从地球到月球

　　"I have now enumerated," said Barbicane, "the experiments which I call purely paper ones, and wholly insufficient to establish serious rela- tions with the Queen ofthe Night. Nevertheless, I am bound to add that some practical geniuses have attempted to establish actual communica- tion with her. Thus, a few days ago, a German geometrician proposed to send a scientific expedition to the steppes of Siberia. There, on those vast plains, they were to describe enormous geometric figures, drawn in characters of reflecting luminosity, among which was the proposition regarding the 'square of the hypothenuse,' commonly called the 'Ass's Bridge' by the French. 'Every intelligent being,' said the geometrician, 'must understand the scientific meaning ofthat figure. The Selenites, do they exist, will respond by a similar figure; and; a communication being thus once established, it will be easy to form an alphabet which shall en able us to converse with the inhabitants of the moon.' So spoke the Ger- man geometrician; but his project was never put into practice, and up to the present day there is no bond in existence between the Earth and her satellite. It is reserved for the practical genius ofAmericans to establish a communication with the sidereal world. The means of arriving thither are simple, easy, certain, infallible - and that is the purpose ofmy present proposal."　　A storm of acclamations greeted these words. There was not a single person in the whole audience who was not overcome, carried away, lified out of himself by the speaker's words!　　Long-continued applause resounded from all sides.　　As soon as the excitement had partially subsided, Barbicane resumed his speech in a somewhat graver voice.　　"You know," said he, "what progress artillery science has made during the last few years, and what a degree of perfection firearms of every kind have reached. Moreover, you are well aware that, in general terms, the resisting power of cannon and the expansive force of gunpowder are practically unlimited. Well! starting from this principle, I ask myself whether, supposing sufficient apparatus could be obtained constructed upon the conditions of ascertained resistance, it might not be possible to project a shot up to the moont.　　At these words a murmur of amazement escaped from a thousand panting chests; then succeeded a moment of perfect silence, resembling that profound stillness which precedes the bursting of a thunderstorm. In point of fact, a thunderstorm did peal forth, but it was the thunder of applause, or cries, and of uproar which made the very hall tremble. The president attempted to speak, but could not. It was fully ten minutes before he could make himselfheard.　　"Suffer me to finish," he calmly continued. "I have looked at the question in all its bearings, I have resolutely attacked it, and by incontrovertible calculations I find that a projectile endowed with an initial velocity of 12,000 yards per second, and aimed at the moon, must necessarily reach it. I have the honor, my brave colleagues, to propose a trial of this little experiment."　　……