10 The flying island of Laputa

　　I had only been at home for about ten days when a friend of mine asked me to join him on a journey to the East Indies．I still wanted to see more of the world，and as he was offering to give me double the usual pay，I managed to per-suade my wife to let me go．The voyage took eight months，and after stopping for a short time in Malaysia，we arrived in the Gulf of Tongking．

　　‘I'll have to stay here for a while on business，’my friend the captain told me．‘But you can take the ship and some of the sailors．Go and see what you can buy and sell in the islands around here．’That sounded interesting to me，so I agreed．

　　Unfortunately，we sailed straight into a terrible storm，which drove us many miles eastward．Then，by a very unlucky chance，we were seen and chased by two pirate ships．Our ship was not fast enough to escape，and the pirates caught us．They decided to keep the sailors to help sail the ship，but they did not need me．I suppose I was lucky they did not kill me．Instead，they left me alone in a small boat in the middle of the ocean，with only enough food for a few days，while they sailed away．

　　I am sure the pirates thought I would die．However，I saw land some hours later，and I managed to sail the boat to it．As I stepped out of the boat and walked up the beach，I noticed that although the sun had been very hot，the air suddenly seemed cooler．At first I thought a cloud was passing over the sun But when I looked up，I saw，to my great astonishment，a large island in the sky，between me and the sun．It was moving towards me，and there were people running around on it．I waved my arms and shouted as loudly as possible．‘Help！Help！’I cried．‘Rescue me！’

　　When the island was about a hundred metres over my head，they let down a seat on a chain．I sat on it，and was pulled up to the island．I had discovered the flying island of Laputa．

　　Laputans are certainly strange－looking people．Their heads always turn either to right or left：one of their eyes turns in－wards，the other upwards．Their main interests are music and mathematics．They spend so much time thinking abut mathe－matical problems that they do not notice what is happening around them．In fact，rich Laputans employ a servant whose job is to follow his master everywhere The servant warns him if he is going to step into a hole，and reminds him to reply if someone speaks to him．

　　I was taken to see the King，but had to wait for at least an hour while he struggled with a difficult mathematical question．However，when he had finished，he spoke politely to me，and ordered his servants to show me to a room．For dinner they gave me three kinds of meat—a square of beef，a triangle of chicken and a circle of lamb Even the bread was cut into mathematical shapes in the evening a teacher arrived to help me learn the language，and in a few days I was able to make conversation with the island people．

　　Laputa is a circle of land，about eight kilometres across，covered with houses and other buildings．It is moved by a sim－ple machine which uses magnets to pull the island closer to land or push it higher into the sky．The island always moves slowly．It can only fly over the country called Balnibarbi，which belongs to the King of Laputa．

　　It is difficult talking to Laputans，as they have little interest in anything except music and mathematics．They are，howev－er，very worried about the future of the earth，the sun，and the stars，and they often discuss this．I heard a conversation about this shortly before I left Laputa．

　　‘How are you，my friend？’one man asked another．

　　‘As well as can be expected，’ came the reply．

　　‘And how is the sun，do you think？’

　　‘I thought he looked rather feverish this morning．I'm afraid he'll get too hot and destroy himself one day，if he goes on like this．’

　　‘I know，it's very worrying．And what about the earth？It's only thirty years until the next falling star comes this way， and the earth was very nearly destroyed by the last one！’

　　‘That's right．We know that the next falling star is almost certain to get too close to the sun，and catch fire！And when the earth passes through that fire，it'll be destroyed immedi－ately！’

　　‘Only thirty years！That's not much to look forward to，is it？’And the two men shook their heads sadly． 址After several months on the island，I asked if I could visit the country underneath us．The King agreed，and ordered his officials to put me down on Balnibarbi，and show me round the capital，Lagado．

　　The most interesting place I saw there was the university，which was full of very clever men，with very clever ideas．They were all working hard to find better，faster，cheaper，easier ways of doing and making things．They had ideas for building houses from the roof downwards，turning rocks into soft material，making rivers run uphill，and saving sunshine in bottles．I cannot remember half of the astonishingly clever ideas which they were working on．One day，they told me，they would find the answers to all these problems，and then their country would be the most wonderful place in the world．Meanwhile，I noticed that the people looked hungry and mis－erable．Their clothes were old and full of holes，their houses were badly built and falling down．There were no vegetables or corn growing in the fields．

　　When I visited the School of Mathematics，I could not un－derstand why the students looked so unhappy．

　　‘What's the matter，young man？’I asked one of them．‘You look quite ill．’

　　‘Yes，sir，he answered．‘You see，we've only just eaten our lessons for today，and it's made us feel rather sick．’

　　‘Eaten them？’I repeated in surprise．‘Why did you do that？’

　　‘Oh，that's the way we learn here，sir，’he replied．‘Our professors write mathematical questions and answers on paper，then we eat the paper．After that we're only supposed to have bread and water for three days，while the information moves upwards to our heads．But it's awful，sir，not eating much for three days．And we often feel sick．Er…excuse me，sir！’And he ran past me out of the room．This highly developed system of teaching did not seem to be working well．

　　10 勒皮他飞岛

　　我在家里呆了只有10天，就有一个朋友请我加入他的到东印度群岛的旅行。我仍然想见更多的世面，而且他给我高出平常两倍的报酬，我说服了妻子让我去。航行了8个月，在马来西亚短暂停留之后，我们到达了东京湾。

　　“由于生意关系，我需要在这儿停一阵，”我的船长朋友对我说，“不过你可以用这只船和几个水手，去周围的岛屿转转，看你能买卖些什么。”这对我来说挺有意思，所以我就同意了。

　　不幸的是，我们径直驶进了一个可怕的风暴中，风暴将我们向东刮了许多英里。然后，由于极为不幸的巧合，我们被两只海盗船发现而被追逐。我们的船不够快，逃不了，海盗们抓住了我们。他们决定留下水手帮他们驾船，可是他们不需要我。我料想我真走运他们没有杀我。他们把我独自留在汪洋大海中的一只小船里，食物只够吃几天，他们自己则扬帆而去。

　　我敢肯定海盗们以为我必死无疑，但是，几个小时以后我看见了陆地，我让小船驶过去。当我跨出小船，走上海滩，我注意到尽管太阳很热，空气却突然变凉了。起初我还以为是云遮了太阳，但是当我一抬头，令我极为惊讶的是，我看见天空中有一个大岛在我和太阳之间，它正向我移来，上面有人在四处跑动。我挥着手臂，尽可能大声地喊。“救命！救命！”我叫道。“救救我！”

　　当岛屿在我头上大约100米高时，他们放下一个拴在链条上的坐椅。我坐在上面，被拉上了岛屿。我发现了勒皮他飞岛。

　　勒皮他人绝对是长相奇怪的人。他们的头总是或者向左或者向右转，他们的眼睛一只朝里一只朝外。他们的主要兴趣是音乐和数学，他们把大部分时间都花在思考数学问题上，以致于他们周围发生的事他们都没注意到。事实上，富有的勒皮他人请了个仆人，职责就是跟着主人到处走。仆人警示他是否要踩进坑里，如果有人跟他说话则提醒他回答。

　　我被带去见国王，可是我不得不等了至少一个小时，因为他在思考一个很难的数学问题。不过在他完成以后，他对我说话很礼貌，叫他的仆人带我去一个房间。晚餐他们给了我3种肉——一块方形牛肉、一块三角形鸡肉和一块圆形羊肉。甚至面包也是切成了数学形状。晚上一个教师来教我学他们的语言，几天后我就能够跟岛民交谈了。

　　勒皮他是一个圆形陆地，直径大约8公里，上面建有房屋和其他建筑。勒皮他岛用一个简单的机器移动，通过磁力把岛拉近地面或者是推向高空。这个岛总是慢慢地移动，它只能在一个叫巴尔尼巴比的国土上飞，那是属于勒皮他国王的。

　　跟勒皮他人谈话很困难，因为他们对除了音乐和数学之外的事没有兴趣。但是他们对地球、太阳和星星的未来很是担忧，经常讨论。在我快要离开勒皮他之前我听到了关于这事的谈话。

　　“你怎么样，我的朋友？”一个人对另一个问好。

　　“和预计的差不多。”他回答。

　　“太阳怎么样，你觉得？”

　　“我觉得今天早上他看起来有点发烧。如果继续下去，我担心他有朝一日会太烫而毁了自己。”

　　“我知道，他确实令人担心，地球怎么样？只有30年下一个流星就会掉过来，而上次差点把地球都毁灭了！”

　　“对，我们知道下一个掉下来的星星几乎肯定会与太阳靠得太近而着火。地球从火中穿过就会立即被摧毁！”

　　“只有30年！不用等多长时间，对吧？”两个人忧伤地摇着头。

　　在岛上几个月后，我问我是否可以去拜访我们下面的国土。国王同意了，他命令他的官员把我放到下面的巴尔尼巴比，带我参观都城拉格多。

　　我在那儿看到的最有意思的地方是大学，那里极为聪明的人才济济一堂，想法也是极为聪明。他们都在努力工作以寻求更好、更快、更廉价、更简便的方法做事或制造东西。他们的主意有从屋顶向下建造房屋，把石头变成软物质、让河流上山坡、把阳光储蓄在瓶子里。他们正在酝酿着的令人惊诧不已的聪明想法我一半也记不住。有一天，他们告诉我，他们将会找到所有这些问题的答案，那时他们的国家将是世界上最美妙的地方。同时，我注意到人们饥饿而可怜，他们的衣眼陈旧，满是破洞，他们的房子建造得很差，快要坍塌。田野里也没有蔬菜或谷物生长。

　　我访问数学院时，我不理解学生们为什么看起来那么不开心。

　　“怎么回事，年轻人？”我问其中一个，“你看起来病得利害。”

　　“是的，先生。”他回答说，“你看，我们只是吃了今天的课程，这令我们感到有点生病似的。”

　　“吃课程？”我惊讶地重复，“你们为什么那样做？”