Путешествие на Луну
President Barbicane’s Communication
"Themoon,gentlemen,hasbeencarefullystudied,"continuedBarbicane;"hermass,density,andweight;herconstitution,motions,distance,aswellasherplaceinthesolarsystem,haveallbeenexactlydetermined.Selenographicchartshavebeenconstructedwithaperfectionwhichequals,ifitdoesnotevensurpass,thatofourterrestrialmaps.Photographyhasgivenusproofsoftheincomparablebeautyofoursatellite;allisknownregardingthemoonwhichmathematicalscience,astronomy,geology,andopticscanlearnabouther.Butuptothepresentmomentnodirectcommunicationhasbeenestablishedwithher."
Aviolentmovementofinterestandsurpriseheregreetedthisremarkofthespeaker.
"Permitme,"hecontinued,"torecounttoyoubrieflyhowcertainardentspirits,startingonimaginaryjourneys,havepenetratedthesecretsofoursatellite.IntheseventeenthcenturyacertainDavidFabriciusboastedofhavingseenwithhisowneyestheinhabitantsofthemoon.In1649aFrenchman,oneJeanBaudoin,publisheda‘JourneyperformedfromtheEarthtotheMoonbyDomingoGonzalez,’aSpanishadventurer.AtthesameperiodCyranodeBergeracpublishedthatcelebrated‘JourneysintheMoon’whichmetwithsuchsuccessinFrance.SomewhatlateranotherFrenchman,namedFontenelle,wrote‘ThePluralityofWorlds,’achef-d’oeuvreofitstime.
