目 录 上一节 下一节 
但是，风力一点也没有减弱，相反地，那条被钢索结结实实绑着的桅杆都被风刮弯了。这些钢索仿佛是乐器上的弦，被一张无形的弓拉着发出飕嗦振荡的响声。在这种如怨如诉的和谐乐声中，在这种极其紧张的气氛中，雪橇在疯狂奔驰。 "Those chords give the fifth and the octave," said Mr. Fogg. “这些钢索发出的音响，是五度音程和八度音程。”福克先生说。 These were the only words he uttered during the journey. Aouda, cosily packed in furs and cloaks, was sheltered as much as possible from the attacks of the freezing wind. As for Passepartout, his face was as red as the sun's disc when it sets in the mist, and he laboriously inhaled the biting air. With his natural buoyancy of spirits, he began to hope again. They would reach New York on the evening, if not on the morning, of the 11th, and there was still some chances that it would be before the steamer sailed for Liverpool. 这是福克先生在这一段旅途上说的唯一的一句话。艾娥达夫人紧紧地裹在皮衣和旅行毯子里，旅伴们尽一切可能不让她受到寒冷的袭击。至于路路通，他的整个脸膛又圆又红，活象傍晚沉浸在薄雾里的太阳；他正喝着那刺骨的寒风，他又恢复了他那种固有的信心，苏生了成功的希望。本来该在早晨到达纽约，现在要晚上才能赶到。但是，即使在晚上到，也还是很有可能赶上开往利物浦的邮船。 Passepartout even felt a strong desire to grasp his ally, Fix, by the hand. He remembered that it was the detective who procured the sledge, the only means of reaching Omaha in time; but, checked by some presentiment, he kept his usual reserve. One thing, however, Passepartout would never forget, and that was the sacrifice which Mr. Fogg had made, without hesitation, to rescue him from the Sioux. Mr. Fogg had risked his fortune and his life. No! His servant would never forget that! 路路通甚至很想跟他的同盟者费克斯握手表示感谢。因为他没忘记正是多亏这位侦探才找到了这一辆带帆雪橇。实际上也只有乘雪橇才能按时赶到奥马哈。但不知是由于一种什么预感，路路通依旧保持沉默，没有跟费克斯握手。不过，有一件事是路路通永远也不会忘记的。那就是福克先生为了要从西乌人手里救他而表现的那种自我牺牲的精神。为了救他，福克先生拿他全部财产和自己的生命去冒险……绝不会忘记！路路通是永远也不会忘记的！ While each of the party was absorbed in reflections so different, the sledge flew past over the vast carpet of snow. The creeks it passed over were not perceived. Fields and streams disappeared under the uniform whiteness. The plain was absolutely deserted. Between the Union Pacific road and the branch which unites Kearney with Saint Joseph it formed a great uninhabited island. Neither village, station, nor fort appeared. From time to time they sped by some phantom-like tree, whose white skeleton twisted and rattled in the wind. Sometimes flocks of wild birds rose, or bands of gaunt, famished, ferocious prairie-wolves ran howling after the sledge. Passepartout, revolver in hand, held himself ready to fire on those which came too near. Had an accident then happened to the sledge, the travellers, attacked by these beasts, would have been in the most terrible danger; but it held on its even course, soon gained on the wolves, and ere long left the howling band at a safe distance behind. 当旅客们各自想着彼此绝不相同的心事的时候，雪橇却在这一望无边的雪野里不停地飞驰。有时，雪橇滑过小兰河的支流和小河，但乘客们却没有发现这些河流，因为田野和河水都已变成了清一色的雪白平原，大地上光荡荡地一无所有。这一片包括联合太平洋铁路和克尔尼堡通往圣若瑟的支线的整个地区，形成一个荒无人烟的大雪岛。这里没有村庄，没有车站，甚至连军堡也没有。旅客们不时地可以瞥见几棵难看的野树，一闪而过，树枝上结满冰雪活象一副副雪白的死人骨架在冷风中摇曳。有时遇见成群的野鸟从雪橇经过的地方突然一齐飞向天空。有时遇见草原上饿得骨瘦如柴的狼群，它们在攫取食物的欲望驱使下，成群结队疯狂地追赶着雪橇狂跑。这时路路通握紧手枪，随时准备向那些最接近雪橇的饿狼射击。万一在这个时候雪橇出了毛病停下来，这些被野狼追逐的旅客们就会有送命的危险。但是，雪橇走得很好，它很快就跑到前头了，不多久，那群狂叫的饿狼已经被甩在后边了。 
中午十二时，麦基从一些地方认出了他们正在穿过结冰的普拉特河。他没有说什么，但是他已经确信，再走二十英里就会到达奥马哈车站。实际上还不到一点钟，这位老练的驾驶员已经放下舵把，赶忙收起白帆卷成一卷。这时雪橇仍在疾速前进，在没有张帆的情况下又走了半英里路，最后它停下来了。麦基指着一片被白雪覆盖着的房顶说：“我们到了。” Arrived! Arrived at the station which is in daily communication, by numerous trains, with the Atlantic seaboard! 到了，真的到了。到了这个每天都有无数火车开往美国东部的奥马哈了！ Passepartout and Fix jumped off, stretched their stiffened limbs, and aided Mr. Fogg and the young woman to descend from the sledge. Phileas Fogg generously rewarded Mudge, whose hand Passepartout warmly grasped, and the party directed their steps to the Omaha railway station. 路路通和费克斯先跳下雪橇，活动一下冻麻了的四肢。他们又帮助福克先生和年轻的夫人下了雪橇。斐利亚·福克很大方地付给了麦基租费和奖金。路路通象对待一个老朋友一样跟麦基握手告别。然后大家就赶往奥马哈车站。 The Pacific Railroad proper finds its terminus at this important Nebraska town. Omaha is connected with Chicago by the Chicago and Rock Island Railroad, which runs directly east, and passes fifty stations. 奥马哈是内布拉斯加州的重要城市。太平洋铁路就到此地为止。这个城市是密西西比盆地和大西洋交通的枢纽。从奥马哈到芝加哥这一段铁路叫做芝加哥--石岛铁路，这条铁路是一条东行直线，沿途约有五十多个车站。 A train was ready to start when Mr. Fogg and his party reached the station, and they only had time to get into the cars. They had seen nothing of Omaha; but Passepartout confessed to himself that this was not to be regretted, as they were not travelling to see the sights. 这时正有－班直达车要开出去。斐利亚·福克和他的旅伴们勉强来得及上了车。他们一点也没看到奥马哈的市容。但是路路通心里对这件事半点也不懊悔，他认为现在的问题并不在于是否参观奥马哈。 
火车以极快的速度在衣阿华州奔驰。它经过了康斯尔布拉夫斯、得梅因和衣阿华。当天夜里，在达文波特越过了密西西比河。火车从石岛进入了伊利诺斯州。第二天，12月10号下午四点火车到达了芝加哥。这个城市已经从大火的废墟中重建起来了，它比过去更加雄伟地耸立在美丽的密执安湖岸上。 Nine hundred miles separated Chicago from New York; but trains are not wanting at Chicago. Mr. Fogg passed at once from one to the other, and the locomotive of the Pittsburgh, Fort Wayne, and Chicago Railway left at full speed, as if it fully comprehended that that gentleman had no time to lose. It traversed Indiana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey like a flash, rushing through towns with antique names, some of which had streets and car-tracks, but as yet no houses. At last the Hudson came into view; and, at a quarter-past eleven in the evening of the 11th, the train stopped in the station on the right bank of the river, before the very pier of the Cunard line. 从芝加哥到纽约只有九百英里。而且这里去纽约的火车很多。福克先生下车之后立即跳上了另一列火车。这是一辆属于匹兹堡--韦恩堡--芝加哥铁路公司的轻快机车，它拖着列车离开了车站，全速前进，好象机车也知道这位尊贵的绅士再也不能耽误时间似的。它象闪电似的飞过了印第安纳州、俄亥俄州、宾夕法尼亚州、新泽西州；经过了一些命名古老的新城市，其中有些城市只有马路和电车，还没有建筑起房屋。最后旅客们看到了赫德森河，12月11日，晚上十一点一刻，火车到达了居纳尔轮船公司右边的车站，换句话说，也就是到达了英国和北美皇家邮船公司的码头。 The China, for Liverpool, had started three-quarters of an hour before! 但是，开往利物浦去的中国号在四十五分钟之前已经出发了！ The China, in leaving, seemed to have carried off Phileas Fogg's last hope. None of the other steamers were able to serve his projects. The Pereire, of the French Transatlantic Company, whose admirable steamers are equal to any in speed and comfort, did not leave until the 14th; the Hamburg boats did not go directly to Liverpool or London, but to Havre; and the additional trip from Havre to Southampton would render Phileas Fogg's last efforts of no avail. The Inman steamer did not depart till the next day, and could not cross the Atlantic in time to save the wager. 中国号邮船开走了，似乎把斐利亚·福克最后的一点希望也给带跑了。实际上，所有直接往来于欧美两洲的轮船，不论是法国横渡大西洋公司的客船，白星线的客船，伊曼公司的轮船，或者汉堡线轮船以及其他客货轮船，现在都不能帮助福克先生按时完成他的旅行计划。譬如法国横渡大西洋公司的珀勒尔号，按说这个公司的船都很棒，讲速度不低于任何其他公司的船，讲舒适比所有的船都强，但是这条船要到后天12月14号才开。此外汉堡线的船只开往哈佛不能直达利物浦或伦敦。若加上从哈佛到南安普敦这一段的耽搁，福克先生的最后努力就会徒劳无功。至于伊曼公司的船，根本就不必考虑。它的一条巴黎号要第二天才开。并且这个公司的船只主要是运送移民。它的机器马力很小，航行一半靠机器，一半靠船帆，因此速度不快。乘这种船从纽约到英国所花的时间，比福克为了赢得东道目前剩下的时间还要长得多。 Mr. Fogg learned all this in consulting his Bradshaw, which gave him the daily movements of the trans-Atlantic steamers. 这些情况福克先生都了若指掌，因为他手上有一本《布拉德修旅行手册》，上面印有每日往来大西洋船只的动态。 
路路通急死了，差四十五分钟没赶上开往利物浦的轮船，这简直要他没法活了。这都是他的错，他一个人的错，他本来是应该帮助主人的，但是他却沿途闯祸，带来种种困难！他回想起这一路上所遇到的意外事件，计算了一下光为他一个人所花的钱数，再想到这笔巨额的赌金，再加上那数目惊人的旅费，马上都要化为乌有，福克先生因此就会完全破产。想到这些，路路通就把自己大骂一通。但是，福克先生这时一点也没有责备他，在离开横渡大西洋公司码头的时候，他只说了这么一句话：“走，我们等明天再说吧。” The party crossed the Hudson in the Jersey City ferryboat, and drove in a carriage to the St. Nicholas Hotel, on Broadway. Rooms were engaged, and the night passed, briefly to Phileas Fogg, who slept profoundly, but very long to Aouda and the others, whose agitation did not permit them to rest. The next day was the 12th of December. From seven in the morning of the 12th to a quarter before nine in the evening of the 21st there were nine days, thirteen hours, and forty-five minutes. If Phileas Fogg had left in the China, one of the fastest steamers on the Atlantic, he would have reached Liverpool, and then London, within the period agreed upon. 福克先生、艾娥达夫人、费克斯和路路通坐上泽西市轮渡过了赫德森河，然后乘一辆马车到百老汇大街的圣尼古拉旅馆。他们在旅馆里开了房间，就这样过了一夜。这一夜对斐利亚·福克显得很短，他睡得很好；但是艾娥达夫人和另外两位旅伴却都是心事重重，辗转反侧不能安眠，这一夜对他们显得特别漫长。 第二天是12月12号。从12号上午七点钟到21号下午八点四十五分，一共只剩下九天零十三个小时四十五分钟的时间了。如果斐利亚·福克昨天晚上赶上了那一条居纳尔公司第一流船中国号，他就能赶到利物浦并且如期到达伦敦！
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