Перші люди на Місяці
Chapter 1 — Mr. Bedford Meets Mr. Cavor at Lympne
Andnow,astothenatureoftheseinquiries.Here,unhappily,comesagravedifficulty.Iamnoscientificexpert,andifIweretoattempttosetforthinthehighlyscientificlanguageofMr.Cavortheaimtowhichhisexperimentstended,IamafraidIshouldconfusenotonlythereaderbutmyself,andalmostcertainlyIshouldmakesomeblunderthatwouldbringuponmethemockeryofeveryup-to-datestudentofmathematicalphysicsinthecountry.ThebestthingIcandothereforeis,Ithinktogivemyimpressionsinmyowninexactlanguage,withoutanyattempttowearagarmentofknowledgetowhichIhavenoclaim.
TheobjectofMr.Cavor’ssearchwasasubstancethatshouldbe“opaque”—heusedsomeotherwordIhaveforgotten,but“opaque”conveystheidea—to“allformsofradiantenergy.”“Radiantenergy,”hemademeunderstand,wasanythinglikelightorheat,orthoseRontgenRaystherewassomuchtalkaboutayearorsoago,ortheelectricwavesofMarconi,orgravitation.Allthesethings,hesaid,radiateoutfromcentres,andactonbodiesatadistance,whencecomestheterm“radiantenergy.”Nowalmostallsubstancesareopaquetosomeformorotherofradiantenergy.Glass,forexample,istransparenttolight,butmuchlesssotoheat,sothatitisusefulasafire-screen;andalumistransparenttolight,butblocksheatcompletely.Asolutionofiodineincarbonbisulphide,ontheotherhand,completelyblockslight,butisquitetransparenttoheat.Itwillhideafirefromyou,butpermitallitswarmthtoreachyou.
