Rosette, in his absorbing interest for the glowing glories of the planet,

seemed to be beguiled into comparativeforgetfulness of the charms



of his comet; but no astronomical enthusiasm of the professor could

quite allay the general apprehension that some serious collision



might be impending.

Time passed on. There was nothing to justify apprehension.



The question was continually being asked, "What does

the professor really think?"



"Our friend the professor," said Servadac, "is not likely to tell us

very much; but we may feel pretty certain of one thing: he wouldn't keep us



long in the dark, if he thought we were not going back to the earth again.

The greatest satisfaction he could have would be to inform us that we had



parted from the earth for ever."

"I trust from my very soul," said the count, "that his



prognostications are correct."

"The more I see of him, and the more I listen to him," replied Servadac,



"the more I become convinced that his calculations are based on a

solid foundation, and will prove correct to the minutest particular."



Ben Zoof here interrupted the conversation. "I have something

on my mind," he said.



"Something on your mind? Out with it!" said the captain.

"That telescope!" said the orderly; "it strikes me that that telescope



which the old professor keeps pointed up at yonder big sun is bringing

it down straight upon us."



The captain laughed heartily.

"Laugh, captain, if you like; but I feel disposed to break the old



telescope into atoms."

"Ben Zoof," said Servadac, his laughter exchanged for a look



of stern displeasure, "touch that telescope, and you shall

swing for it!"



The orderly looked astonished.

"I am governor here," said Servadac.



Ben Zoof knew what his master meant, and to him his master's wish was law.

The interval between the comet and Jupiter was, by the 1st



of October, reduced to 43,000,000 miles. The belts all parallel

to Jupiter's equator were very distinct in their markings.



Those immediately north and south of the equator were of a dusky hue;

those toward the poles were alternately dark and light;



the intervening spaces of the planet's superficies, between edge

and edge, being intensely bright. The belts themselves were



occasionally broken by spots, which the records of astronomy

describe as varying both in form and in extent.



The physiology of belts and spots alike was beyond the astronomer's

power to ascertain; and even if he should be destined once again to take



his place in an astronomical congress on the earth, he would be just as

incapable as ever of determining whether or no they owed their existence



to the external accumulation of vapor, or to some internal agency.

It would not be Professor Rosette's lot to enlighten his brother



_savants_ to any great degree as to the mysteries that are associated

with this, which must ever rank as one of the most magnificent amongst



the heavenly orbs.

As the comet approached the critical point of its career it cannot



be denied that there was an unacknowledged consciousness of alarm.

Mutually reserved, though ever courteous, the count and the captain



were secretly drawn together by the prospect of a common danger;

and as their return to the earth appeared to them to become more



and more dubious, they abandoned their views of narrow isolation,

and tried to embrace the wider philosophy that acknowledges



the credibility of a habitable universe.

But no philosophy could be proof against the common instincts



of their humanity; their hearts, their hopes, were set upon

their natural home; no speculation, no science, no experience,



could induce them to give up their fond and sanguine anticipation

that once again they were to come in contact with the earth.



"Only let us escape Jupiter," said Lieutenant Procope, repeatedly, "and we

• character [´kæriktə] n.特性；性质；人物；字 (初中英语单词)


• planet [´plænit] n.行星 (初中英语单词)


• strangely [´streindʒli] ad.奇怪地；陌生地 (初中英语单词)


• accord [ə´kɔ:d] n.&vi.符合 vt.给与 (初中英语单词)


• jupiter [´dʒu:pitə] n.朱庇特；木星 (初中英语单词)


• enormous [i´nɔ:məs] a.巨大地，很，极 (初中英语单词)


• volume [´vɔlju:m, ´vɑljəm] n.卷；书籍；体积；容量 (初中英语单词)


• supposed [sə´pəuzd] a.想象的；假定的 (初中英语单词)


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


• reference [´refərəns] n.参考；参照；出处 (初中英语单词)


• amount [ə´maunt] n.总数；数量 v.合计 (初中英语单词)


• primary [´praiməri] a.主要的 n.居首位的 (初中英语单词)


• interval [´intəvəl] n.间隙；(工间)休息 (初中英语单词)


• remote [ri´məut] a.遥远的；偏僻的 (初中英语单词)


• whatever [wɔt´evə] pron.&a.无论什么 (初中英语单词)


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


• situated [´sitʃueitid] a.位于；处于….境地 (初中英语单词)


• system [´sistəm] n.系统，体系，制度 (初中英语单词)


• mercury [´mə:kjuri] n.汞；水银柱 (初中英语单词)


• sufficiently [sə´fiʃəntli] ad.充分地，足够地 (初中英语单词)


• aspect [´æspekt] n.面貌；神色；方向 (初中英语单词)


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


• otherwise [´ʌðəwaiz] ad.另外 conj.否则 (初中英语单词)


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


• visible [´vizəbəl] a.可见的；明显的 (初中英语单词)


• extraordinary [ik´strɔ:dinəri] a.非常的；额外的 (初中英语单词)


• identify [ai´dentifai] vt.认出；鉴定；验明 (初中英语单词)


• everyone [´evriwʌn] pron.=everybody 每人 (初中英语单词)


• brilliant [´briliənt] a.灿烂的；杰出的 (初中英语单词)


• comparative [kəm´pærətiv] a.比较的 n.匹敌者 (初中英语单词)


• enthusiasm [in´θju:ziæzəm] n.热心；狂热；爱好 (初中英语单词)


• satisfaction [,sætis´fækʃən] n.满意；满足 (初中英语单词)


• foundation [faun´deiʃən] n.建立；基金；地基 (初中英语单词)


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


• pointed [´pɔintid] a.尖(锐)的；中肯的 (初中英语单词)


• laughter [´lɑ:ftə] n.笑，笑声 (初中英语单词)


• governor [´gʌvənə] n.总督；州长 (初中英语单词)


• distinct [di´stiŋkt] a.清楚的；独特的 (初中英语单词)


• magnificent [mæg´nifisənt] a.壮丽的；豪华的 (初中英语单词)


• career [kə´riə] n.经历；生涯；职业 (初中英语单词)


• embrace [im´breis] vt.&n.拥抱；采纳；信奉 (初中英语单词)


• philosophy [fi´lɔsəfi] n.哲学；人生观 (初中英语单词)


• humanity [hju:´mæniti] n.人类；人性；仁慈 (初中英语单词)


• contact [´kɔntækt] n.接触；联系 v.联络 (初中英语单词)


• attraction [ə´trækʃən] n.吸引(力)；引力 (高中英语单词)


• occurrence [ə´kʌrəns] n.发生；(偶发)事件 (高中英语单词)


• inclination [,inkli´neiʃən] n.倾斜；爱好；天资 (高中英语单词)


• community [kə´mju:niti] n.团体；社区；公众 (高中英语单词)


• gigantic [dʒai´gæntik] a.巨大的 (高中英语单词)


• diameter [dai´æmitə] n.直径 (高中英语单词)


• formidable [´fɔ:midəbəl] a.可怕的；艰难的 (高中英语单词)


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


• determination [di,tə:mi´neiʃən] n.决心；决定 (高中英语单词)


• formation [fɔ:´meiʃən] n.形成；构成；排列 (高中英语单词)


• minimum [´miniməm] n.最小量 a.最小的 (高中英语单词)


• indifferent [in´difrənt] a.不关心的；中立的 (高中英语单词)


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


• intensity [in´tensiti] a.激烈；强度；深度 (高中英语单词)


• mortal [´mɔ:tl] a.致命的 n.凡人 (高中英语单词)


• ordinarily [´ɔ:dinərili] ad.平常地；普通地 (高中英语单词)


• telescope [´teliskəup] n.望远镜 (高中英语单词)


• apprehension [,æpri´henʃən] n.理解；忧虑；逮捕 (高中英语单词)


• continually [kən´tinjuəli] ad.不断地，频繁地 (高中英语单词)


• ascertain [,æsə´tein] vt.探查；查明 (高中英语单词)


• external [ik´stə:nəl] a.外部的；外面的 (高中英语单词)


• internal [in´tə:nl] a.内部的；国内的 (高中英语单词)


• heavenly [´hevənli] a.天的，天空的 (高中英语单词)


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


• consciousness [´kɔnʃəsnis] n.意识；觉悟；知觉 (高中英语单词)


• courteous [´kə:tiəs] a.有礼貌的；殷勤的 (高中英语单词)


• secretly [´si:kritli] ad.秘密地；隐蔽地 (高中英语单词)


• speculation [,spekju´leiʃən] n.思索，推测；投机 (高中英语单词)


• junction [´dʒʌŋkʃən] n.连接；交叉点 (英语四级单词)


• overwhelming [,əuvə´welmiŋ] a.压倒的；势不可挡的 (英语四级单词)


• warrant [´wɔrənt] n.根据；委任书；权利 (英语四级单词)


• astronomy [ə´strɔnəmi] n.天文学 (英语四级单词)


• rotation [rəu´teiʃən] n.旋转；循环，交替 (英语四级单词)


• perpendicular [,pə:pən´dikjulə] a.垂直的 n.正交 (英语四级单词)


• revolve [ri´vɔlv] v.(使)旋转；循环 (英语四级单词)


• venerable [´venərəbəl] a.可尊敬的；森严的 (英语四级单词)


• colossal [kə´lɔsəl] a.庞大的；异常的 (英语四级单词)


• imperative [im´perətiv] a.紧急的 n.命令式 (英语四级单词)


• displeasure [dis´pleʒə] n.不高兴，不快，生气 (英语四级单词)


• equator [i´kweitə] n.赤道 (英语四级单词)


• alternately [ɔ:l´tə:nitli] ad.交替地，轮流地 (英语四级单词)


• intensely [in´tensli] ad.激烈地；热切地 (英语四级单词)


• enlighten [in´laitn] vt.启发，开导 (英语四级单词)


• repeatedly [ri´pi:tidli] ad.反复地；再三地 (英语四级单词)


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


• satellite [´sætəlait] n.(人造)卫星；随从 (英语六级单词)


• reunion [ri:´ju:njən] n.再结合；再联合；团聚 (英语六级单词)


• likelihood [´laiklihud] n.可能，相似性 (英语六级单词)


• density [´densiti] n.浓(稠)密；密度 (英语六级单词)


• suspense [sə´spens] n.悬挂；悬虑不安 (英语六级单词)


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


• softness [´sɔftnis] n.柔软；柔和；温柔 (英语六级单词)


• enthusiast [in´θju:ziæst] n.热衷者，渴慕者 (英语六级单词)


• observatory [əb´zə:vətəri] n.天文台；气象台 (英语六级单词)


• forgetfulness [fə´getminɔt] n.健忘 (英语六级单词)


• dubious [´dju:biəs] a.怀疑的；可疑的 (英语六级单词)


• abandoned [ə´bændənd] a.被抛弃的；无约束的 (英语六级单词)


• sanguine [´sæŋgwin] a.血红的 n.血红色 (英语六级单词)