Первые люди на Луне
Chapter 5 — The Journey to the Moon
IfoundIwasnolongerfloatingfreelyinspace,butthatmyfeetwererestingontheglassinthedirectionofthemoon.Theblanketsandcasesofprovisionswerealsocreepingslowlydowntheglass,andpresentlycametorestsoastoblockoutaportionoftheview.Itseemedtome,ofcourse,thatIlooked“down”whenIlookedatthemoon.Onearth“down”meansearthward,thewaythingsfall,and“up”thereversedirection.Nowthepullofgravitationwastowardsthemoon,andforallIknewtothecontraryourearthwasoverhead.And,ofcourse,whenalltheCavoriteblindswereclosed,“down”wastowardsthecentreofoursphere,and“up”towardsitsouterwall.
Itwascuriouslyunlikeearthlyexperience,too,tohavethelightcominguptoone.Onearthlightfallsfromabove,orcomesslantingdownsideways,buthereitcamefrombeneathourfeet,andtoseeourshadowswehadtolookup.
Atfirstitgavemeasortofvertigotostandonlyonthickglassandlookdownuponthemoonthroughhundredsofthousandsofmilesofvacantspace;butthissicknesspassedveryspeedily.Andthen—thesplendourofthesight!
Thereadermayimagineitbestifhewilllieonthegroundsomewarmsummer’snightandlookbetweenhisupraisedfeetatthemoon,butforsomereason,probablybecausetheabsenceofairmadeitsomuchmoreluminous,themoonseemedalreadyconsiderablylargerthanitdoesfromearth.Theminutestdetailsofitssurfacewereacutelyclear.
