教授和他的家庭成员.doc

第一章 教授和他的家庭成员 Chapter I The Professor and his Family 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。这时门突然推开，教授上到楼上书房，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，许多来听课的人就是等教授念错时发火，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维尔兰人格劳本、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。 O n the 24th of May, 1863, my uncle, Professor Liedenbroek, rushed into his little house, No. 19 K?inigstrasse, one of the oldest streets in the oldest portion of the city of Hamburg. O Martha must have concluded that she was very much behindhand, for the dinner had only just been put into the oven. ‘Well, now,’ said I to myself, ‘if that most impatient of men is hungry, what a disturbance he will make!’ ‘M. Liedenbrock so soon!’ cried poor Martha in great alarm, half opening the dining-room door. ‘Yes, Martha; but very likely the dinner is not half cooked, for it is not two yet. Saint Michael’s dock has only just struck halfpast one.’ ‘Then why has the master come home so soon?’ ‘Perhaps he will tell us that himself.’ ‘Here he is, Monsieur Axel; I will run and hide myself while you argue with him.’ And Martha retreated in safety into her own dominions. I was left alone. But how was it possible for a man of my undecided turn of mind to argue successfully with so irascible a person as the Professor? With this persuasion I was hurrying away to my own little retreat upstairs, when the street door creaked upon its hinges; heavy feet made the whole flight of stairs to shake; and the master of the house, passing rapidly through the dining-room, threw himself in haste into his own sanctum. But on his rapid way he had found time to fling his hazel stick into a corner, his rough broadbrim upon the table, and these few emphatic words at his nephew: ‘Axel, follow me!’ I had scarcely had time to move when the Professor was again shouting after me: ‘What! not come yet?’ And I rus