第一章教授和他的家庭成员.docx

第一章教授和他的家庭成员ChapterITheProfessorandhisFamily这是一八六三年五月二十四日，女佣玛尔塔刚开始做午饭，李登布洛克教授匆匆赶回位于三人堡旧城科尼街十九号的小房子。阿克赛尔想躲开脾气暴躁的叔叔，赶紧回到楼上的房间。这时门突然被推开，教授来到楼上书房,并且把阿克赛尔叫了过去。教授在约翰大学讲矿物学，说话不流利，许多来听课的人等教授说错发火时，就开始笑，并以此为乐。但教授具有地质学家的天才及矿物学家的敏锐观察力，他在所有学校和学术协会里享有盛名，很多有名望的教授也向他请教学术方面的棘手问题。教授高瘦的身体长得十分结实，虽然已五十多岁，但看起来要年轻得多。由于急躁的性格，他一步能跨一点五英尺。教授的家中住着教女格劳木、女佣玛尔塔和已成为孤儿的侄子阿克赛尔。阿克赛尔迷上了地质学，成了教授的实验助手。听到教授叫，阿克赛尔马上跑进他的书房。0nthe24thofMay,1863,myuncle,ProfessorLiedenbroek,rushedintohislittlehouse,No.19Koinigstrasse,oneoftheoldeststreetsintheoldest教授把阿克赛尔叫了过去Marthamusthaveconcludedthatshewasverymuchbehindhand,forthedinnerhadonlyjustbeenputintotheoven.4Well,now/said1tomyself,ifthatmostimpatientofmenishungry,whatadisturbancehewillmake!*'M.Liedenbrocksosoon!'criedpoorMarthaingreatalarm,halfopeningthedining-roomdoor.'Yes,Martha;butverylikelythedinnerisnothalfcooked,foritisnottwoyet.SaintMichaePsdockhasonlyjuststruckhalfpastone/4Thenwhyhasthemastercomehomesosoon?'4Perhapshewilltellusthathimself/4Hereheis,MonsieurAxel;Iwillrunandhidemyselfwhileyouarguewithhim.'AndMartharetreatedinsafetyintoherowndominions.Iwasleftalone.ButhowwasitpossibleforamanofmyundecidedturnofmindtoarguesuccessfullywithsoirascibleapersonastheProfessor?WiththispersuasionIwashurryingawaytomyownlittleretreatupstairs,whenthestreetdoorcreakeduponitshinges;heavyfeetmadethewholeflightofstairstoshake;andthemasterofthehouse,passingrapidlythroughthedining-room,threwhimselfinhasteintohisownsanctum.Butonhisrapidwayhehadfoundtimetoflinghishazelstickintoacorner,hisroughbroadbrimuponthetable,andthesefewemphaticwordsathisnephew:4Axel,followme!'IhadscarcelyhadtimetomovewhentheProfessorwasagainshoutingafterme:4What!notcomeyet7,AndIrushedintomyredoubtablemaster'sstudy.OttoLiedenbrockhadnomischiefinhim,Iwillinglyallowthat;butunlessheveryconsiderablychangesashegrowsolder,attheendhewillbeamostoriginalcharacter.HewasprofessorattheJohann纪Um,andwasdeliveringaseriesoflecturesonmineralogy,inthecourseofeveryoneofwhichhebrokeintoapassiononceortwiceatleast.Notatallthathewasover-anxiousabouttheimprovementofhisclass,oraboutthedegreeofattentionwithwhichtheylistenedtohim,orthesuccesswhichmighteventuallycrownhislabours.Suchlittlemattersofdetailnevertroubledhimmuch.HisteachingwasastheGermanphilosophycallsit,'subjective'itwastobenefithimself,notothers.Hewasalearnedegotist.Hewasawellofscience,andthepulleysworkeduneasilywhenyouwantedtodrawanythingoutofit.Inaword,hewasalearnedmiser.Germanyhasnotafewprofessorsofthissort.Tohismisfortune,myunclewasnotgiftedwithasufficientlyrapidutterance;not,tobesure,whenhewastalkingathome,butcertainlyinhispublicdelivery;thisisawantmuchtobedeploredinaspeaker.Thefactis,thatduringthecourseofhislecturesattheJohanna<eum,theProfessoroftencametoacompletestandstill;hefoughtwithwilfulwordsthatrefusedtopasshisstrugglinglips,suchwordsasresistanddistendthecheeks,andatlastbreakoutintotheunasked-forshapeofaroundandmostunscientificoath:thenhisfurywouldgraduallyabate.Nowinmineralogytherearemanyhalf-Greekandhalf-Latinterms,veryhardtoarticulate,andwhichwouldbemosttryingtoapoet,smeasures.Idon,twishtosayawordagainstsorespectableascience,farbethatfromme.True,intheaugustpresenceofrhombohedralcrystals,retinasphalticresins,gehlenites,Fassaites,molybdenites,tungstatesofmanganese,andtitaniteofzirconium,why,themostfacileoftonguesmaymakeaslipnowandthen.Itthereforehappenedthatthisvenialfaultofmyuncle,scametobeprettywellunderstoodintime,andanunfairadvantagewastakenofit;thestudentslaidwaitforhimindangerousplaces,andwhenhebegantostumble,loudwasthelaughter,whichisnotingoodtaste,noteveninGermans.AndiftherewasalwaysafullaudiencetohonourtheLiedenbrockcourses,Ishouldbesorrytoconjecturehowmanycametomakemerryatmyuncle,sexpense.Neverthelessmygoodunclewasamanofdeeplearning-afactIammostanxioustoassertandreassert.Sometimeshemightirretrievablyinjureaspecimenbyhistoogreatardourinhandlingit;butstillheunitedthegeniusofatruegeologistwiththekeeneyeofthemineralogist.Armedwithhishammer,hissteelpointer,hismagneticneedles,hisblowpipe,andhisbottleofnitricacid,hewasapowerfulmanofscience.Hewouldreferanymineraltoitsproperplaceamongthesixhundredelementarysubstancesnowenumerated,byitsfracture,itsappearance,itshardness,itsfusibility,itssonorousness,itssmell,anditstaste.ThenameofLiedenbrockwashonourablymentionedincollegesandlearnedsocieties.HumphryDavy,Humboldt,CaptainSirJohnFranklin,GeneralSabine,neverfailedtocalluponhimontheirwaythroughHamburg.Becquerel,Ebelman,Brewster,Dumas,Milne-Edwards,Saint-Claire-DevilIefrequentlyconsultedhimuponthemostdifficultproblemsinchemistry,asciencewhichwasindebtedtohimforconsiderablediscoveries,forin1853therehadappearedatLeipziganimposingfoliobyOttoLiedenbrock,entitled,ATreatiseuponTranscendentalChemistry/withplates;awork,however,whichfailedtocoveritsexpenses.ToallthesetitlestohonourletmeaddthatmyunclewasthecuratorofthemuseumofmineralogyformedbyM.Struve,theRussianambassador;amostvaluablecollection,thefameofwhichisEuropean.Suchwasthegentlemanwhoaddr