and his lips became compressed with a grim significance.

None of the recent phenomena had escaped his notice, and more than



once he had attempted to entice Ben Zoof into conversation upon

the subject; but the orderly made no secret of his antipathy to him,



and generally replied to his advances either by satire or by banter.

He told him that he had everything to gain under the new system



of nights and days, for, instead of living the Jew's ordinary

life of a century, he would reach to the age of two centuries;



and he congratulated him upon the circumstance of things having become

so light, because it would prevent him feeling the burden of his years.



At another time he would declare that, to an old usurer like him,

it could not matter in the least what had become of the moon,



as he could not possibly have advanced any money upon her.

And when Isaac, undaunted by his jeers, persevered in besetting him



with questions, he tried to silence him by saying, "Only wait till

the governor general comes; he is a shrewd fellow, and will tell



you all about it."

• commerce [´kɔmə:s] n.商业；社交；交流 (初中英语单词)


• adequate [´ædikwit] a.足够的；适当的 (初中英语单词)


• turkey [´tə:ki] n.火鸡 (初中英语单词)


• greece [gri:s] n.希腊 (初中英语单词)


• moreover [mɔ:´rəuvə] ad.再者，此外，而且 (初中英语单词)


• tobacco [tə´bækəu] n.烟草(叶)；卷烟 (初中英语单词)


• considerable [kən´sidərəbəl] a.重要的；值得重视 (初中英语单词)


• agricultural [ægri´kʌltʃər(ə)l] a.农业的 (初中英语单词)


• careless [´keəlis] a.粗心的；草率的 (初中英语单词)


• counsel [´kaunsəl] n.商议；劝告；律师 (初中英语单词)


• conscious [´kɔnʃəs] a.意识的；自觉的 (初中英语单词)


• prospect [´prɔspekt, prəs´pekt] n.景色；境界 v.勘察 (初中英语单词)


• scheme [ski:m] n.计划；阴谋，诡计 (初中英语单词)


• ignorance [´ignərəns] n.无知，愚昧 (初中英语单词)


• meanwhile [´mi:n´wail] n.&ad.其间；同时 (初中英语单词)


• conclusion [kən´klu:ʒən] n.结束；结论；推论 (初中英语单词)


• voyage [´vɔi-idʒ] n.&vi.航海；航程；旅行 (初中英语单词)


• intention [in´tenʃən] n.意图；打算；意义 (初中英语单词)


• anchor [´æŋkə] n.锚 v.抛锚 (初中英语单词)


• working [´wə:kiŋ] a.工人的；劳动的 (初中英语单词)


• breeze [bri:z] n.微风；不费力的事 (初中英语单词)


• horizon [hə´raizən] n.地平线；范围；视野 (初中英语单词)


• formerly [´fɔ:məli] ad.从前，以前 (初中英语单词)


• immense [i´mens] a.广大的，无限的 (初中英语单词)


• welfare [´welfeə] n.福利(事业) (初中英语单词)


• governor [´gʌvənə] n.总督；州长 (初中英语单词)


• absent [´æbsənt, əb´sent] a.不在的 vt.使缺席 (初中英语单词)


• miserable [´mizərəbəl] a.悲惨的；可怜的 (初中英语单词)


• italian [i´tæliən] a.意大利 n.意大利人 (初中英语单词)


• extent [ik´stent] n.长度；程度；范围 (初中英语单词)


• origin [´ɔridʒin] n.起源；由来；出身 (初中英语单词)


• writer [´raitə] n.作者；作家 (初中英语单词)


• management [´mænidʒmənt] n.管理；处理；经营 (初中英语单词)


• reckon [´rekən] v.计算；认为；估计 (初中英语单词)


• vegetable [´vedʒtəbəl] a.&n.蔬菜(的)；植物 (初中英语单词)


• economy [i´kɔnəmi] n.经济；机制；组织 (初中英语单词)


• frenchman [´frentʃmən] n.法国人 (初中英语单词)


• shaken [´ʃeikən] shake的过去分词 (初中英语单词)


• lieutenant [lef´tenənt] n.陆军中尉；代理；副手 (初中英语单词)


• orderly [´ɔ:dəli] a.整洁的 n.勤务兵 (初中英语单词)


• ignorant [´ignərənt] a.无知的，愚昧的 (初中英语单词)


• anxiety [æŋ´zaiəti] n.挂念；渴望；焦虑的事 (初中英语单词)


• belief [bi´li:f] n.相信；信仰，信条 (初中英语单词)


• physical [´fizikəl] a.物质的；有形的 (初中英语单词)


• cunning [´kʌniŋ] a.&n.狡猾(诡诈)的 (初中英语单词)


• advanced [əd´vɑ:nst] a.先进的；高级的 (初中英语单词)


• radiant [´reidiənt] a.发光的 n.光源(体) (高中英语单词)


• considerably [kən´sidərəbli] ad.显著地；十分 (高中英语单词)


• solitude [´sɔlitju:d] n.孤独；寂寞；荒凉 (高中英语单词)


• mutual [´mju:tʃuəl] a.相互的；共同的 (高中英语单词)


• conception [kən´sepʃən] n.构思；概念；怀孕 (高中英语单词)


• consequently [´kɔnsikwəntli] ad.因此，所以 (高中英语单词)


• devise [di´vaiz] vt.设计，发明 (高中英语单词)


• hesitation [,hezi´teiʃən] n.犹豫，踌躇 (高中英语单词)


• prudent [´pru:dənt] a.谨慎的；精明的 (高中英语单词)


• singular [´siŋgjulə] a.单一的；非凡的 (高中英语单词)


• unconscious [ʌn´kɔnʃəs] a.无意识的；不觉察的 (高中英语单词)


• inspection [in´spekʃən] n.检查；视察；参观 (高中英语单词)


• colonel [´kə:nəl] n.海(陆)军上校 (高中英语单词)


• mediterranean [,meditə´reiniən] n.地中海 a.地中海的 (高中英语单词)


• barrier [´bæriə] n.栅栏；屏障；障碍 (高中英语单词)


• solitary [´sɔlitəri] a.独居的；孤独的 (高中英语单词)


• critical [´kritikəl] a.批评的；关键性的 (高中英语单词)


• saying [´seiŋ, ´sei-iŋ] n.言语；言论；格言 (高中英语单词)


• comprehend [,kɔmpri´hend] vt.了解；领会；包含 (高中英语单词)


• shrewd [ʃru:d] a.精明的；狡猾的 (高中英语单词)


• undisturbed [,ʌndis´tə:bd] a.未受干扰的；镇静的 (英语四级单词)


• catastrophe [kə´tæstrəfi] n.大灾难；(悲剧)结局 (英语四级单词)


• reluctantly [ri´lʌktəntli] a.不情愿地；勉强地 (英语四级单词)


• policy [´pɔlisi] n.政策；权谋；保险单 (英语四级单词)


• lookout [´lukaut] n.警戒；景色；前途 (英语四级单词)


• version [´və:ʃən, ´və:rʒən] n.翻译；说明；译本 (英语四级单词)


• tactics [´tæktiks] n.策略；战术 (英语四级单词)


• excursion [ik´skə:ʃən] n.短途旅行，游览；离题 (英语四级单词)


• perchance [pə´tʃɑ:ns] ad.偶然；可能 (英语四级单词)


• aggregate [´ægrigeit] v.&a.&n.聚集；共计 (英语四级单词)


• brandy [´brændi] n.白兰地酒 (英语四级单词)


• lastly [´lɑ:stli] ad.最后，终于 (英语四级单词)


• inconvenience [,inkən´vi:niəns] n.不方便；打扰 (英语四级单词)


• unaware [,ʌnə´weə] a.不知道的；不觉察的 (英语四级单词)


• overhear [,əuvə´hiə] vt.偶然听到；偷听 (英语四级单词)


• entice [in´tais] vt.诱惑；怂恿 (英语四级单词)


• satire [´sætaiə] n.讽刺；讽刺作品 (英语四级单词)


• barter [´bɑ:tə] v.交换(货物) n.互换品 (英语六级单词)


• taking [´teikiŋ] a.迷人的 n.捕获物 (英语六级单词)


• recital [ri´saitl] n.背诵；叙述；音乐会 (英语六级单词)


• retired [ri´taiəd] a.退休的；通职的 (英语六级单词)


• framework [´freimwə:k] n.骨架；计划；机构 (英语六级单词)


• subsist [səb´sist] vi.生存；维持生命 (英语六级单词)


• secondly [´sekəndli] a.第二(点)；其次 (英语六级单词)


• advisable [əd´vaizəbl] a.合适的，得当的 (英语六级单词)


• rivalry [´raivəlri] n.竞争；竞赛；敌对 (英语六级单词)


• emphatically [im´fætikəli] ad.强调地；断然地 (英语六级单词)


• miserably [´mizərəbli] ad.悲惨地；糟糕地 (英语六级单词)


• misunderstand [,misʌndə´stænd] vt.误会 (英语六级单词)


• guitar [gi´tɑ:] n.吉他，六弦琴 (英语六级单词)


• compressed [kəm´prest] a.压缩的 (英语六级单词)


• phenomena [fi´nɔminə] phenomenon的复数 (英语六级单词)